Clipse f. Cam’ron, “Popeyes” MP3

Right after Cam’ron emerged from his self-inflicted exile, around about the time he played us mad times in a row by not showing up for our interview appointments, someone who actually did get a microphone under him got him to admit that he’d thought about retiring. Thankfully, he did not follow through, a decision we’re sure had very little to do with ceding victory to 50 Cent after their dust-up. As far as we can tell, Cam is still very much the king of Harlem and if he wanted to be, probably New York City, but the fact that he’s somehow burrowed himself into the underground makes his appearance on “Popeyes” less the favor to message board heroes the Clipse, than a sensible alliance.



Download: The Clipse f. Cam’ron, “Popeyes”

Video: Clipse, “I’m Good”

I'm Good

The first Clipse albums got serious FADER rotation, but especially Hell Hath No Fury, based on the brick-like density of tracks like “Ride Around Shining” and (from the Barbershop 2 soundtrack!) “Pussy”. Not that there were not lithe moments like “I’m Good” on either, but our expectations are ridiculously high and it felt initially too easy. But maybe it’s time to open our hearts and let a little Clipse shine in. Because really, it looks sweet to drive around in a black BMW convertible and have a pool party on the roof of The Standard or wherever chilling in cardigans and expensive sunglasses with a bunch of models. Maybe this song is alright, actually.

Kanye Joins Clipse Onstage at Diesel Party, Wears Purple Cardigan

We were pretty bummed when Drake tore his ACL playing ball and had to sit out this year’s free Diesel:U:Music show in NYC last night. Forced to rely solely on The Roots, Passion Pit, Lykke Li, Theophilus London, and Clipse for entertainment, we weren’t sure how our party brains would have survived.  Luckily two-time FADER cover star Kanye West stepped in with Clipse on “Kinda Like a Big Deal” to save the game (just kidding, it was great already)!  Kinda makes up for the lack of Drake and the fact that we had to wait in line at Webster Hall while spindly models got to walk right in.

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Clipse f. Rock City, “Warning” MP3

The bass on this new leak from the upcoming third Clipse album sounds like heavy farts. Pusha and Malice’s verses sound like they started as freestyles. Rock City still sounds confusing. Less angry/sad Clipse is weird. It’s not that they’ve lost skill (Married to the game/ Ya’ll just common law/ Fiends set fire to the pipe like molotov), but the feverish angst has dissipated, now settled with a supportive label and nothing heavy to rebel against.



Download: Clipse f. Rock City, “Warning”

Freeload: Clipse f. Keri Hilson & Pharrell, “Eyes On Me” MP3

We’ll admit to being more than a little skeptical when Clipse said ’Til The Casket Drops wouldn’t be the all-Neptunes affair their prior albums had been, but having now heard three songs and two of them being Neptunes-produced, either our skepticism was well-founded or they were bullshitting. Regardless, we posted tagged up version of this a couple weeks ago, but this is the official jam. Might we also suggest Clipse hand Ryan Leslie a dusty check for the “Something That I Like” beat that Pusha recently guested on? Judging by history, that song won’t be on a Leslie album until 2017.



Download: Clipse f. Keri Hilson & Pharrell, “Eyes On Me” (via Re-Up Gang)

Bonus:


Download: Ryan Leslie f. Pusha T, “Something That I Like”

Video: Clipse f. Kanye West, “Kinda Like A Big Deal”

Hold up, you got Clipse and Kanye in the same room to shoot this video and all you came up with was some gelled lights and a stairwell? Did someone forget to animate a cat into this shit?

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Freeload: Keri Hilson f. The Clipse, “Eyes On Me” Produced by The Neptunes MP3

“Drop down and get your eagle on!” Oh wait, that’s a different song. And generally just a different era. One where Drake was still a teenage Canadian TV star, Keri Hilson was a songwriter for Ciara, Clipse were languishing and angry and the Neptunes were on the cover of FADER. It’s always trite to pine for a gilded past, but “Eyes On Me” is giving us a rap/R&B collabo hankering. Not to say that this song isn’t good, it is, it’s just not great. I like them fast girls/ who like them fast cars. Cool, good to know. That bubble effect over Keri Hilson’s verse is cool, though. Oh also we heard Mike Jones is jacked now, welcome to the future.



Download: Keri Hilson f. The Clipse, “Eyes On Me” Produced by Neptunes (via Nahright)

Freeload: Clipse f. Pharrell, “I’m Good” MP3

The best thing about the picture above is how Pusha matched his watch to Rick Rubin’s scarf and Malice matched his sweatshirt to Rubin’s psychotic hair foliage. THAT is a collaboration, people. Not to be outdone, Pharrell jumps on the hook for this misleadingly breezy Neptunes-produced follow-up to Clipse’s first ’Til the Casket Drops single “Kinda Like A Big Deal”.



Download: Clipse f. Pharrell, “I’m Good” (via Complex)

Freeload: The Clipse, Kanye West + Bun B Rap About Balling, Also Swine Flu

Same as before, only now Bun B’s on here referencing swine flu, meaning he recorded his verse somewhere between last week and five minutes ago.



Download:The Clipse, Kanye West + Bun B, “Kinda Like a Big Deal” (Remix)

Freeload: The Clipse f. Kanye West, “Kinda Like a Big Deal”

We’re not feeling the chorus because it sounds like something Will Ferrell would say or actually did say in Anchorman, but everything else in this song is working for us: the absolute disdain from everyone involved for the entire concept of the recession, the more than passable DJ Khalil beat that sounds like a logical extension of the direction the Neptunes took them in on Hell Hath No Fury…We’re still not sold on a Neptunes-less album produced by a bunch of other people, but this is one big step in the right direction.



Download: The Clipse f. Kanye West, “Kinda Like a Big Deal”

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