Don’t expect The Clipse to battle Jay-Z anytime soon.
The Virginia-based rap duo isn’t losing sleep over some lyrics on Jay-Z’s last album that seem to be aimed their way.
“I don’t get my panties in a bunch,” Malice of the group says, discussing The Blueprint 3 track, Thank You. The lines in question seem to slyly reference The Clipse and their latest album, Til the Casket Drops.
But again, they’re not sweating it. “I’m a Jay-Z fan,” Malice says. “So I’m not worrying about any of that speculation that’s not positive. We’ve been on tour with Jay-Z. He was gracious enough to have us go overseas with him. I don’t take anything personal from it.”
And even if Mr. Knowles-Carter was really trying to diss The Clipse, Malice can empathize.
“Sometimes you just come up with a great line and it doesn’t matter at whose expense,” he says. “It’s just a great line.”
Malice and his brother, Pusha T, know a thing or two about those. The group rose to prominence for using sharp wordplay to detail the drug-hustling life over hard Neptunes beats. They’re currently coming up with their own latest great lines for a few new projects, including their fourth album (they’ve already hit the studio with Raekwon, Young Jeezy and Travis Barker), a mixtape, even a book. Malice’s upcoming autobiography, Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind and Naked, will describe the impact his rap career has had on the lives of his friends and family.
“I think it’s an eye opener for anybody who aspires to get into this game, how it takes a strong mind and focus,” he says. “You need to really question your motives as to why you want to be in this industry.”
As for The Clipse, satisfying fans is their main priority. That much is clear from the way Malice talks about their performances.
“We’re very passionate about our shows,” he says. “When I see that fan’s face, you know, singing along with me, and his eyes closing and his hands in the air, I’m like ‘Yeah I remember I felt like that when I wrote it!’
“So it’s just a one-on-one connection with our fans. We owe it to them because they spoke for us when we didn’t have a voice. They kept us relevant. So our show is where we just try to give it all back.”
