After countless stunning bars and flawless flows on the notable We Got It For Cheap mixtape series, The Re-Up Gang have finally brought their hustle to the big leagues with their studio debut album, The Clipse Present: The Re-Up Gang (Koch). The twelve track effort consists of nine brand new tracks as well as three unreleased remixes from We Got It For Cheap Vol. III.
Surprisingly the gang slacked off here as the new tracks don’t hold the same weight as their previous work. Even recycled lyrics from the prior volumes are coupled with sub par production; as the intro is jacked from Vol. III, adding a bit of confusion off the bat.
The content fits right into the mold of your standard Re-Up endeavors with their dramatic tales of hustling, sex, money and jewelry. This is most evident on “Million Dollar Corner,” “Street Money” and their first single “Fast Life,” which was produced by the piano man himself, Scott Storch.
On “Fast Life” you can hear Pusha and Malice flaunting flashy images: “I can show you what my paper like / Money first, fast cars, out come the chicks / Off they panties and bras / Come on / I said, Come on”. For those searching for lyrical content outside of the white powder sales, the closest you may get to it is heard on the introspective “Been Thru So Much” and “Emotionless,” where the gang gives the audience a deeper look into their lives.
Removed from their proven strategy of utilizing the pick of the litter instrumentals, the production on the disc is rather hit or miss. Tracks like “Money” and the hypnotizing organs on “Been Thru So Much,” are sure to catch the listener’s ears. On the flipside the beats found on “Street Money,” “Show You How To Hustle” and “We Know” fall short and sound like they came right off a novice’s newly purchased Fruity Loops program.
Overall The Clipse Presents: The Re-Up Gang doesn’t hit as hard as fans would expect. The lyrical abilities didn’t go anywhere, but the never ending cocaine lifestyle tires out rather quickly over the very much uninspired production. There’s a big difference from selling bricks and bricking in sales.
Re-Up Gang
“Fast Life”
Re-Up Gang
“Money”