Clipse

Brothers Pusha T and Malice, who record as Clipse and originate from Virginia, counted among the earliest acts to align themselves with the Neptunes. Pharrell Williams of that production outfit crossed paths with the siblings in the early 1990s, recognized their gifts immediately, and moved to secure them a recording slot. After he placed the duo with Elektra, their initial single failed to connect, leaving the act adrift despite a completed album’s worth of tracks. Williams refused to abandon the project and kept promoting the brothers until Arista stepped in during 2001. He and production partner Chad Hugo then handled the boards for Lord Willin’, the group’s first proper full-length, issued via Star Trak/Arista in 2002. Powered by the hit single “Grindin’,” the set climbed into the Top Ten on both the R&B/Hip-Hop and Billboard 200 charts before earning gold status. The Sony-BMG merger later stranded the follow-up project and triggered extended contractual disputes with Jive, the new parent label. Throughout the impasse Clipse dropped multiple mixtapes and launched their own Re-Up imprint. Once the legal obstacles were resolved, the lean, mean Hell Hath No Fury—showcasing the Neptunes alongside the MC’ing duo at peak form—finally appeared on November 28, 2006. Critics greeted the release with near-universal acclaim, and it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200. The pair subsequently joined Columbia, which released Til the Casket Drops in December 2009; that album featured contributions from the Neptunes, DJ Khalil, Kanye West, and Keri Hilson.