The Tale of Two Returns

If going by street dates, the last seven days have seen two big releases in the hip-hop world: Jay-Z’s return from alleged retirement, Kingdom Come, and Clipse’s re-emergence from record label purgatory in the form of Hell Hath No Fury. Considering his icon status and positioning in the industry, Jay’s album got considerably more press in the weeks leading up to its release. Clipse, meanwhile, had to rely on word of mouth and ‘net locations like MySpace to generate buzz for an album that was four years in the making.

As is the norm with music today, both of these leaked weeks ahead of their street dates. In fact, Clipse’s album isn’t technically up for grabs until this Tuesday. The extra time has allowed me to digest two return albums from a pair of acts that are on opposite ends of the spectrum. By all means, Jay has accomplished everything a rapper could aspire to and a little bit more. He can coast on name recognition alone. This has benefited his bank account and desire to branch out with various business endeavors, but it has left his current music flaccid and lacking of that all-important hunger. Bringing in a myriad of the game’s biggest producers and attempting to cover more mature topics, Kingdom Come is more a reminder that some people can’t let go and leave while they’re on top; not a follow-up to what could be viewed as a near-perfect sendoff with his 2003 Black Album.

Clipse, on the other hand, were on the cusp of mainstream fame in 2002 with their debut Lord Willin’ that featured club-friendly singles like “Grindin’” and “When’s the Last Time?” Unfortunately for the emcee brothers Malice and Pusha T, most of the momentum created by their debut was erased when their label, Arista, was eaten up by Jive Records. This set the stage for the continuous delay of their sophomore effort, Hell Hath No Fury. While they dropped a pair of mixtapes during the wait, the poor treatment they experienced at the hands of Jive has made them angrier and more determined.

As the old saying goes, “The proof is in the pudding.” Hell Hath plays like a continuation of their debut album with the majority of the tracks dedicated to a trade they fondly remind everyone is their primary vocation: pushing drugs. And yet, something’s different. There weren’t many indications of them being wet behind the ears on their debut, but their follow-up album suggests they’ve grown from the adversity put before them in the last four years.

The duo continues their relationship with super-producers The Neptunes. I’ve given these men behind the music a lot of flak in recent times for falling into a creative rut. Hell Hath suggests they are either out of said rut or were just holding off the good production for Clipse. Any way you slice it, The Neptunes and Clipse remain a match made in heaven. Their chemistry is undeniable and this album only reinforces expectations for a classic when these four get together.

Uncharacteristically, their typically eccentric style has been mellowed on this album, which benefits Malice and Pusha’s usually slow, but authoritative flow. The first single, “Mr. Me Too” exemplifies this with a laid-back bassline coupled with a basic synth pattern. Tracks like “Ride Around Shining,” “Hello New World” and “We Got it for Cheap” among others fall into this category, offering a barebones sound that clearly has little concern for radio appeal.

The second single “Wamp Wamp (What it Do)” is one of the few tracks that boasts a complex, unorthodox beat. Aside from the useless inclusion of Slim Thug, the track is a winner and arguably one of the album’s strongest.

Kingdom Come and Hell Hath No Fury were three and four years in the making, respectively. Both had their own forms of hype backing them, but the self-proclaimed savior of hip-hop failed to deliver, while the Virginia duo has concocting a 12-track classic. Let’s just hope the industry realizes it and Clipse can carve a spot as impact players in the game.