Clipse Road to Till The Casket Drops (Mixtape)

Their 2008 work with the Re-Up Gang was largely disappointing, but Clipse’s return to the mixtape circuit maintains the polish of their official albums — while still determined to coin more cocaine metaphors than you ever thought possible. Unlike most modern mixtapes, there’s only one guest spot — from Re-Up member Ab-liva — giving Malice and Pusha T plenty of room to stretch their lyrical acumen. My current favorite: “We ain’t in the same boat / Throw on a life jacket / Voted for Barack / McCain was my tax bracket, though.”