Clipse
is a critically acclaimed Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice
(Gene Thornton, born 1973) and Pusha T
(Terrence Thornton, born 1977), the group is affiliated with multi-platinum production team The Neptunes. [1]
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CLIPSE TICKETS
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Clipse Tickets 8/3 | Aug 03, 2025 Sun, 8:00 PM |  | Clipse Tickets 8/5 | Aug 05, 2025 Tue, 8:00 PM |  | Clipse Tickets 8/7 | Aug 07, 2025 Thu, 8:00 PM |  | Clipse Tickets 8/9 | Aug 09, 2025 Sat, 8:00 PM |  | Clipse Tickets 8/10 | Aug 10, 2025 Sun, 8:00 PM |  |
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History
Exclusive Audio Footage
(1993–1999)
Clipse began its career in music in 1993 when the Thornton brothers met
Pharrell Williams, one half of the production team
The Neptunes. Impressed with their lyrical talents, Williams formed a working relationship with the duo. He eventually helped them secure a recording contract with
Elektra Records in 1997. Under Elektra, and with
The Neptunes handling its production, Clipse recorded its debut album,
Exclusive Audio Footage
. Its first single, "The Funeral", helped to generate fan interest in the album, but failed to make a significant commercial impact. With "The Funeral" deemed a failure,
Exclusive Audio Footage
itself was shelved indefinitely. Clipse was released from its record contract shortly thereafter.
[2] [3]
Lord Willin
(2001–2002)
In early 2001, Williams signed the duo to
Arista Records through his recently established
Star Trak Entertainment imprint. Clipse released its commercial debut
Lord Willin'
on August 20, 2002. The album opened at #1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-hop Album chart and #4 on the
Billboard Hot 200, fueled by the strength of the first two singles, "
Grindin'" and "
When the Last Time", which peaked at #34 and #19 respectively on the
Billboard Hot 100. Third single "
Ma, I Don't Love Her" (featuring
Faith Evans) was a modest hit, reaching #86 on the
Hot 100. On October 1, 2002—only a month after its release—
Lord Willin'
was certified gold by the
RIAA.
[4] Clipse made another dent in the pop music world that year by providing rhymes for
Justin Timberlake's first solo single, "
Like I Love You," another Neptunes-produced crossover radio hit, as well as "What Happened to That Boy" with
Birdman.
Hell Hath No Fury
(2003–2006)
In late 2003, Clipse began recording material for its second album,
Hell Hath No Fury
. However, further work on the album ground to a halt in 2004, when
Arista Records was dissolved into its sister label
Jive Records as part of a larger merger between
Sony Music Entertainment and
BMG. Due to contractual requirements, Clipse was forced to stay on Jive, while Star Trak and the rest of its roster moved to a new home at
Interscope Records.
While Clipse resumed work on the album, and eventually finished its recording, the duo became increasingly frustrated with Jive, as the label overlooked them in favor of the more "
pop" oriented acts on its roster, causing numerous delays in the release of
Hell Hath No Fury
. As delays continued, the group asked for a formal release from its contract. When Jive refused to grant this request, the duo sued the label. While the litigation took place, Clipse released new material through its
We Got It 4 Cheap
mixtape series. The mixtapes featured Clipse and two
Philadelphia rappers: long-time friend Ab-Liva (of
Major Figgas) and newcomer Sandman, known collectively as "The
Re-Up Gang".
On May 9, 2006, Clipse finally reached an agreement with
Jive Records to release the album through its own label,
Re-Up Records, along with Jive.
[5] After two more changes in its release date (originally August 29 and then October 31)
Hell Hath No Fury
was finally released on November 28, 2006. It spawned two singles: "
Mr. Me Too" with
Pharrell Williams and "
Wamp Wamp (What It Do)" with
Slim Thug. While the album received a great deal of critical acclaim, its sales were modest, at 78,000 in the first week. The
hip hop magazine
XXL
gave the album a "XXL" rating, marking it as a five-star album. Only five albums had previously received that honor.
Columbia Records (2007–present)
In a May 19, 2007 interview with
Eye Weekly
, Clipse revealed that the group had been officially released from its recording contract with Jive.
[6] After this, the duo began discussions with several record labels, eventually signing with
Columbia Records on October 26, 2007.
[7] On August 8, 2008, the duo released the
Re-Up Gang's self-titled debut studio album through
Koch Records. The album's first single, "Fast Life", was produced by
Scott Storch. The single was originally slated for the duo's third album, but they felt it would be better used for the Re-Up Gang album. Only Malice and Pusha-T appear on the track. After the release, Sandman left the group.
The follow-up to
Hell Hath No Fury
, titled
Till the Casket Drops
, is slated for release in October 2009.
[8] In a departure from the group's previous works, which only featured production from the Neptunes, the album will feature production from
Timbaland,
Danjahandz,
Scott Storch, Dame Grease,
Sean "Diddy" Combs' production team
The Hitmen,
Kanye West, and
Rick Rubin.
[7] [10] [11]
In November 2008, Clipse announced the launch of their fashion line, Play Cloths.
[12]
A
mixtape called
Road To Till The Casket Drops
was released on December 1 in promotion of the line.
Discography
- 1999: Exclusive Audio Footage
- 2002: Lord Willin'
- 2006: Hell Hath No Fury
- 2009: Till the Casket Drops
References
- Clipse Biography
- New Faces: The Clipse
- The Clipse Emerge
- Clipse Strike Gold, Neptunes Want To Go Country
- Clipse Tour With Ice Cube; Album Release Date Set
- Keys Open Doors
- The Clipse Signs With Columbia
- CLIPSE to drop casket in October
- The Clipse Signs With Columbia
- The Clipse Score Deal With Sony Music
- [1] . Retrieved on 2008-02-18
- Clipse officially launches fashion line Play Cloths