On The Next Step

In today's climate of musicians striving to be seen as versatile and original (ie. Kanye's 808's or Wayne's Rebirth) it's not surprising to see Clipse put forth an album like Til The Casket Drops. Even the album artwork, done by the artist KAWS, is a break from the gritty look we've come to expect from the VA natives and the sound is different too. Yeah, in a perfect world album reviews normally coincide with album releases, but hit the jump to find out why Til The Casket Drops may be the weakest album ever put forth by Clipse...



If previous Clipse albums can serve as confessionals from the blow-riddled lives of Pusha T and Malice, then consider Til The Casket Drops a look through the rear-view mirror. TTCD feels more like a recollection of the ways they used to live than a rough-and-tumble look at the lives of drug dealers.

There's still some of the ignorant money and gun talk that true Clipse fans expect, but the beats are a leap away from the eerie, hardcore strings of melody found on Hell Hath No Fury and Lord Willin'.

Overall, it would seem the attitudes of Pusha and Malice have changed altogether. Cheery, bubblegum sounds dominate the album. Like "Champion" where Malice flouts lines like, "I thought that life was a bad bitch, bad car/ Na, life is with your kids watching Madagascar." Don't get me wrong though, the entire album isn't all bright and shiny.

"Freedom" is another key track where Pusha blacks out over the Sean C & LV production. Another key track which feels more like Clipse circa 2005 is "Popular Demand". Both these tracks harbor the gritty sound that true Clipse fans buy Clipse albums for.

If you can skip over Timberland-sounding tracks like "Eyes on Me" you might find yourself with another great Clipse album. If only the guys could've stuck with their street-hardened sound and not tried to venture into the hip-pop arena...