Clipse struggles against expectations
Bob Dorff
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: A&E
Clipse is a rap duo from Virginia Beach, VA, consisting of two brothers who go by the names Malice and Pusha-T. They are some of the best (if not the best) rappers working today and are held in high regard by critics and rap fans alike. Despite their widespread acclaim, their Sendoff-closing show Saturday night made one thing abundantly clear: Clipse is not a "Summer Sendoff Band."
The group came out strong, opening with "Intro" off the Road Til the Casket Drops mixtape. As its name implies, "Intro" served as a fitting introduction to the brothers and their signature topics of street life and cocaine-dealing. It also showcased the group's impressive lyrical abilities, which were as stunning live as they are on record. Say what you will about their subject matter, but no one articulates the grind of life as a dealer like Clipse does.
The show fed off of its energetic opener as the group barreled through most of the songs on their last album Hell Hath No Fury. Of particular note were "Momma I'm So Sorry" and "Keys Open Doors," both of which inspired the crowd to sing along. Throughout these songs the brothers were able showmen; they rapped with a fierce intensity, they slapped the hands of audience members along the front of the stage and Pusha-T joked about his struggle to make it to the concert after a night of hard partying.
Aside from jokes about the previous night's debauchery, the group's banter focused on their upcoming new album, Til the Casket Drops, and their record label, Re-Up. As expected from a group on the cusp of a new release, they treated the crowd to a few tracks from the new record. These snippets prompted the brothers to bring out a guest rapper, Ab-Liba, who absolutely dominated the songs in which he appeared. After delving back into their material from Hell Hath No Fury, the group brought the show to an abrupt close with the recently released (and stone-cold awesome) Kanye West-featuring track "Kinda Like a Big Deal." As the brothers left the stage, the crowd cheered for an encore, only to be disappointed when the group's DJ reappeared and told those in attendance that the show was over.
This brings us to why Clipse is not a "Sendoff Band." If last year's fantastic performance by Toots and the Maytals could be considered an ideal Sendoff concert, it becomes clear why Clipse was out of their element. Hardcore gangster rap courts a smaller audience than feel-good reggae, and Clipse felt too confrontational for Sendoff's "live and let live" mentality. For an example of this contrast, Toots ended his hour-and-a-half-long performance with his arms outstretched, while he joyously proclaimed every member of the crowd his friend. Clipse walked off the stage after 40 minutes with a cursory goodbye amidst a hail of recorded gunfire. While there is no denying Clipse's musical ability, their show on Saturday left me feeling a little empty.
The group came out strong, opening with "Intro" off the Road Til the Casket Drops mixtape. As its name implies, "Intro" served as a fitting introduction to the brothers and their signature topics of street life and cocaine-dealing. It also showcased the group's impressive lyrical abilities, which were as stunning live as they are on record. Say what you will about their subject matter, but no one articulates the grind of life as a dealer like Clipse does.
The show fed off of its energetic opener as the group barreled through most of the songs on their last album Hell Hath No Fury. Of particular note were "Momma I'm So Sorry" and "Keys Open Doors," both of which inspired the crowd to sing along. Throughout these songs the brothers were able showmen; they rapped with a fierce intensity, they slapped the hands of audience members along the front of the stage and Pusha-T joked about his struggle to make it to the concert after a night of hard partying.
Aside from jokes about the previous night's debauchery, the group's banter focused on their upcoming new album, Til the Casket Drops, and their record label, Re-Up. As expected from a group on the cusp of a new release, they treated the crowd to a few tracks from the new record. These snippets prompted the brothers to bring out a guest rapper, Ab-Liba, who absolutely dominated the songs in which he appeared. After delving back into their material from Hell Hath No Fury, the group brought the show to an abrupt close with the recently released (and stone-cold awesome) Kanye West-featuring track "Kinda Like a Big Deal." As the brothers left the stage, the crowd cheered for an encore, only to be disappointed when the group's DJ reappeared and told those in attendance that the show was over.
This brings us to why Clipse is not a "Sendoff Band." If last year's fantastic performance by Toots and the Maytals could be considered an ideal Sendoff concert, it becomes clear why Clipse was out of their element. Hardcore gangster rap courts a smaller audience than feel-good reggae, and Clipse felt too confrontational for Sendoff's "live and let live" mentality. For an example of this contrast, Toots ended his hour-and-a-half-long performance with his arms outstretched, while he joyously proclaimed every member of the crowd his friend. Clipse walked off the stage after 40 minutes with a cursory goodbye amidst a hail of recorded gunfire. While there is no denying Clipse's musical ability, their show on Saturday left me feeling a little empty.
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