I was this close to dropping beloved Clipse to the waiver wire a la Theo Ratliff, but street nugs like this get me back on the bandwagon. Put out an album already! Let's admit it, with the Wire on hiatus til next season, Clipse are the next best thing for the kinfolk to experience the realness (or getting jacked for their ipods, the new thing in NYC). I mean these guys are straight pre-injury Larry Hughes over stuff like "Drop It Like It's Hot," "You Know My Style," and "Who Shot Ya." This mix also introduces us to their new crew The Re-Up Gang, which includes middleweights Liva and Sandman. Yet even with the extra-baggage, Clipse shine hard here. 25 tracks with the usual street tape chatter.

reviewed by the mgmnt