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Pusha T Talks New Year's Mishaps and New Mixtape/Album

10:55 a.m. · January 6, 2011 · by Dan Nishimoto

Clipse - Pusha T, Malice & Ab Liva - 'Hell Hath No Fury' tracks live in Melbourne 2010 from Dan de Sousa on Vimeo.

It's a cliche to say it, but let's indulge: Pusha T had a good 2010. In 2006 critics lathered up his group the Clipse with internet praise then threw a fit when its Hell Hath No Fury album didn't push as many units as expected. Pusha T and his partner/brother Malice were stuck in that awkward position of being "critically-acclaimed" without the "commercial success." In other words, up the creek in a well-reviewed boat, but without a paddle.

Four years later Pusha got a high-profile post in Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music camp and made concrete gains in his stated goal to "expand the Re-Up Gang brand." This past Monday the rapper called in to DJ Wonder, AJ the Manchild and Karen Civil's radio show on Shade45 to reflect on the past few months and to discuss what the new year holds. Here are some highlights:

• Spent New Year's in his native Virginia. The club he planned to attend had a fire sprinkler mishap, so he got drunk and went home.
• Currently working on his solo album. Has worked with Kanye, Swizz Beatz and Pharrell. No hard date yet.
• Fear of God mixtape will drop some time in February. Currently says none of these tracks will be on the album.
• The Clipse are not breaking up. "We're brothers!" he says. In fact, they just toured Australia. See the video above?

One other amusing note is his description of Fear of God being "back to street, hardcore hip-hop" and having a "'95 mixtape, competitive spirit." I'm glad to see that even the most critically lauded, "progressive" rappers occasionally get nostalgic.

To hear the full interview, visit Karen Civil's web site here.