Til the Casket Drops (Clipse album)

Til the Casket Drops is the third and final studio album by the American hip hop duo Clipse, released in the United States on December 8, 2009, by Re-Up, Star Trak and Columbia.[1] It debuted on number 46 on the Billboard 200, selling 31,000 copies in its very first week of availability.[2] The album received generally positive reviews from critics. It is their final project as Clipse, prior to their split and solo ventures.

Til the Casket Drops
Studio album by
Clipse
ReleasedDecember 8, 2009 (2009-12-08)
Recorded2008–2009
GenreHip hop
Length51:45
Label
ProducerThe Neptunes (also exec.)
Sean C & LV, DJ Khalil, Chin Injeti
Clipse chronology
Hell Hath No Fury
(2006)		 Til the Casket Drops
(2009)
Singles from Til the Casket Drops
  1. "Kinda Like a Big Deal"
    Released: April 20, 2009
  2. "I'm Good"
    Released: June 11, 2009
  3. "Popular Demand (Popeyes)"
    Released: October 23, 2009

Overview

Following their critically acclaimed Hell Hath No Fury, Clipse left Jive Records. They managed to secure a new deal with Columbia Records, and proceeded to work on their new album. Prior to the release of the album, a mixtape called Road to Till the Casket Drops, was made available on December 1, 2008. They also started their own clothing line named "Play Cloths".[3]

The album was released on December 8, 2009. The album's cover art work was designed by the artist Kaws. Featured guests include Kanye West, Keri Hilson, Pharrell, Cam'ron, Ab-Liva and Yo Gotti.[4] For the first time, Clipse reached out for producers other than The Neptunes. Producers for the album also Sean C and LV, DJ Khalil and Chin Injeti.[5][6]

This is the final Clipse album, prior to their split in 2010. Pusha T would go on to embark a successful solo career with Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music, while Malice would go on to convert to Christianity. He would later change his stage name to No Malice, and drop his solo debut Hear Ye Him in 2013.

Singles

A promotional single, "Kinda Like a Big Deal" was released for the album. It features Kanye West. Three official singles were released: "I'm Good" featuring Pharrell of The Neptunes, followed by "All Eyes on Me" featuring Keri Hilson and "Popular Demand (Popeyes)" featuring the New York rapper Cam'ron.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic64/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Chicago Tribune[9]
Entertainment WeeklyA-[10]
Los Angeles Times[11]
The A.V. ClubB[12]
Pitchfork6.2/10[13]
Spin[14]
NME[15]
USA Today[16]
XXL [17]

Til The Casket Drops was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, the album received an average of 64 which indicated "generally favorable reviews". Album of the Year assessed the critical consensus as 68 out of 100, based on 16 reviews.

Andy Kellman of AllMusic noted "There’s plenty of dazzling wordplay related to coke dealing and showing off, but the album carries a more redemptive tone and a higher level of self-awareness". Pitchfork editor Ian Cohen gave the album a score of 6.2, stating "Til the Casket Drops awkwardly vacillates between confidence and complacency, between sneering at perceived competition and smarting at perceived and possibly self-made slights". NME editor Emily Mackay criticized the album saying "since their last opus sold so poorly, they are chasing dollar here with a Neptunes assisted move toward big, slick choonage". NME gave the album a score of 3.5 stars out of 5. However, Entertainment Weekly received the album well with a score of A-, saying "Til the Casket Drops might not be quite as spellbinding as their last one, but they’re still operating on a level of cleverness that few of their peers can match". Los Angeles Times gave the album a score of 3 stars out of 4. Editor Mikael Wood wrote "On Til the Casket Drops, siblings Gene "Malice" Thornton and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton resume their collaboration with production juggernaut the Neptunes. But this time, the Virginia duo lower their standards on a handful of songs in pursuit of the hits that eluded them the last time". [18]

Commercial performance

The album entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number 46, and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums at number 9 selling 31,000 copies in its first week.[19] The album sold 62,000 copies within the first month of being released.[20]

Track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Freedom"Sean C & LV3:46
2."Popular Demand (Popeyes)" (featuring Cam'ron & Pharrell)The Neptunes4:20
3."Kinda Like a Big Deal" (featuring Kanye West)DJ Khalil, Chin Injeti3:26
4."Showing Out" (featuring Yo Gotti & Pharrell)The Neptunes3:38
5."I'm Good" (featuring Pharrell)The Neptunes4:21
6."There Was a Murder" (featuring Kobe)DJ Khalil, Chin Injeti3:36
7."Door Man"The Neptunes5:08
8."Never Will It Stop" (featuring Ab Liva)Sean C & LV3:21
9."All Eyes On Me" (featuring Keri Hilson)The Neptunes3:50
10."Counseling" (featuring Nicole Hurst & Pharrell)The Neptunes3:17
11."Champion" (featuring Graph Nobel)The Neptunes4:14
12."Footsteps" (featuring Kobe)DJ Khalil4:21
13."Life Change" (featuring Kenna)The Neptunes4:27

Charts

References
  1. "burnttongue.net". Burnt Tongue. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
  2. https://www.billboard.com/music/clipse
  3. "Clipse Preview LP With Mixtape, Launch Clothing Line". Pitchfork. November 21, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
  4. "Album Preview: Clipse "Till The Casket Drops"". Complex.com. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
  5. Cornish, Melanie (February 18, 2008). "Producer's Corner: Puffy's Hitmen | Rappers Talk Hip Hop Beef & Old School Hip Hop". HipHopDX. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
  6. Listen to More: Industry Heavyweights. "Clipse Interview". Djbooth.net. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
  7. http://www.metacritic.com/music/til-the-casket-drops/clipse
  8. Kellman, Andy. Review: Til the Casket Drops. AllMusic. Retrieved on December 11, 2009.
  9. Kot, Greg. Review: Til the Casket Drops. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on December 11, 2009.
  10. Vozick-Levinson, Simon. Review: Til the Casket Drops. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on December 24, 2009.
  11. Brown, August. Review: Til the Casket Drops. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on February 16, 2010.
  12. https://music.avclub.com/clipse-til-the-casket-drops-1798207638
  13. Cohen, Ian. Review: Til the Casket Drops. Pitchfork. Retrieved on December 11, 2009.
  14. https://www.spin.com/2009/12/clipse-til-casket-drops-columbia/
  15. https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-clipse-2-11171-312457
  16. Jones, Steve. Review: Til the Casket Drops. USA Today. Retrieved on December 11, 2009.
  17. Bianco, Alvin. Review: Til the Casket Drops Archived 2009-11-06 at the Wayback Machine. XXL. December 11, 2009.
  18. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-08-la-et-recordrack8-2009dec08-story.html
  19. Kaufman, Gil. "Susan Boyle Remains Billboard Ruler As Chris Brown Settles For #7". MTV. Retrieved on January 4, 2010.
  20. Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 1/17/2010, hiphopdx.com
  21. "Clipse Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  22. "Clipse Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
  23. "2010 Year-End Charts – Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
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