Clipse (ft. Pharrell): “I’m Good”
Clipse has finally leaked a track from it’s long-in-the-works follow up to Hell Hath No Fury and, surprisingly, it’s a love song. But before you get down on the dour coke-rap duo for going gushy, keep in mind that that the object of Clipse’s adoration on “I’m Good” is Clipse. Pusha T and Malice get all up on themselves, praising their taste in cars (”Hell yeah the rims match!”), their accessories (”Ice cubes on my chest, look at my blackberry freakin’ me on the texts”), and letting themselves know that they’re quite a catch (”Fly as I could ever be/ a level of success that you could never see.”) You have to hand it to them, though. When it comes to some Clipse-on-Clipse action, they’re not afraid to come on strong.

Ganglians: “Lost Words”
Remember that scene in Animal House where John Belushi rips the guitar out of a hippie’s hands and smashes it to bits against the wall? “Lost Words,” by Sacramento’s Ganglians, might insight a similar style of blind rage, at least for the hot tempered. Gilded in reedy falsettos and cascading waves of autumnal guitar, this is, ostensibly, a song about going to the grocery store.

Black Meteoric Star: “Death Tunnel”
A name can go a long way in techno. Were this song composed under a more upbeat moniker and given a title with a little more sunshine, it could easily be misconstrued as party music. But this is “Death Tunel,” by Black Meteoric star, and as such, the track’s pulsing sequenced synths suggest something more sinister. This is music for vintage-sci-fi dystopia and the darkest old-school Nintendo games.

Gang Gang Dance: “First Communion (TV on The Radio Remix)”
Less of a remix than a grudge-match between Manhattan and Brooklyn’s two most widely discussed art-rock bands. But there are no winners or losers here, just judiciously programmed 909s. TV on The Radio hurls itself into one of the better songs from Gang Gang Dance’s Saint Dymphna, stripping off some of the original’s lush synthesizers and locking down the tempo to a steady, if jittery, pulse. It’s hard to call it an improvement, but it’s hardly a throwaway.

Tickets go on sale today for the University of Maryland’s Second Annual Fall Semester Sound-Off, featuring hip-hop heroes of the DMV, Clipse and Wale. The show is scheduled for September 25th at the Grand Ballroom of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union, with openers Consequence and Southeast Slim kicking things off at 7:30pm. I’m not a student at UMD, and have no fall semester to sound off, but you can bet your keg that I’m excited.

Clipse consists of Virginia Beach brothers Malice and Pusha-T, two of the sharpest lyricists in gangsta rap’s increasingly ludicrous, hyper-capitalist legions. The two have a fresh self-titled album with partners-in-coke Sandman and Ab-Liva as the Re-Up Gang, coming off their promising mixtape earlier in the year, We Got It 4 Cheap Vol. III: The Spirit of Competition. Clipse Presents: Re-Up Gang dropped in early August to some disappointed reviews, many of which pointed to the record’s slinky production tactics as the culprit. It’s true, the release is far from the icy genius of the Neptunes-backed Hell Hath No Fury; though the beats aim at mirroring Miami Vice flashiness with the cutthroat minimalism of their first two full-lengths, it comes off awkward and excessive among their clever, calculated deliveries. But a close listen to the brothers Thornton’s lines will reveal proof that they’ve still got jaw-dropping lyrical stride, regardless of the backing track. Expect them to blow it up live as well.

Joining Clipse on the bill is Wale, born and raised in D.C. and Maryland. He’s fresh off the release of his newest Mixtape About Nothing (his fourth mixtape overall), an eclectic outing filled liberally with Seinfeld samples and go go-sponsored kicks. According to an interview with Giant magazine, Wale has an upcoming, “guest-heavy” mixtape produced by North Cackalacky’s own 9th Wonder, with his official debut album set to drop sometime next year, maybe? Regardless, the dude is definitely on the up and up, and it’s exciting to see what will come of his vision and energy in the next couple years.

Southeast Slim is a fellow DC emcee who barks alongside cohorts C aka Mo Murda, Zo Wit No E, Big Dice, and Mean Eights. Slim has done production work for Wale in the past, and is a self-confessed Soulja Boy fan. Queens-based rapper Consequence rounds out the lineup, best know for his work with A Tribe Called Quest, of which his cousin Q-Tip was the leader.

Check the Student Entertainment Events’ Web site for the details, which mainly involve going to the Hoff Ticket Office on UMD campus to purchase your pass.