Short but effective set pleases Boulder crowd
Clipse gave the Boulder Theater crowd at 2032 14th St. reason to pump their fists on Wednesday night.
Weaving flawlessly constructed lyrics between nasty beats, courtesy of the Neptunes, Clipse played a short but eclectic set of past and present hits.
Clipse’s sophomore effort, “Hell Hath No Fury,” was one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums of the year, and Spin Magazine ranked it No. 9 on its top-50 albums of 2006.
The evening began without much enthusiasm from the crowd, and the mediocre opening acts received mixed reactions from the sparse crowd.
The members of Denver-based Mile High Club received crowd approval with their upbeat, socially conscious set, led by the ferocious MC Dow Jones.
The small crowd suddenly turned into an eager mob as the main event drew closer. An air of excitement filled the room, and it became evident the only reason many people came to the Boulder Theater was for Clipse.
They did not disappoint.
Clipse, comprised of brothers MC Malice and Pusha T, began their set with the catchy “Momma I’m Sorry.” With every subsequent song, they reaffirmed their position as ambassadors to the drug-rap revolution.
With smart, socially relevant lyrics dealing with drugs and the South, Clipse are the wittiest coke-rappers of all-time.
They had the stage presence of seasoned pros and perfectly segued from song to song, playing crowd favorites like “Hell Hath No Fury.” “Keys Open Doors” and “Wamp Wamp” had fans chanting along and pumping their fists up and down in a synchronized motion.
“It was a completely sick concert,” said Brian Lopez, a sophomore philosophy major. “‘Keys Open Doors’ was definitely my favorite song. They stayed true to their theme and threw it down.”
Clipse didn’t let the crowd forget the songs that brought them national recognition and played the hits “Cot Damn” and “Grindin’.”
Massive cheers ensued as they informed the crowd, “Man, we’re here to rock with y’all.”
Next they played “Virginia” from 2002’s CD “Lord Willin'” and used lyrical imagery to take the crowd to their beloved home in the South.
“The concert was awesome,” said Lauren Taylor, a sophomore advertising major. “I’m from Virginia Beach, and this concert reminded me of the first time I saw them in my hometown. It was amazing.”
As the 13-song set came to its end, their most recognizable song, “Mr. Me Too,” had nearly everyone in the room screaming lyrics at the top of their lungs.
Clipse’s lyrical poetry and immense talent ushers in a new era of modern hip-hop. MC Malice epitomized who Clipse is with the epic verse, “Tailored suits like we mobsters, break down keys into dimes and sell ’em like gobstoppers,” from “Mr. Me Too.”
Contact Campus Press staff writer Quincy Moore at quincy.moore@thecampuspress.com
