The duo is made up of brothers Gene "No Malice" Thornton and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton, who is also currently signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D Music label. They met Pharrell of the producing duo The Neptunes, in 1993, he formed a working relationship with the duo and helped them secure a contract with Elektra Records. Early mixtape success on Clinton Sparks' Exclusive Audio Footage increased their fan-base, but the group's major debut single flopped. Williams resuscitated their careers by signing them to his Star Trak Label. The Clipse's debut album, Lord Willin', was released in 2002. Label woes delayed the release of their sophomore effort, Hell Hath No Fury, which was released in 2006, to much critical acclaim. During this gap, they released three We Got It For Cheap mixtapes with Ab-Liva and Sandman, the other members of the Re-Up Gang. Their third studio album, Till The Casket Drops, was released in 2009. Their songs have been remixed and mashed up on countless mixtapes, and the unreleased songs they recorded while still on Startrak are out as a mixtape called The Lost Tracks. Pusha-T released his first solo album, Fear of God, in 2011, around the same time that Malice published the book "Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind, & Naked".
Prayer
Clipse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sayin life is crazy right
Shit is real wild
Like the realest shit ever, you know
Hold up, I'm comin, just let me bless this real quick, hold up
God, I ask that you continue to watch over us
I ask that you continue to bless us in the countless ways that you've done so
I ask that you walk with us on each and every encounter that we face
But above all else right now God
I ask that may we not have to lose another one of our own to this game
May not another mother have to bury her son to this game
We've lost too many already
Lord, you know we're anything but heartless
I guess, what I'm saying right now Lord
Is that if these words hurt more than they help
I could only hope that you will have mercy upon our souls - Amen
The opening lines of Clipse's song "Prayer" sets the tone for the rest of the track - that life can be a chaotic and unpredictable journey filled with ups and downs. Malice, one half of Clipse, starts the song off by acknowledging the harsh realities of life yet still maintains faith in a higher power. He proceeds to pray for continued safety for himself and the people close to him. Malice acknowledges that life can be "a dirty game," but still asks that they not have to lose another person to it. He invokes the lord to continue to bless them and walk with them on their journey. The ending lines reveal that if his words are not enough to help, he hopes that God will have mercy on their souls.
Overall, the song is a powerful plea for safety and protection for those living in difficult environments, especially those who have been directly or indirectly touched by violence. The prayerful nature of the track is what gives it such a profound sense of hope and faith, despite its more somber overtones.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sayin life is crazy right
Life is unpredictable and chaotic
Shit is real wild
Life can be extremely intense and unpredictable
Like the realest shit ever, you know
Life is the most raw and authentic experience imaginable
Hold up, I'm comin, just let me bless this real quick, hold up
I need a moment to pray, please wait for me
God, I ask that you continue to watch over us
I request that God keeps protecting us
I ask that you continue to bless us in the countless ways that you've done so
I request that God keeps blessing us in numerous ways as he has done so far
I ask that you walk with us on each and every encounter that we face
I request that God is with us during all our experiences
Cause life, as you know, can be a dirty game
Because life can be an unfair and cruel experience
But above all else right now God
But most importantly at this very moment God,
I ask that may we not have to lose another one of our own to this game
I request that we don't lose another person to the harsh reality of life
May not another mother have to bury her son to this game
May no other mother have to grieve for the loss of her child because of life's challenges
We've lost too many already
We have already suffered enough loss
Lord, you know we're anything but heartless
Lord, you understand that we are not cruel people at heart
I guess, what I'm saying right now Lord
What I mean at this time Lord is that
Is that if these words hurt more than they help
If my prayer brings more pain than comfort
I could only hope that you will have mercy upon our souls - Amen
I ask for mercy for us all - Amen
Contributed by Sydney I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@almxghtylana1196
First lol