How One Album Can Put You Behind Bars: Looking Inside Clipse’s Hell Hath No Fury
Looking at Clipse's critically acclaimed second album and the repercussions of their subject matter.
‘Hell Hath No Fury’ is the second album from Virginia rap duo Clipse was released in the fall of 2006 to immediate critical acclaim from everyone from The Guardian to Rolling Stone.
Clipse is comprised of brothers [No] Malice and Pusha T hailing from Virginia Beach. It has been said that their lyrics acted as an encyclopaedia for cocaine distribution set to the luxurious production from The Neptunes. The outcome? Hip hop gold.
Clipse's first attempt in the music industry was in the late nineties when the duo signed to Elektra Records and recorded their debut 'Exclusive Audio Footage'.
The album was entirely produced by The Neptunes and featured guest spots from; Pharrell, Kurupt, Kelis, Noreaga and Lee Harvey.
From the album spawned three singles in 'Got Caught Dealin' parts one and two and 'The Funeral' which received a music video.
Exclusive Audio Footage was shelved due to the label shifting their focus and money into Missy Elliot and Busta Rhymes at the time. This consequently put Clipse on the back-burner and they left the label.
Clipse had been working on the album since 2003 after the success of their official debut ‘Lord Willin’ from 2002 which spawned the lunch table anthem ‘Grindin’.
Because of label politics, mergers and a lawsuit Clipse filed against their label, the album didn’t drop till 2006.
Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes said working on the album he was inspired by 80s hip hop from the likes of Mantronix to really add experimental textures to the album’s soundscape.
The album was such a success it fuelled the partnership between Kanye West and Pusha T as he had asked Clipse to perform the album in full at his birthday party.
This relationship culminated with Pusha T signing with West’s GOOD Music label. In 2015, it was announced that Pusha T was promoted to president of the GOOD Music label.
In a now-deleted 2016 VICE interview, Pusha T detailed how his manager Anthony Gonzalez was sentenced to 32 years in prison on drug charges. Also, a further nine of the duo’s friends were incarcerated due to the tumultuous lifestyle they were involved in.
The album was used as leverage/semi evidence in court with Pusha saying if they did another Clipse album it would be all over for them… The duo continued to work and reached a more pop-oriented sound on their final album ‘Til The Casket Drops’ released in 2009.
DJ Booth reported in 2018; “No Malice didn't leave Clipse because of rap, he left because he was going to end up dead or in jail.”
Since leaving Clipse in the early 2010s, Malice had become a born-again Christian and released a book ‘Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind and Naked’. Malice returned to rap releasing two solo albums in 2013 and 2017 respectively.
Pusha T, on the other hand, has achieved rap superstardom on GOOD music dropping back to back classic albums with 'Daytona' and 'King Push - The Darkest Before Dawn’.
Clipse reunited in late 2019 for the first time in almost ten years officially under the Clipse name. They appeared on the song ‘Use This Gospel’ with Kanye West from his album 'Jesus Is King'.
Stream Hell Hath No Fury on Spotify and Apple Music here.