Pitchfork

"I'm not part of your coke rap genre," seethes Clipse's Malice on the third installment of Re-Up Gang's stellar We Got It For Cheap mixtape series. While an estimated 90% of the lyrics on Vol. 3 deal with the illicit exchange of various forms of cocaine, there's some truth to Mal's assertion. Along with Clipse partner Pusha T and cohorts Ab-Liva and Sandman, the threateningly whiny MC isn't part of anyone's convenient hip-hop trend: The Re-Up Gang belong to a genre unto themselves. That intense singularity culminated with the release of 2005's Vol. 2 and 2006's Hell Hath No Fury, two insular triumphs that solidified the group's current cult status: They've sold more than a million albums, chilled with Pharrell, and had 17,000 sun-stroked indie kids rat-a-tatting at last year's Pitchfork Music Festival. Let's see Young Jeezy pull off all that.

But while Clipse have operated largely within their own bubble since the fluke-ish explosion of "Grindin'" back in 2002, they've always had an enemy to rail against. The We Got It for Cheap series originated as a not-so-subtle "fuck you" to the record labels that consigned Hell Hath No Fury to backburner status for years. These mixtapes-- laced with jacked beats and immortal industry put-downs-- were legitimate acts of protest. That indignant anger and uncompromising spirit (combined with their unparalleled way with Pyrex punchlines) turned Vol. 2 and HHNF into two of this decade's most striking rap LPs. But now, graced with blinding critical kudos, a modest-yet-loyal platoon of fans, and a $1.8 million record deal co-signed by hip-hop icon Rick Rubin, the Re-Up Gang don't have much to complain about.

Without a clear-cut target, Clipse & co. start to expose the limits of their style on Vol. 3. The beginning of the tape finds Pusha spitting a couple jaw-dropping (albeit inaccurate) Lil Wayne take-downs, but the pseudo beefing comes off half-hearted. (Funny enough, Malice recently admitted, "I think Lil Wayne gets more burn than the Clipse in my house," while talking about his kids' listening habits.) Elsewhere, the crew tries to create drama with references to vague haters, "tree-hugging-ass bitches" and disposable pop rappers. At one point, commenting on the state of hip-hop, Pusha claims, "All that super stupid shit is done"-- a delusional-at-best statement in the Soulja Boy era.

Malice eventually comes through with a wrought passage about the strained relationship between his clique and Pharrell while referencing a conversation with Clipse's manipulative former label boss Barry Weiss: "Barry said P is selfish as hell/ I was like, Stay in place homey, watch yourself/ Now this man could place my life upon the shelf/ And, as for P, he has yet to wish me well." The tension contained in those lines is more revealing and powerful than a million bullshit call-outs.

Compared to Vol. 2, where the Gang snatched beats from Cassidy's "I'm a Hustla" and Tony Yayo's "So Seductive" to serve as a nearly flawless backdrop, Vol. 3's beats aren't as immediate or rewarding. They convincingly roll over Obie Trice's underrated "Cry Now" but can't match the effortless celebration that marks Jay-Z's "Roc Boys". Kanye's "Good Morning" and Raekwon's "Rainy Dayz" are well-chosen introspective picks, but the group's trademark eye-widening bangers are lacking here-- the tape could use a couple more "1 Thing"-type change ups to lift the sometimes morose vibe.

Still, this is a characteristic Re-Up record. The quartet-- especially Clipse-- still turn plenty of phrases that can crack you up while trapped in a rush-hour subway car (two personal favorites from Pusha: "Under my cuticles proof the pies that I sell/ Guess life in jail's but a manicure away/ Well I don't feel like gettin' my nails done today-- yuchk!" and "I pull from the ghost of the dead greats/ Ouija board flow, all you niggas is dead weight"). And though Ab-Liva and Sandman fare better than your typical auxiliary crew dudes, it's becoming increasingly clear they'll never come remotely close to matching the Thornton brothers' talents.

On "Re-Up Gang (Intro)", Liva raps, "We on the rise but I'm bothered by this view." Granted, the quartet haven't reached Kanye levels of Olympus-dom but, in an industry where loyal fandom is becoming an increasingly prized commodity, these niche artists are doing pretty well. Even their label troubles seem safely in the rear view. So who'll be the next object of this group's acid-tongued wrath? Malice offers an intriguing possibility on "Emotionless": "Truth be told, I been feelin' different lately/ Like, fuck money and the dollar is the devil's baby." Man in the mirror, meet your neighborhood drug dealer.