Clipse/Rick Rubin Collaboration Actually Happening

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Back in the 80s, Rick Rubin co-founded Def Jam Records and produced an absurd number of monster jams for the likes of LL Cool J and Run-DMC. Ever since he left Def Jam, though, Rubin's been busy racking up Dixie Chicks Grammys and becoming the music industry's favorite beardo swami figure, and he hasn't had much time to fuck with rap. In recent years, though, Rubin's occasional toe-dips into beatmaking have been infrequent but devastating: Jay-Z's deathless "99 Problems", for one, or Lil Jon's Slayer-sample pileup "Stop Fuckin' Wit Me". (I could make a Lordz of Brooklyn or Saul Williams joke here, but those records were actually sort of awesome, so fuck it.)

Further proving the occasional sharpness of his instincts, Rubin signed masterful coke-rap free agents Clipse to Columbia in 2007. And last summer, we reported that Rubin and Clipse would be working together on music for Clipse's Columbia debut. But these kinds of things are often rumored and rarely actually take place. So we were stoked when, yesterday, EW.com revealed a few more details of the Clipse/Rubin collabo. The Re-Up Gang blog also posted some awesome photos.

According to EW, they've already finished one song together, and they plan to do one or two more. We already know from their two classic Neptunes-produced albums that Clipse know how to handle themselves over icy, minimal beats. Rubin usually traffics in punchy, metallic, cluttered thuds, so this will be a stretch. But all the people involved know exactly what they're doing, so I'm confident.

Til the Casket Drops, the third Clipse album, is due for release sometime this summer. Hopefully they won't experience any of the same release-date delays that plagued Hell Hath No Fury. EW reports that the first single, "Kinda Like a Big Deal", will be out on March 9. It features Kanye West, and DJ Khalil, who did the beat for 50 Cent's pretty good "I Still Kill", produced it.

The last time I wrote something about Clipse for Pitchfork, the brothers Thornton weren't too happy. So I should point out right here that this Rubin collaboration is a really good idea. It gets way higher than a 7.6. Like 8.2 at least.

Also, this picture is hilarious. How long has Rick Rubin been living in that car?

Metallica Reveal Magnetic New Album

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Metallica's new album, Death Magnetic, will come out on a Friday, just like the band's last album, 2003's St. Anger, according to a post on the band's website (via Billboard.com). For the sake of Metallica fans everywhere, we hope the similarities between the two records end there.

Warner Bros. will release Death Magnetic on September 12. Giving us hope that the album could be good is the fact that Rick Rubin produced it. Another notable tidbit is the tracklist's inclusion of "The Unforgiven III", the sequel to "The Unforgiven" from 1991's self-titled "Black Album" and "The Unforgiven II" from 1997's Reload.
Death Magnetic's first single will be "The Day That Never Comes", and a video for it, directed by Thomas Vinterberg will debut soon, according to another post on the site. Behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the album can be found at Mission: Metallica.

Prior to the album's release, Metallica have a chunk of August shows, mostly at festivals. The band's next appearance is August 9 at Ozzfest in Dallas. In addition to the Metallica set at Ozzfest, there will also be a Dimebag Darrell tribute performance by Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, Slayer's Kerry King, Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell, and Anthrax's Scott Ian, according to Billboard.com.

Death Magnetic:
01 That Was Just Your Life
02 The End of the Line
03 Broken, Beat & Scarred
04 The Day That Never Comes
05 All Nightmare Long
06 Cyanide
07 The Unforgiven III
08 The Judas Kiss
09 Suicide & Redemption
10 My Apocalypse

Metallica:
08-09 Dallas, TX - Ozzfest
08-14 Arras, France - Grand d'Arras
08-15 Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop Festival
08-17 Jonschwil, Switzerland - Degenaupark
08-20 Dublin, Ireland - Marlay Park
08-22 Leeds, England - Leeds Festival
08-24 Reading, England - Reading Festival

Video: Metallica: Unforgiven [from the "Black" Album]

Clipse Album Gets Title, Rick Rubin Production

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Hot dog, do I ever hope that overwhelming feeling of déjà vu is just my breakfast not quite settling right. A few more tantalizing details surrounding the forthcoming third LP from Clipse have emerged, which should give us something to chew on until the sucker is almost inevitably pushed back from its slated November release via Columbia.

According to a Billboard.biz report [via BrooklynVegan], the new album is called Till the Casket Drops, and it will reportedly feature all-too-infrequent rap producer Rick Rubin behind the boards for an as-yet-untitled tune. Rick fucking Rubin! Early prediction: that song will be both loud and good.

Additionally, longtime collaborator Pharrell Williams, Justice League, Sean C and LV, DJ Khalil, and Dame Grease all contribute tracks to the set.

It's but a few weeks away, and things are looking good for the release of Clipse Presents: Re-Up Gang. That LP, from the group featuring both Pusha T and Malice of Clipse and their old friends Ab-Liva and Sandman, is due August 5 from Koch. Er, lord willin', anyhow. Clipse and Re-Up Gang will take the stage at New York's Highline Ballroom August 12.

Video: Re-Up Gang: Fast Life [from the Clipse Presents: Re-Up Gang LP]