As if making their mark as one of the greatest pop and hip-hop production teams to come out of the late '90s wasn't enough, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo took their Neptunes persona to the other side of the recording glass for CLONES. Having worked as producers for a broad array of artists including Britney Spears, Mystikal, Ice Cube, and Perry Farrell, the Neptunes were able to cash in quite a number of chips for this wide-ranging 2003 project. Fueled by the duo's trademark mix of beats and loops, numerous major names make this eclectic scene.
Standouts include Busta Rhymes praising booties ("Light You're A** On Fire"), O.D.B. returning from jail as Dirt McGirt, spitting out rhymes over a sparse cut ("Pop Sh*t"), and Nelly slipping into a slick St. Lunatic-like groove ("If"). Williams and Hugo move easily from an infectious Kelis/Nas duet ("Popular Thug") and an ultra-funky Jay-Z jam ("Frontin'") to whip-smart dancehall reggae with Supercat ("The Don of Dons [Put De Ting Pon Dem]") and straightforward alt-pop by the High Speed Scene ("F**k n' Spend"). Eclectic with a capitol E, CLONES keeps with the Neptunes penchant for casting a wide creative net.
"Frontin'" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
Recording information: Grandmaster Recorders, Ltd., Hollywood, CA; Hovercraft Recording Studios, VA; Sony Studios, New York, NY.
Photographer: Sacha Waldman.
Personnel includes: The Neptunes, Busta Rhymes, Pharrell, Ludacris, Jay Z, Vanessa Marquez, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, Nas, I-20, Clipse, Ab-Liva.
Rolling Stone (9/4/03, p.136) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...With appearances from most of the big-name rappers and wall-to-wall Neptunes beats, this should be the world's greatest hip-hop compilation--and much of the time it is..." Entertainment Weekly (8/22-29/03, p.130) - "...Commitment to eclecticism is apparent throughout CLONES. The boys craft dizzingly carnivalesque sonic swirls for [Busta] Rhymes, Ludacris, Dirt McGirt [and others]..." - Rating: B Uncut (11/03, p.107) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...This is berserk, this is brilliant, this is now..." Vibe (8/03, pp.147-8) - 3.5 discs out of 5 - "...Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams remain defiantly oddball....the album is a tapestry of reggae, rock, jazz, gospel, and pop, loosely assembled on the duo's signature bass-and-rim-shot skeleton..." Mojo (Publisher) (9/03, p.111) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Neptunes' grooves and collaborators score an impressive hit rate..."
dope this is one one of the dopest albums i ever had. The mix of great beats with great rappers created this awsome album. Submitted by sofman23 (Montreal QC!!!) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
dayummm..... This was the most slept on album in 2003. This album excelled in almost every genre in the musical spectrum. I enjoy every single song on this album. It could have not been done any better. This album gave me an ear for rock and roll like never before. Great Album 10 stars!!!!! Submitted by beki (New Orleans, LA 5th ward/mid city/treme/lafitte je) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
its aiight its aiight the album is okay but one thing they did do was feature good artist. My personal favorite song is #6 "Good Girl". The beats on the album are up to par Submitted by -Angel eyz (-Killa kali) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Blaze of Glory The Clones album is a classic. Every artist has the right beat and vibe. the Neptunes are in the top 3 position as one of my favorite producers. They need to make more N.E.R.D. albums and a Clones 2 :Sequel album. Also the Clipse are coming back with another banger!!!!!!!!!! Submitted by kofiobuobi (D.C.) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Best producers out there! These beats are hot! Every song was crazy! Good idea to have a compilation of different artists and one team of producers to really show what they can do. ALBUM IS HOT! PICK IT UP IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT! Submitted by Des Moines, IA, USA (Otis) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
dope
its aiight its aiight
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