Clef God - The Fire (Album)
Clef God is here to help guide us through “The Fire” of life on his latest. After an illustrious career of years spent developing what he calls an army of music icons, showing them the ropes it truly takes to swing gracefully throughout this game, even going as far as helping them financially though in some cases, this wasn’t all too appreciated, therefore he had to face a lot of disappointment but never switched up his character. Now he’s finally ready to speak his mind about everything he’s had to experience in this grimy little game he’s playing. He’s ready to simply take the respect he’s so earned rather than just demand it.
“The Fire”
On the title track introduction, it’s almost like Clef is staring into the distance, watching the kingdom he spent years so meticulously crafting, burn to nothing but sheer ember, as well as the many bridges leading to his fortress, so as to build anew. He’s not the one who set flames to his castle in the clouds, rather those who’ve tried to get some sort of advantage over him, unaware that, walking through the fire is nothing for a Phoenix of his stature, fore he emerges out of those ashes with a vengeance. You feel this as soon as the opening melodies further bleed into those ominous keys, as Clef rides off into the sunset. He’s not too sure what this road ahead entails but at least he’s no longer surrounded by those snakes trying to lead him down the garden path. Clef really showcases his skills all around in this introduction, from his vocal performance to his production to his lyrical capabilities, I can’t quite wrap my head around why anybody would try to bury him under the rubble.
“The Door”
It’s always scary, pondering what may lie on the other side of fear. This is evident in the voices of doubt ringing in his psyche like mental din. The thing about someone like Clef though, is that he’s not afraid to twist that knob to see what’s on the other side & even when doors were shut in his face, he simply created his own doors. He didn’t wait around for anybody to let him in & frankly, he no longer sees the need to. They’re the ones coming to his door now, begging & knocking incessantly to let them in. He never needed their help to begin with, well with everything he managed to accomplish before he even thought of ringing their bells. To those still standing with him, he’s prepared to help guide them through to the other side of their fears with him. A beautiful ode to standing fearlessly in the face of adversity & ultimately overcoming.
“To My Opps With Love”
Clef can’t wait to get those who disappointed, double crossed him, spoke slanderous of him when he wasn’t around, benefited from his hard work & dedication, etc, off his mind. They don’t deserve to live rent free in his head though I appreciate him speaking his mind on how he truly feels about it all. It’s still all love but not the same love they were probably accustomed to before they stabbed him in his back & everything he did for them at that. This is more of a tough love situation on this record, which I feel bad for anybody the God has to be blunt with. He’s airing it all out & he don’t even have to say names, these people all know who they are, it’s almost surprising that pretty much none of them had any sort of rebuttal for this lyrically inclined verbal onslaught of a reflectively introspective number. He guides us through his frustrations in dealing with such nonsense, a guy like him surely ain’t deserve any of it. It’s almost a tragedy to invest so much into people because you actually believe in them & want to see them win but to then watch their egos become deflated & act like that they no longer need him. It’s all good though cause once they become aware of the fatal mistake they made in their careers, Clef will have been long gone.
“Hollywood Heroes”
Clef really lets the auto tune reign supremely on this number. Although Clef is as bossed up an entrepreneur he is, he’s not too fond of the smoke & mirrors he’s had to see firsthand maneuvering through this business. There’s a lot of fugaziness within this industry but he’s not willing to entertain any of it. Maybe at a younger age, he did dream of making it big time but he certainly wasn’t about to start acting Hollywood once he got his first taste of success. Unlike some people, the more his public stature has risen, the more humble he’s gotten & he’s never lost site of that humility, through all the temptations. It’s sad to see how Hollywood some people pretend to be but Clef can see right through that thin veneer they call a masquerade. Let’s just hope these supposed “Hollywood Heroes” can catch their masks once they slip off & her swept up by heavy winds.
“Sunshine”
From SA to LA, Clef has never stopped shining but the fact that he’s more than willing to share his light with everybody is rare & should not go overlooked. Although on previous tracks, he vented respectfully about how he felt about certain artists doing him dirty, on “Sunshine”, he still wishes them the best in their lives & careers & ensures them that, they’ll be fine with all that he was able to do for them but that they should expect him to do anymore than he’s already done. He’s done his part & now it’s time for them to figure out how to do theirs. His production on this number feels like Sunday morning as he’s taking them to church on this ceremonious ode to letting your light shine blindingly, especially through the darkest of times he’s had to face, he remains radiant as ever.
“Black Heart Cry”
Clef continues to delve deeper into the introspective, reflecting on where he once was to now & boy has he come a long way judging from the contrasts he’s drawing. I love how Clef is incorporating the auto tune but also showing the listeners how effortlessly he can wax his pen eloquently, I mean, his lyrical skills so far have been nothing short of top tier, it’s just a beautiful fusion of styles. His syllable game on here is insanity for the short while he’s rapping his ass off. That Da Nile/denial bar alone kills a lot of rappers entire verses & then he follows it up with a truth bomb right after. That entire scheme is a lot to unpack but haven’t we all been there, falling for what layer turns out to be untrue & all we can do is stand there stunned but not forever, there’s more fish in the sea & even bigger ones for him to fry.
