I used to be concerned with what rappers were writing about rather than how talented they actually were. This caused me to praise anything that was underground and abhor any rappers that were in music videos and bragging about riches. I have evolved as a listener. Not to say I still don't enjoy a serious, heartfelt track, but I now look for talent a bit over substance.
I'd rather listen to Papoose spit his typical street thuganomics that he's kicked for the past 17 mixtapes than listen to Sage Francis rap something "deep." I don't mean to hate, but that's just how it is. Sure I believe that Sage raps from the heart, but Papoose wins me over because of a more dominant flow, multi's, and style. Get the picture? The same goes for Clipse. The duo hasn't changed their subject matter, not once, yet I still find each song to be enjoyable. They are just that good.
1. We Got it for Cheap ft. Spanish Lee (4.5 stars)
2. Momma I'm So Sorry (5 stars)
3. Mr. Me Too ft. Pharrell (4 stars)
4. Wamp Wamp ft. Slim Thug (4 stars)
5. Ride Around Shining ft. Ab-Liva (5 stars)
6. Dirty Money (4 stars)
7. Hello New World ft. Pharrell (5 stars)
8. Keys Open Doors (5 stars)
9. Ain't Cha feat. Re-Up Gang (4.5 stars)
10. Trill (2.5 stars)
11. Chinese New Year ft. Rosco (5 stars)
12. Nightmares ft. Bilal (6 stars)
The first thing that jumps at you about this album is the tone. Like many previous Hip Hop classics, Hell Hath No Fury beautifully embodies the tone and overall feel of the album to add to its marvel. You feel like this entire LP is a book, and the different songs are just chapters. It has such a conglomerate feel. "We Got It For Cheap" (also the name of their much-heralded mixtape) is the intro track and instantly grapples for your attention.
The extremely unorthodox Neptunes beat is a banger, with the siblings spitting their usual coke tales. "So many deceive ya / I'm in touch with the Keys, move over Alicia". One thing to note about this album is that Pusha T has really risen up. On Lord Willin' I always felt that Malice was the stronger of the two and Pusha was always trying hard to keep up, but with this album, it has changed. Pusha has definitely equaled Malice, and damn near passed him.
The Neptunes really stunned me with this album. Of course, being a Clipse album, you know all of the songs were Neptunes productions, and this would make some Hip Hop purists go "ehhh" because of their reputation of being mainstream hit producers. Throw that thought out the window! Pharrell and Chad Hugo surprise the hell out of me here with a handful of heaters. Very experimental and exciting, the production carries the album's dark and creepy feel. This is not just the feeling of a Mafioso flick, but a Mafioso flick that has elements of comedy and action. It's got all of the above.
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