Despite the fact that there was nearly a four-year gap between the Clipse's first two albums, member Pusha T says the time gave he and Malice "a chance to sit back and carve out where we wanted to be in this music game and to evaluate hip-hop as a whole."

According to Billboard.com, the Clipse are back in the lab, working on a third intallment of We Got It For Cheap, in which the Virginia duo introduced the Re-Up Gang. The group consists of Pusha, Malice and Ab-Liva and Sandman of Philly. In addition, the Re-Up Gang debut album are on the way.


"Everything happens for a reason," says Pusha. "There's so much disposable music right now and it is all being classified as hip-hop. This music thing is really a place where you can make your mark in history and build something epic."

"The Re-Up Gang is just four MCs that follow the basic rules of hip-hop and lyricism," Pusha says. "Being creative, painting those pictures, the metaphors that smack you in your face."

The recent bids of black leaders to censor hip-hop because of the Imus controversy also made Pusha speak up: "I am floored that our leaders have let the racist comments of this white man be turned around on hip-hop...Hip-hop didn't make that man say that. I'm just appalled."

As for the Virginia Tech shooting, Pusha says the Clipse will not be commenting on it: "This is bigger than a track...It didn't even come across my mind."