Re-Up Gang

Though Clipse’s last album ‘Hell Hath No Fury’ was critically regarded as a rap masterpiece, it was was born from label disputes and legal wranglings. Bitter and blameful they may be, the duo of Pusha T and Malice are joined by long-term Re-Up cohorts Ab-Liva and Sandman, who concentrate on creating couplets that detail, as ever, drug dealing; Clipse’s stock-in trade since 1997’s ‘The Funeral.’ The four alternate deft delivery with stone-cold, sinister similes that bristle with unapologetic anger and a cynical sense of humour. Backed by new tracks such as Dame Grease’s brooding ‘20K Money Making Brothers On The Corner’, the punchy drums and wheezing synths match the punchline-heavy mood perfectly. They’re down, but by no means out.

Hattie Collins

7 out of 10