New Music: Clipse, Popular Demand (Popeye's) [ft. Cam'ron]

10.24.09

Song: Popular Demand (Popeye’s) [ft. Cam'ron]

Artist: Clipse

Album: Till the Casket Drops

Producer: The Neptunes

Label: Columbia Records

Notes: none

Analysis: Cult followings in hip hop don’t get much bigger than that of both Clipse and Cam’ron. Neither act has had a mainstream hit in years, but both have fans hungry for new material constantly. In Clipse’s case, most of the material they put out is worthwhile, but with Cam’ron, for every ‘Dead or Alive‘ there is an absurd track like ‘IBS‘ (which  happens to be about his irritable bowel syndrome). Thankfully, on the drowsy piano-laced banger ‘Popular Demand (Popeye’s)’, Malice, Pusha T and Cam’ron stick with what they’re all best at – shit talking, bragging and drug raps:

I kept it in the crib, it made me a light sleeper.

Whether watching for the feds or avoiding the grim reaper.

Way deeper than rap, money and hoes, it’s deeper than that.

Fight the temptation but it keeps coming back.

Money stacked to the ceiling just as quick as it dispense.

Who knew those commas meant you could lose your common sense?

Before it’s too late, all I could tell ‘em is repent.

That’s Malice’s paranoia in the closing verse. Till the Casket Drops is shaping up to be much lighter than true new classic Hell Hath No Fury, in terms of subject matter and beat selection so far, but the brothers obviously haven’t dumbed down the lyrics. The Neptunes crafted the beat here for the three emcees, something that Clipse aren’t unfamiliar with, as they have worked almost exclusively together for their entire career. I really don’t understand what the Popeye’s reference has to do with the rest of the song, but the image of these three guys hanging out in front of the fast food joint ‘eating chicken with fries‘ kinda cracks me up, so I’ll allow it.

Rating: 8.0