With their razor-blade rhymes and gritty street wisdom, the Clipse are well-versed in change. Even they, however, couldn’t miss the unmistakable tectonic rumbling that accompanied the fallout of The Neptunes, a production duo that had been a powerhouse comprising Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. For hip-hop purists, Clipse and the Neptunes were a match made in Heaven. Their slog through the 2000s yielded anthems that gave a generation an identity. But these days, the architects of that classic sound can’t even speak.
Pharrell and Chad Hugo’s collaboration ground to a halt when Hugo sued Pharrell and his company, alleging that Pharrell and his firm were attempting to snatch The Neptunes’ name for themselves. The legal saga may have shattered a professional partnership and what many fans thought was an enduring brotherhood. While Pharrell has professed public love for Hugo in past interviews, the pair are now estranged, and it’s uncertain whether their relationship will be fully restored.
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That difference could be a creative hindrance for Clipse, especially for Pusha T. But as he recently told Popcast, it wasn’t. “Everybody knows my favorite album is Hell Hath No Fury. Pharrell did that alone. That’s it […] Chad’s my guy. I love Chad. Pharrell’s my guy. I love Chad, too,” he said, saying that a solo Chad was not a detriment to the group’s comeback. “There is no missing in the music when it comes to the Clipse.”
It’s not a reunion of all the parts of the past; it’s a move forward with what’s here now. Pusha T made it clear that the spirit of Clipse lives, even if only Pharrell remains behind the boards. Pusha insists, sending love to Pharrell and Chad, even though things are tense. The Neptunes’ nomination was not as they had portended, but Clipse pushed on. Their next album is about what they have now and trying to make something as timeless as possible. With or without The Neptunes’ other half, Clipse is still here to remind you why their sound is and was a knockout.
