“Obama's Fried Chicken was nothing racist about that….”

Malice and Pusha T of the Clipse have experienced widespread controversy for their video for “Popular Demand (Popeyes) due to a scene that was censored for TV.

The music video for the song ,which also features Camron', shows a restaurant named ‘Obama Fried Chicken' but when the finished product made its television debut, the words were noticeably blurred out, leading many to believe that it was done to prevent racial implications.

Obviously not happy with the censorship, the Clipse are defending their video and according to Pusha T, the whole thing was made into a bigger deal than necessary.

Pusha T told HipHopDX that the same dispute could be applied to one of his lines on the track “Freedom” when he says, “Pompous muthafu**a, just look what them Jews made me.”

He shook off the controversy from his lyrics and the Popeyes videos saying,

“It's just the fact that he was elected President and in celebration that chicken shack…..changed its name to that. Whoopty-f**kin'-do….it's the same thing [as the ‘Jews made me' line]. Jewish people, I mean, like they don't run the record industry? Like what, I can't say that?

He further clarified the line to DX saying,

“It's like pompous, like yo they have created…I'm in this industry and they've created me and this industry and look how arrogant I am…but it wasn't a swipe at Jewish people, man. I love Jewish people.”

So there you have it, the Clipse have no problems with Jews and the Obama Fried Chicken sign was made into a bigger deal than it had to be.

As it turns out the store name was actually blurred out because the owner wanted more money than the network was willing to pay for the establishment's name to be shown in the video.

Or at least that's what MTV says…..

“We've definitely grown.  I think with each album, there's always some kind of development with the Clipse and I think the Clipse is pretty much, what we do is we give you, we share our lives on these albums.”

As the countdown comes to a close and less than a week before the release of Til The Casket Drops, the Clipse have been able to find a way out of the troubles they dealt with on their previous work to return on top.

Being the third offering from the group, as a Clipse album, the duo has dealt with the trials and tribulations of trying to survive in the Hip Hop game.  Losing family and friends on the road to success, the Thornton brothers have put it all on the line for music.

Pusha T reverberates these sentiments on the opening track to their album, “Speak of Freedom” as he raps on the tumultuous road he has been forced to trek.

With every line written, and all I have given/ Music's been nothing more than a self made prison/ I've taken inmate losses at the hands of this one/ My pen's been the poison to family and friendships/ Now is time to mend sh*t, time to bring closure to/ The clear conscience of Pusha is log over due.

Speaking with Bootleg Kev, Malice speaks on the growth that the two have gone through with each album that they have released.

“On the first album, it was a rollercoaster, everybody was happy.  You saw exactly where we were at.  Hell Hath No Fury, you know, we were angry, that's why that album was so dark.  Til The Casket Drops man, it's an actual depiction of where the Clipse are in their lives.”

Trying to mend past problems, the older brother also reflects on how he used to perceive music in comparison to the young generation and could always establish that fine line of what was entertainment and not to imitate what he heard.

Above all else, the world is good as well as bad, and he can only provide commentary on reality and how things really are.

“I think with this album and especially with me, trying to clean up and burn some of that bad karma.  When I was coming up listening to cats like N.W.A, I loved that music, you know what I'm saying?  That's what I was bangin', but at the same time, I knew not to go out and reenact everything that they did.  Some people, or some of the young kids, they listen and go out and music is their rulebook to life.  In my case, I already knew who I was.  I just enjoyed the music and took it for entertainment.  I didn't look at it as a way to base my life off of.  Just like I gave you the good, I gotta give you the bad and the ugly now.”

“I'm not trying to save the world, I just want everybody to know the duality and both sides of the spectrum.”

First known for their tales of coke, the duo has since stepped outside of their format and embraced the positive aspects of life with their recent singles.

On December 8, be ready for the real to return.

“Cam definitely makes sure you pay him first before he makes a move.”

