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In appreciation of Clipse – Hip Hop Legends
RnB/Hip Hop | Thursday 7th June 2018 | Jake
On Pusha T’s latest solo album, Daytona, the Bronx-born rapper took aim at Drake, accusing him of having a ghostwriter. Drake responded to the charge, heard on the track 'Infrared', within 24 hours with 'Duppy Freestyle', also sending an invoice to Pusha for “promotional assistance and career-reviving.”
The beef appeared over, or at least the result seemed secured. A few days later, however, Pusha replied with 'The Story of Adidon', a visceral reveal of Drake’s secret child, his identity issues and his relationship with his father. From the jaws of defeat, Pusha snatched victory, but as we’ve now learnt from the feud, it’s not over until it’s over, and nobody quite knows if it’s over.
Rumours of an imminent Drake reply have been circling since Pusha’s reply, but in the meantime, little has been said by either party, with J Prince (CEO of Rap-a-Lot Records and a universally recognised OG) reportedly telling Drake not to reply, the only solid news from the beef in the last few days.
In the canon of hip hop head-to-heads it has been an enjoyable and far more even one than some of the respective rivals’ previous – think Meek. Another enjoyable feature of the beef, and particularly the interval, is that it will have given cause for people to go back and listen to the discographies of each artist. Drake’s is well known, but Pusha’s is less so, having only dropped his first solo album in October 2013 at the age of 36.
Before signing to Kanye’s GOOD music record label in 2010, Pusha constituted one half of the legendary Clipse, alongside his brother No Malice. The duo produced three studio albums, each one bearing the heavy influence of their Virginia surroundings (the pair moved there as children). Pharrell and his Neptunes production team worked on every album, producing hit after hit to complement Pusha and No Malice’s southern styling.
The pair decided to focus on their solo work in 2010 but promised to eventually return to the studio together and work on a fourth release. With Pusha riding the crest of a wave and its attendant fame, a new project could be on its way soon. Until then hip jop fans should take a moment to appreciate the body of work that precedes it.
