Lord Willin'

by

Clipse

Edit

Lots of people think that this is more of a accomplishment for the Neptunes than Pusha T and Malice, the two extremely gifted MCs who make up Clipse, when the lyricists shine just as much as their producers. Let me run you through it.

1. Intro - The best intro I've heard in a while. So much wordplay on this track that it's one of my favorites. *****/5

2. Young Boy - I didn't like it the first time, but it's really a good song. Although, Pharrel's singing isn't really that...pretty, Clipse makes up for it. ****/5

3. Virginia - This is the only song on the album I didn't really like. The dark, slower beat doesn't fit the Clipse's style to well. **/5

4. Grindin' - The street anthem that everyone loves. Great song, but not the best on the album. ****/5

5. Cot Damn - A chorus that's just fun to say is what makes this track so good. ****/5

6. Ma, I Don't Love Her - One of my favorites, this beat matches Clipse really well. They keep it together with a good chorus and lyrics. *****/5

7. FamLay Freestyle - I don't consider this a Clipse track, first of all. Second of all, it's total crap. */5

8. When The Last Time - The other hit off the album I always thought was better than Grindin' by just a little bit. The Neptunes keep this one creative by adding that "tech-scratching" sort of sound to it. ****/5

9. Ego - Short but sweet. Clipse talks about some stuff in this one. All those rich people are "ego-trippin'" according to them. *****/5

10. Comedy Central - This beat grows on you. Fabolous provides an ill verse to add to the already killer verses by Pusha T and Malice. ****/5

11. Let's Talk About It - (Amazon has the track list wrong) Jermaine Dupri isn't too good in my opinion, and this is probably the most uncreative beat on the album, but it still delivers some punch. ***/5

12. Gangsta Lean - My favorite song on the album, Gangsta Lean has me bangin'. The beat is so loose for just chillin', and Pharell doesn't sound too bad singin' on this cut. ******/5

13. I'm Not You - A nice track with some good replay value. Clipse gets deep on their views of realness with this one. ****/5

14. Grindin' (Remix) - Basically just Grindin' with a bunch of other guys. ****/5

15. Grindin' (Selector Mix) - HILARIOUS! This version of Grindin' features all those foreign rappers in it. *****/5

This CD will not fall short of your expectations if you are a true hip-hop fan. On the other hand, if you are expecting hip-"pop" songs fit to be played on TRL, you should not purchase this CD. This is only for the hardcore hip-hop fan. Malice and Pusha T deliver a solid, original flow. It is hard to distinguish the two rappers' voices and the similarity is probably intended. The worst song on this CD is probably "Ma, I don't love her", a poppy, annoying, corny, radio-ready song. That is one of the only flaws of the album. Needless to say, the beats are phenominal. Although the lyrics fall short of the beats, they are still very good, much better than 90% of the rap CDs coming out these days. Pusha T and Malice brag about their riches and tell stories about their violent, drug-dealing past in Virginia and they do so tastefully and cleverly. This is not one of those CDs were the only good song is the hit song, as is usually the case with most other artists in this fake, commercialized era of hip-hop. If you're tired of phony, sell-out rappers such as Nelly and Ja Rule, buy this CD, you will NOT be disappointed.