I've never been one of those people who likes to break artists up into the stupid little categories the media places them in - pop-rap, gangsta, hardcore, East coast, whatever. If it's good music, it's good music and it shouldn't matter if the record is selling big-time or not - just because someone blows up doesn't mean that they've necessarily "gone pop" (thanks to Dilated Peoples for that line). I don't think very many people would tell you that 2Pac is a commercial sell-out or any less "real" for all his posthumous success.

All that needed to be mentioned because of the (stuff) I'm sure will be said about Clipse because their album was produced by the Neptunes and succeeded in moving some units. None of that matters. What does matter, though, is that this is a solid debut effort from the relative newcomers. Being that it is produced by the Neptunes, the album's best asset is the production value. All the beats are excellent and they cover a lot of ground - from the stripped-down drum-and-claps beat of "Grindin'" to the jazzy, saxophone-laced "Young Boy" (complete with Pharrell Williams hook) to the laid-back synthesized groove of "Virginia", all are winners. The lyrics, on the other hand, aren't so consistently great. Don't get me wrong, they're good enough, as are the flows of the rappers behind them, but they're nothing exceptional. If you're looking for "hard-core", you can't miss here, as nearly every song is a narrative of Malice and Pusha-T's coke-dealing days, and they're convincing enough at laying these stories down for us. Only problem is, it wears a bit thin by the end of the CD, especially when neither rapper really looks deeper than the surface level of their stories. I love a hardcore, drug-dealing song as much as the next gangsta rap fan, but when it's an entire album of it, it needs to have something along the lines of 2Pac's introspection ('I made a G today'/But you made it in a sleazy way/Sellin crack to the kids/'I gotta get paid'/Well hey - that's the way it is") to keep it interesting.

That being said, this is still a very good album. For the beats alone, it's worth picking up, but the two fairly good MC's also make it worthwhile. It's just hard for me to hear production value like this and not ponder the "what-if" about how higher-level MC's would sound with this kind of backing. No matter, I'll still bump this one for a long while, and just look elsewhere for the deeper meaning.

Lots of people think that this is more of a accomplishment for the Neptunes than Pusha T and Malice, the two extremely gifted MCs who make up Clipse, when the lyricists shine just as much as their producers. Let me run you through it.

1. Intro - The best intro I've heard in a while. So much wordplay on this track that it's one of my favorites. *****/5

2. Young Boy - I didn't like it the first time, but it's really a good song. Although, Pharrel's singing isn't really that...pretty, Clipse makes up for it. ****/5

3. Virginia - This is the only song on the album I didn't really like. The dark, slower beat doesn't fit the Clipse's style to well. **/5

4. Grindin' - The street anthem that everyone loves. Great song, but not the best on the album. ****/5

5. Cot Damn - A chorus that's just fun to say is what makes this track so good. ****/5

6. Ma, I Don't Love Her - One of my favorites, this beat matches Clipse really well. They keep it together with a good chorus and lyrics. *****/5

7. FamLay Freestyle - I don't consider this a Clipse track, first of all. Second of all, it's total crap. */5

8. When The Last Time - The other hit off the album I always thought was better than Grindin' by just a little bit. The Neptunes keep this one creative by adding that "tech-scratching" sort of sound to it. ****/5

9. Ego - Short but sweet. Clipse talks about some stuff in this one. All those rich people are "ego-trippin'" according to them. *****/5

10. Comedy Central - This beat grows on you. Fabolous provides an ill verse to add to the already killer verses by Pusha T and Malice. ****/5

11. Let's Talk About It - (Amazon has the track list wrong) Jermaine Dupri isn't too good in my opinion, and this is probably the most uncreative beat on the album, but it still delivers some punch. ***/5

12. Gangsta Lean - My favorite song on the album, Gangsta Lean has me bangin'. The beat is so loose for just chillin', and Pharell doesn't sound too bad singin' on this cut. ******/5

13. I'm Not You - A nice track with some good replay value. Clipse gets deep on their views of realness with this one. ****/5

14. Grindin' (Remix) - Basically just Grindin' with a bunch of other guys. ****/5

15. Grindin' (Selector Mix) - HILARIOUS! This version of Grindin' features all those foreign rappers in it. *****/5

A lotta people don't know this but Clipse came out in 1998 with the single, The Funeral, which was in heavy rotation on BET. Pusha T was known as Terrar. Their album Exclusive Audio Footage received a 3 1/2 in The Source. Unfortunately it never came out. But I had the pleasure of hearing it and it was very different and good. Fast Foward to 2002 they come back with Grindin, which no one could sleep on.This is a STREET album and I love it. Chad and Pharrell did their thing on the beat and Pusha and Malice deliver lyrics with precision. Standout cuts are Virginia, Gangsta Lean, I'm not You( feat Jadakiss/Styles)and Ego. If they can blow up, now it is time for Kelis to blow up in the U.S also. Peace!!

Malice and Pusha T bring nothing but pure heat to the table with this Neptune's produced album. Pharrell & Hugo put together nothing but fire as Clipse bangs out to every track with their gritty thug appeal and infamous hood stories. In this debut, Clipse comes correct by marking their territory in the hip-hop game with street sweepers like "Grindin'," "Cot Damn," and "Let's Talk About It" but as dope as those singles are, Clipse really shines on more heartfelt tracks like "Ma I Don't Love Her" and "Virginia." All in all, an extremely impressive debut from the Clipse crew and if the Neptunes continue to push their product to the next level, then Clipse's sophomore release will be so hot the Lord will think He's in hell.

The Clipse are a pair of talented Virgina brothers, who actually grew up in Brooklyn. Like many of their fellow Brooklynites, these two are quite fascinated with the coke-trade, and manage to pull off the subject over an album much better than most of their contemporaries. The raps on this album are definitely above-average; both Pusha-T and Malice have some serious skills, and their dope flows will keep you listening no matter what. However, with two hardcore emcees, is the Neptunes' fluffy, pop-oriented production appropriate for Clipse?

It's quite a contrast in styles, to say the least. On some cases, these two polar opposites do clash exceedingly well, such as on the smash-hit, "Grindin'." The beat is harder than the average Neptunes beat, and Clipse bring the lyrical heat. Definitely one of the best tracks to come out of the Star Trak camp, if not the very best. "Virginia" is another banging beat from the Neptunes, which strays far away from their prototypical commercial production; it's clear that Pharrell and Chad switched up their production style to suit Clipse on this release, at least more so than they unfortunately failed to do on later Star Trak releases(such as Slim Thug's Already Platinum; a tight album lyrically, but kinda flat musically).

Other times, though the beat maybe tight, and innovative, such as on tracks like "Young Boy" and "Gangsta Lean," they don't neccessarily compliment the Clipse' flow, and in certain cases, even overshadow them; and that is highly unfortunate, because Clipse DO spit fire on each track, no matter how uncomfortable they may seem, or how awkward the combination maybe to the listener.

Clipse' Lord Willin' has far more positives(When The Last Time, Grindin', Virginia, Comedy Central, Let's Talk About It, Comedy Central, I'm Not You) than negatives, but the negatives are definitely here; and that's why I can't rate this five stars. However, this is definitely a great debut from Pusha and Malice, and I look forward to Hell Hath No Fury in the coming months.