“I Am Legend”
I love the change in tonality Clef opens up this subtle banger with. That opening bar is witty as ever as he flows so seamlessly over this celebratory cut. I love the homage to the Will Smith classic obviously, really fits the whole theme of the album of him standing on his own & firmly so. He’s confident as ever that, even if he were to lose it all, he’d get it all right back in a heartbeat. It’s just the go getter in him. He’s the kind of boss you wouldn’t mind being an employee to cause judging from some of these lyrics he’s spitting, he treats his employees like family. He even gives us a new mantra to live by on this number in the following lines! Clef is here to inspire & uplift, never was here to selfishly attain everything for himself but to give back to those who stood by him through it all.
“Greatness”
The piano on this subtle atmosphere of a record is so poignant as Clef takes a further step towards his ascension. The sad thing about being as great as he is, is that, you so badly would love to bring everybody along with you but not everybody is worthy of reaching that next level with you, maybe by themselves but it’s not that likely, especially if they aren’t willing to put in the necessary work to be great, which unfortunately, a lot of folks aren’t willing to do. I’m sure this does affect Clef in many ways, especially because he strikes me as someone who will do everything he can to make sure his people are straight but people aren’t always so great at being reciprocal with the energy he gives out. It’s honestly the most poignant number on the record thus far, his heart &!soul are truly bared on this one.
“Piece Of God”
Clef still sees the God in everyone, even if it’s only a broken piece of him they carry within themselves, as does he. He’s still the same person he’s always been, even when he was working other gigs, music was always top priority & although it has paid off for him in ways only some people wish could happen for them, he’s never complacent & is always wanting more. That’s where the pain of life comes in though, from simply wanting. Another somberly poignant number that shows just how musically inclined this brother is. A far cry from the rest of the album in all it’s atmospheric ambience.
“Purple Rage”
Back on his bullshit as those purple flames are starting to rise up again. Clef is still reigning his vengeance over the game though it feels more like justice. He deserves to bask in all the fruits of his labor, even if people are trying to strip him of it, whether that be former artists of his or even his baby mama, to whom he admits was fooled by but at least he’ll soon have his daughter back in the arms of her rightful owner once everything has worked itself out. Clef has done enough in this game to be as arrogant with his cockiness as he so pleases.
“Fred Astaire”
Not at all what I was expecting from a homage to another man of many talents. I’m sure we all know, more or less who Fred Astaire is, he is considered the greatest dancer in film history, which also lets you know that shawty’s diamonds are hopping all over the place, bouncing off the walls & whatnot. The daunting overtones on this Rock/Rap genre bender of a track, make for a beautiful follow up to the “Purple Rage” he began feeling on the previous cut. I love that he’s showing these different sides of him, he’s only human after all, we all got our vices & on this record, he’s earned a little leisure to partake, maybe even overindulge himself a little. The Thots are about to be thotting like never before once this manic mayhem comes blaring out the club speakers.
“The Fire Pt. 2”
Revisiting the now burnt remains of his kingdom, it seems that witnessing this has only further that flame within him, it just keeps rising. Now that it’s time for him to finally leave it all behind, he’s watching the smoke continue like a lambent beacon in the distance. He’s not just still coming at those who’ve wronged him but also allowing himself to hold himself accountable for his own shortcomings & the role he played in his kingdom burning but it’s all good cause his fortitude as a man & a leader remains intact.
“Thought You Knew”
Back with this arrogance, Clef is just not going on easy on anybody. Even if you were worried about seeing your bitch next to him at the function, fret not cause he turned her ass away, even called her out on her fever blister, which is hilariously rude of him, well not really, he’s just calling it like it is. His wordplay in this hook alone is fucking ridiculous, the play on words with both “gas”, as well as the drugs mentioned is absolutely brilliant & the bars don’t let up throughout the verse either! It’s a swagged out number that is surely to get the clubs hopping & you’ll be surprised by that producer tag too!
“Momoshiki”
I’m not a big anime buff but it’s been great seeing how much anime has been incorporated into Hip Hop, I may have to start diving into it more at this point. On this cut, Clef is beyond fed up with this game of life turning out to be not all it’s cracked up to be but he refuses to allow it to change his character. He will continue to rise above it all through remaining the same as he’s always been, real, amongst the Hollyweirdos. Great name for these wannabes by the way.
“Faxxx”
Clef been making sweet love to the music, as well as the ladies & that’s just “Faxxx”. You don’t get music this great without actual loving what you do. Clef really do this so today’s price will never be tomorrow’s price. Opinions don’t mean shit over facts & that alone is gonna irk a lot of people who will now be screaming their opinionated ass into an endless void.
“Ground Zero”
Ending this magnum opus from Clef on a high note, it’s time to dance on the ashes of his now burnt kingdom as those who’ve stood by him begin construction on building his new fortress! Even in the darkness, Clef isn’t gonna allow anyone or anything to dim his shine. He’s still at “Ground Zero” in his career, hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he’s capable of & this is a man who’s already done so much but this is a different era we’re now entering, the Clef God era & it’s so beautiful that even the angels have no choice but to weep in astonishment. It can only go up from here!