Malice Video Blog 1 from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

By Nadine Graham

Malice of The Clipse released a video on his blog last week after news broke of the group’s former manager had been indicted on 82 counts of drug trafficking. The news made its rounds on the internet: on blogs, comment boards, and in hip-hop Twitter circles. The general consensus seemed to be, “Damn so they really live what they say on record?”

From that point, The Clipse were set to play that American Gangster role; they mean what they say and don’t you dare question. Instead of basking in the OG glow, Malice taped a video at his house exposing the truth of how he spends his days. The first shot is of him mixing a white substance with arm & hammer on the kitchen counter. In the next shot, he’s pouring the thick liquid into a very expensive waffle iron with the instrumental to “Kinda A Big Deal” playing in the background. Your first instinct is mutter and confusion because so many artists want that type of street cred. But then here Malice is virtually telling on himself. You wonder if it’s a joke.

He goes on to admit his role in maintaining the life of “cocaine rap” but also admits that he needs “foolishness” (drugs, guns, violence) in his hip-hop and movies. He reminds young viewers that it’s entertainment. While the Clipse and Re-Up Gang paint pictures of shooting up the block, they don’t literally shoot up the block.

He walks out to the driveway and we see a single BMW X5 parked in the driveway “without rims”. Then grabs a golfing bag, proceeds to his backyard to practice his swing saying, “When the music stops… What good is it if you ain’t around to enjoy your success?”

The myth of all rappers from the mid to late 90s being authentic gangsters (while true in few cases) is overall just a myth. It’s a race up the yellow brick road to be the wizard, the HNIC, but younger fans should realize that it’s just a man like any other behind the curtain.