Rick Rubin and Clipse?

[Photo Cred]

Yes, please. Rubin's beard always humbles my feeble attempts at facial greatness.

Clipse Tour Dates

From Pitchfork...

02-27 Cambridge, MA - Middle East *
02-28 Baltimore, MD - Sonar *
03-01 Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theatre
03-02 Chicago, IL - Metro *
03-03 Minneapolis, MN - Myth
03-04 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
03-05 Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
03-06 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
03-07 Jackson Hole, WY - Mangy Moose
03-08 Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
03-10 Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Center
03-11 Bellingham, WA - Nightlight Lounge
03-12 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
03-13 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey *
03-14 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine *
03-15 Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst *
03-16 Los Angeles, CA - Key Club *
03-17 San Diego, CA - Belly Up
03-18 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
03-19 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
03-21 Austin, TX - Emo's
03-23 Miami, FL - I/O
03-24 Orlando, FL - The Club at Firestone
03-25 Atlanta, GA - The Loft
03-26 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
03-27 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
03-28 Richmond, VA - TBA
03-29 Baltimore, MD - TBA
04-26 New York, NY - B.B. King's

* with Low Budget

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Reintroduction to Hip Hop: Clipse

I haven't fully listened to a hip hop album in years. Simply put, I gave up on it. After Jay Z's Black Album, not one album appealed to me. My frame of reference is always going to be early Tribe Called Quest, B.I.G. and Wu Tang - including some amazing debut solo - releases. I even skipped over Ghostface's critically acclaimed Fishscale, although I think I may be ready to check it out. Well, I couldn't ignore the reviews of Clipse's new album Hell Hath No Fury. Adding to my reason of intrigue is an album fully produced by the Neptunes (who are behind countless Pop and Hip Hop hits across the years) and these boys are from my home state, VA. I'll always plead old school (because I'm getting kind of old) so I'm not sure I would deem this an instant classic but I have to say this is pretty damn good. The thing that impresses me most is the length of the album and the lack of "skits." Absent are all of the shitty intros, outros and skits that often water down a quality hip hop album. This is an album without any filler, just 12 quality tracks that you can listen to all the way through - the way a great album should be. I will always be a rock guy at heart but this one may be worth a look.

MP3: Clipse - "We Got It For Cheap"
MP3: Clipse - "Hello New World"
Buy