Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury
Star Trak/Jive (released 11/28/2006)
Rap
In this sea of holiday releases that, so far, have included new albums by Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and The Game, it’s quite possible that the single most anticipated joint isn’t from any of them.
Thanks to a load of label drama and other administrative delays, The Clipse’s Hell Hath No Fury is finally seeing the light of day. Depending on whom you believe, this album has been in work for up to three years. For those of you unsure of just how long ago that was”¦The Clipse’s “Grindin” was still being played in a few clubs back then.
This past spring, The Clipse (Malice & Pusha T) reached an agreement with Jive Records to finally release this album. It’s benefited from some advance buzz on the heels of the first two singles and no less an authority than XXL Magazine has given it a perfect rating.
Hip Hop and”¦ “hype”? My, what strange bedfellows.
Well, believe the hype on the aforementioned first two singles. “Mr. Me Too” is a refreshingly brilliant spin on the overdone “they (sic) all jealous of me” cut. Pharrell’s insufferable egotism is a perfect fit as his smarm is blunted by the outstanding Neptunes production. It’s the same story on “Wamp Wamp” which features an infectious hook and that familiar Clipse sound with bit of an island lilt.
Charisma is hard to come by in the commercial rap industry, but The Clipse have it in spades. How else can you explain the kick-ass automatic weapon anthem “Chinese New Year”? There just aren’t many other artists that could simulate gunfire throughout a track and make it an enjoyable listen. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that The Neptunes lay down another crazy beat that sounds like it’s from five years in the future.
But, let’s come clean. There are two things about this album that bring down the overall score. The first is the final track, “Nightmares”. It’s a slow, maudlin mess that lifts a little from The Geto Boys’ “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” track. Unfortunately, this one’s completely out of place here. The second issue is the subject matter.
While The Clipse have a clever delivery and a flow that seamlessly meshes with whatever the Neptunes serve up, some of you may get a little tired of all the drug references that acts like Biggie Smalls and Shyne have already exaggerated to death.
Still, tracks like “Dirty Money” and “Keys Open Doors” are impressive enough from a production standpoint to stand on their own. And, the first ever rap reference to Eric Bischoff is worth a mention on “Ain’t’ Cha”.
Hell Hath No Fury isn’t changing the game like Lupe Fiasco did earlier this year, but it’s a strong album that provides a little more optimism from the genre as 2006 comes to an end. It’s hard to imagine The Clipse getting any better than this, but “pretty damn good” is still pretty damn good.
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