No Malice
Bronx born and Virginia raised, Gene "No Malice" Thornton, 1/2 of the duo Clipse (with brother Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton), put coke rap on the map. Working with childhood friends The Neptunes, who were to become one of the most lauded production teams in modern music, they made their mark on the rap game using the bare bones of Neptunes` signature style, delivering devastatingly cold stories of life dealing drugs in America. At their height their approach to lyricism was chilling and methodical but yet totally enthralling. During a time where hip-hop was making a bid for the pop charts by monopolizing the mainstream with charismatic choruses and bottle poppin` club anthems, Clipse`s unrelenting, matter-of-fact tale telling of their lives pushing weight were delivered so vividly that Clipse provided a refreshing, if at times menacing, respite from the radio friendly leaning of noughties hip-hop.
Despite releasing (3) critically acclaimed albums with Clipse, acquiring RIAA certified Platinum sales & receiving Grammy nominations, No Malice decided to take a break from hip hop. In 2011, after several life changing events, he released "Wretched Pitiful Poor Blind And Naked, a personal memoir of his life, call to faith and spiritual journey. After his brief hiatus from the mic, he returned with the 2013 release of his highly anticipated, Billboard charting, solo album "Hear Ye Him." With this new project, it is his hope to touch the lives of his fans both old & new, and show them that hip hop can be just as creative, edgy, and hard hitting with a more substantive message.