Embattled in a contractual dispute with their label, Jive Records, and unable to put out any new material, The Clipse recently released the mixtape “We Got It 4 Cheap Vol. 2"—along with Philadelphia rhyme slingers Ab Liva and Sandman—to satisfy rap fiends who’ve been waiting three years for another dosage of the raw from the Virginia duo.
“I see what people are letting pass these days,” Pusha T told AllHipHop.com about the reason for the Clinton Sparks-hosted project. “And it’s not even about being clever anymore; this rap [today] is very cheap. It’s all about charisma more so than lyricism.”
So Pusha says he and his brother Malice decided to do something about it. They re-enlisted Liva and Sandman (and this time around brought Pharrell on board for three tracks) to help liven up the doormat East Coast scene from the doldrums of “non-rapping,” as Pusha put it.
Featuring a bevy of current East Coast production selections, Vol. 2 is designed to get New York to stop bouncing, according to P.
“Them n***as make crunk music now,” explains Pusha. “I don’t know what’s going on right now.”
Although stylistically The Clipse are as East Coast and grimey as it gets, geographically, on the other hand, the Star Trak representers aren’t exactly located near the Atlantic.
But the group feels their state is caught in a conundrum as far as location.
“At one point Virginia was the South, when New York n***as was talking about hustling and that was a trip,” said Pusha, who was influenced by artists like Rakim and Jay-Z. “But now, it’s one of those places, they call Mid-Atlantic
“It’s not low enough to be Dirty South, and not high enough to be East Coast,” he continued, laughing.
Aside from the mixtape scene, The Clipse is also venturing into the video game world soon with the upcoming Kick In The Door by Gizmondo. Pusha described the game, the first in a trilogy, as a home-style invasion action title.
“This is some grown man s**t, just like the music,” he said of the game, which is comparable to the Grand Theft Auto titles, according to him. “You can try to censor it and do whatever you want to do, but it’s gonna reach where it’s gonna reach. Everything is not G-rated. Its not suppose to be.”
Next up for the Clipse is a date in court to continue their dispute with Jive.
“In my eyes, we’re already off the situation,” said Pusha. “But my voice versus a company’s voice is much different, and that’s a headache for some people. Which I totally understand. But I think it’s [the dispute] given us a lot of time to sit back and let our creative juices flowing.”
The Clipse are due in court October 18 regarding their issues with Jive.