"You can't deny that in the hip hop game it ain't where you're at, it's where you're from. Virginia, VA-bred duo Clipse understood this just as much as the next MC, but these siblings found themselves in an awkward position after the off-the-hook video for their debut single, "The Funeral," came out in May. "A lot of people thought we were from New Orleans after they saw the video," says Terrence "Terrar" Thornton, chuckling, as he downs buffalo shrimp at Mahi Mah's in Virginia Beach. "We just thought that a [party-style] funeral procession would be a perfect theme." Terrar pauses before adding, "And the video wasn't shot in New Orleans, it was shot here." Technically, Terrar, 22, and Gene "Malice" Thornton, 27, moved from White Plains, NY, to Virginia as children. Still, they hope that their home state will finally be recognized as a major part of the South's hip hop renaissance, especially with the release of their extremely banging debut, Exclusive Audio Footage [East/West/Elektra]. "Virginia is South, but now it's not considered the dirty South," says Terrar. "I guess we're too close to New York," Malice chimes in with a sarcastic grin." Cont'd below the video...
"Clipse landed their record deal after production team the Neptunes (best known for producing Noreaga's "Super Thung") played Elektra executives a tape of songs that would eventually end up on Clipse's debut. "We played them "Stick Girl" and "Got Caught Dealin'," says Pharrell Williams, one half of the Neptunes. "Malice freestyle his [rhyme] live over "The Funeral" track. [The execs] heard that and snapped." Exclusive Audio Footage signifies the arrival of Virginia's unapologetic street voice. Missy and Timbaland are the state's polished party brokers, and MCs Mad Skillz and Lonnie B are its highly stylized wordsmiths, Clipse are a punch to outsiders' grills. "You've never heard hardcore vibe come out of Virginia," says Terrar. "And that's what we represent -- Virginia's raw street perspective. Nothing more, nothing less." Just how we like it: nice and dirty." Vibe Magazine, 9/99 // In more recent news, congratulations to Pusha T on the birth of his first son, Nigel. God bless! Oh... and, as my man Supa says, "I would love hear a Good vs. Evil-type concept album from Clipse. Both could stay in their current element..." and that would be dope as hell. I'll wait for it!
