The Clipse Video: Fast Life

I still have love for The Clipse despite the obvious strains between them and The Neptunes, who are the reason for their very existence and fan base.

"Fast Life" is the first single from their Re-Up Gang album, and there is reportedly zero Neptunes involvement. If this lead single is any indication of where the album goes musically, I probably won't buy it.

This is a basic Scott Storch beat, and not very hot if you ask me. It sounds and feels like Scott probably sold this track for well under his market value (because he was trying to get his money back up to pay his back taxes while on the run, evading authorities).

It also sounds like one of those "jiggy" beats from the late 90s that were once so popular, complete with heavy a grand opening of synths and strings that eventually gives way to a mediocre melody.

Pusha and Malice trade rhymes bragging of wealth, women, cars and selling drugs, which, of course, unlike rap, is the primary source behind all of the aforementioned.

But as is usually the case with these two -- especially Pusha -- no matter what the song's subject matter may be, it always eventually comes back to a cocaine reference of some sort. And Pusha immediately shows that this song is no exception:

Whatchu wanna do with me?
King of the powder flow, untouchable
If you don't believe, then homey, you sniff me.
The scent's still trapped in my clothes
And I just came from over the stove.

Malice prefers the self grandiose approach on this track, but still makes it known that his lifestyle is a result of drug dealing:

My presence is an event.
The party don't start until they let us in.
That's right, ladies and gents,
Coke money to rap money, give it a rinse.
Next comes the spin cycle,
The rims on my Benz get more spins than Michael.

Overall it's a decent effort but by eschewing the Neptunes in favor of other, less talented producers alienates a lot of their fans, who may not really be eager to hear Pusha and Malice rhyme over amateur production.

The cheesy, typical video follows:

No Money, Mo Problems

"Hit with RICO
They repo
Your vee-hic-oh
Everything was all good just a week ago."
- Jay-Z, Dead Presidents

Ouch. The Miami Herald is reporting that the Miami-Dade Circuit Court has issued a warrant for Scott Storch's arrest because he owes over half a million dollars on the taxes for his more than $10 million mansion in South Beach.

If that wasn't bad enough, that same warrant was also issued because he owes tens of thousands of dollars in child support to a woman named Dalene Jennifer Daniel, who that same court in 2006 established as the mother of Storch's child, Jalen, the result of a one night stand.

Dalene? Jalen? Hmmmmmm. No comment.

The story goes on to say that Storch is nowhere to be found.

And to make matters worse, it seems that all the people he made hits for have stopped calling him. I can't remember the last hit produced by Scott Storch other than Chris Brown's 2005 song "Run It!"

Timbaland made a diss song about him saying, among other things, that Storch's musical skills were only relegated to the piano. And after a bitter exchange of words, Storch's former collaborator Christina Aguilera let the world know her feelings about Storch with her song called "F.U.S.S.," with the "S.S." standing for Scott Storch. I think you know what the "F.U. "stands for.

The New York Times in 2006 reported that the year before Storch had produced 80 songs for top acts, charging anywhere from $80,000 to $90,000 per song. And he is obviously collecting residuals from those songs that go on to greater success, including artist's endorsement deals.

So it's amazing to me that he owes any money at all. And I know all about the stereotype about people of Storch's ethnic persuasion but he made so much dough there has got to be another reason.

I know Storch is longing for his nice, chill days back in Philly as the keyboardist/piano man for The Roots...