DX: Speaking of producers, you mentioned recently that you like to bring the dark shit out of Pharrell. That you really dig songs like “Ride Around Shining” that have a darker, more paranoid feel. With the new producers that you’re working with, are you trying to bring that out of them as well?
Pusha T: The producers basically do their thing. They know what The Clipse tend to rhyme over. They just try and come up with their best ideas for us. We’re just trying to come up with what makes sense. We let them do their thing, and we do our thing over the tracks. We don’t try to spearhead them in any direction.
Malice: And you know, that Hell Hath No Fury album – that was a mood. I think you can tell the major difference between Hell Hath No Fury and Lord Willin’, and now this is a whole new mood. Say, Storch, The Runners…it’s gonna be some amazing shit. We in a different space…we were sort of fucked up over that Hell Hath No Fury shit. It was a bitter time – an angry time.

DX: You hear a lot of guys who make 50, 60 songs for an album and whittle it down to 10 or 15. What do you guys do?
Pusha T: We never do that. We always make 13, and put 13 out. It might not end up being like that this time, cause you gotta go fuck with different people, and then try to trim it down.

DX [Laughing]: So if you guys die, there’s no posthumous album coming out?
Pusha T: We’re not havin’ no Tupac legacy, God damn it! You’d better just keep rewinding. [Laughing] We’re dead when we die.

DX: For you two [Ab Liva and Sandman], since this will be your first official album to come out, what expectations do you have and how has the Clipse’s experience molded your expectations?
Ab Liva: Basically, I expect everyone to enjoy the music. The Re-Up Gang album is coming together so well, I want everyone to enjoy the music. I think they will, because we’re really goin’ in. Like I said, everyone’s raising the bar. Just watching the last couple of years [Pusha and Malice] release their albums, and how the fans and the critics have received them, it’s just an inspiration to us and let us know we’re in the right lane. We’re gonna try to continue and uphold that legacy, and make sure everyone enjoys the music.
Sandman: First of all, you’ve got a group that went platinum first time out the gate, so they set a bar just for themselves to follow that up. With us, I feel like we have to do that or better; I feel like if we don’t hit that plateau – me personally – if we don’t hit that, we didn’t do what we’re supposed to do. Because the music isn’t the question – we know we’re doing the music. We’re happy about everything…some of these cats that do got a million under they belt? Well, one half of my [group] got a million under they belt, and then some. Lookin’ forward to the slaughter!

DX: How different is it participating in Hip Hop in 2008, even versus 2002? With album sales down, and ringtones up, [how do you adjust]?
Malice: I feel like you might have a hard time dealin’ with it if that’s your focus. With us, it’s always been about having quality work. And the riches and the spoils that come with it come with it. You have to love what it is that you do, and we’re really passionate about it. We’re used to waiting. You know that the biggest hit that The Clipse are known for, that shit was nine months in the making? So we’re just sittin’ there watching…that was nine months of wondering, “Why isn’t this shit blowin’?” We thought it was the greatest shit to come out…so it’s like…everything came hard to us – except getting a record deal.

DX: How important is it to be the representatives of Virginia and Philly, respectively?
Pusha T: It’s great to be the representatives – we’re the only ones still there! We are Virginia. That’s just what home is, and it’s definitely what made us.
Malice: And I think we give Virginia an identity. Or – at least – contribute to giving Virginia an identity. It feels good to be in the forefront, and…not “be legendary” but…what’s it called? Be a pioneer. It feels good to be a part of that.
Ab Liva: I know me and Sandman definitely hold Philly down. We travel a lot, so we not home as much as we would like to be, but we always hold that torch for Philly everywhere we go. We hold it down, keep movin’ it forward, and make sure we represent it right.
Sandman: Yeah, I can’t really say too much different…Philly [is] home to a lot of emcees, but there’s only one Sand and one Ab…and when it comes to that city, we’ll always call it home.