As the Clipse are gearing up for their third official album, Til The Casket Drops, the duo is ensuring that they tie up all ends and team up with those that they may have wanted to work with in the past.  Although the road was long, the timing couldn't be more perfect as they were finally able to nab rapper Cam'Ron to join them this time around.

In relation to spinning tales of the coke game there are a very select few that are able to illustrate and paint the pictures.  Outside of the kingpin, Raekwon, the Clipse and Cam have gained their fan gathering, in part, by weaving together intricate stories of the dope trade.

One can only imagine what the result would be once these two forces collided.  On December 8, however, the dream will materialize into a reality.

The Thornton brothers caught up with MTV to shed light on their history with reaching for Cam and how everything led up to this point.

“Cam's comeback was real heavy,” said Pusha T.  “We were both about to drop albums.  We're like, ‘Yo, we need to make one of them New York records, real lyrical like a fan record.'  We both have two really strong cult followings.  From that conversation, Pharrell went into the studio and started playing with the drums and came up with “Popular Demand”.

Pusha took it back to their debut, Lord Willin, and added that they had been out on the lookout for Killa for some time.  When they invited him to be featured on the “Grindin” remix, however, he declined, but they were adamant in linking with the Harlem native.

“Yeah, he dissed us on that one.”

Reaching out to Killa's camp, the brothers went through Duke Da God to make their wish list complete.  From there, all the pieces fell into place as he will be seen on track 8 of the album.

After wrapping up the video for “I'm Good” Remix with Rick Ross, they are actually in the process of shooting the video for “Popular Demand” and will then be followed by “Doorman.”

Whether the blame goes to their troubles at their last label or not having an album out since 2006's Hell Hath No Fury, the brothers only see the green light down the stretch and are “Grindin” to the finish line.

The Clipse will also be pushing the envelope and expanding their topic a lot more with Till The Casket Drops.  Giving Hip-Hop Wired a further glimpse of what's to come with the new album, Push T said,

"I think that the Clips honestly are in one of the better spaces that we could be in.  I'm talking aboout as far as just that carefree raw energy that was more prevalent on Lord Willin'. Any time you messing with us, its gonna be lyric driven Hip-Hop.   Hell Hath No Fury, that was a very focused album, it was a very dark and angry and cold album and the whole mood of the album stayed constant unlike a Lord Willin'. And up to now ,unlike Till The Caskety Drops, this is like a roller coaster ride, man.  It's a   roller coaster ride of emotion.  You got angry records, you got street records, you got life changing records, you got inspirational records, you got female joints.  It's  just a roller coaster ride, man, but all lyric driven Hip-Hop."

Taking heed to what the fans and critics have been asking which was when will they expand their subject matter, the Clipse still have no plans of vacating what has got them to this point even if their former manager Anthony "Geezy" Gonzalez is set to do some serious time for trafficking keys.  As Hip-Hop Wired previously reported, Gonzalez pleaded guilty earlier this month to one federal drug conspiracy count and one firearms charge. He admitted to prosecutors that he distributed more than a half-ton of cocaine and close to five tons of marijuana before getting arrested in April. He also admitted that he led his drug trade in a in “a very careful and deliberative manner” only allowing friends and family members to participate in his trafficking.

While the Clipse are in the clear of the indictments bought on to Gonzalez, malice makes no apologies about his lyrics and doesn't see that as a reason to totally change what their supporters have come to love.  He added,

“Yeah I think that Clipse has definitely  expanded, but to comment on what you said about the content of what our music has been about the past 7 or 8 years, which was coke driven… We always draw from our real life. We think that's what the fans really value about the Clipse, they can count on the Clipse.  They can recognize how genuine and how authentic the Clipse are. Even on Hell Hath No Fury , the reason why the album was the way it was was because it was where we were in our lives so its no different on this album Till The Casket Drops. We just pulling from real life experiences, man, and where we are and what we go through.”

Stay tuned to Hip-Hop Wired for our upcoming feature with the Clipse and be sure to check out Till The Casket Drops when it snows in on December 8th.