What is Clipse?

Clipse is a rap duo consisting of brothers Pusha-T and No Malice (formerly Malice), who first rose to prominence in the early 2000s. Raised in Virginia Beach, the pair grew up exposed to the world of the drug trade from a young age. No Malice attended junior high school with Timbaland and began making music early on. Around the same time, he became involved in illicit substance distribution; an experience that would later shape what came to be known as “coke rap”: a subgenre that detailed the economics and morals of drug trafficking with philosophical clarity. Before forming Clipse, No Malice recorded solo. Being five years older than Pusha-T, he facilitated his younger brother’s start in rap. During this time, he met Pharrell Williams, one half of the production duo The Neptunes, alongside Chad Hugo. After a period of military service in the U.S. as a generator mechanic, when No Malice’s military service ended he began recording at Chad Hugo’s house. Pusha-T would soon join him, marking the beginning of their collaborative work under the Clipse name.

Early Albums and the Coke Rap Era

Exclusive Audio Footage was Clipse’s intended debut, completed in 1999 but shelved indefinitely by Elektra Records due to internal restructuring and commercial concerns. Though it never received a proper release at the time, it circulated heavily in bootleg form and laid the groundwork for the duo’s sparse, uncompromising aesthetic. Their official debut arrived in 2002 with Lord Willin’, released via Arista and Star Trak. The album introduced their cold and vivid style to a wider audience, supported by the breakout single “Grindin’.” The Neptunes’ minimal production was instantly recognizable and soon became a hallmark of early-2000s hip-hop. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold, but its cultural influence far exceeded sales figures. Their second album, Hell Hath No Fury (2006), is widely regarded as their magnum opus. The album was created in the midst of legal disputes with Jive Records, and that tension is audible across every track. It is frequently cited as one of the most important rap albums of the 2000s and remains a benchmark for lyrical and thematic consistency. In 2009, Clipse released Til the Casket Drops, a more accessible, sonically varied project that featured production from outside The Neptunes. While the album contained moments of brilliance, it was unevenly received and marked the duo’s final release before their hiatus. Around this time, No Malice became a christian and changed both his name and artistic direction, distancing himself from the subject matter that had defined the group’s identity. Pusha-T signed with Kanye West and went on to enjoy recognition in his solo career as well as in his features, culminating in critically acclaimed albums like Daytona (2018) and It’s Almost Dry (2022).