Lord Willin'

After the duo formed in 1992, Clipse had trouble securing a record label contract. Childhood friend and producer Pharrell Williams helped them secure a deal with Elektra Records in 1996. With help from Williams' production duo The Neptunes, Clipse began recording material for their debut studio album Exclusive Audio Footage. They released their first single "The Funeral", which helped gain fan interest but failed to make a significant commercial or chart impact. With "The Funeral" being considered a commercial failure, Elektra Records shelved the album and the duo was dropped from the label.{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/1454978/lord-willinthe-clipses-time-has-come/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216061912/http://www.mtv.com/news/1454978/lord-willinthe-clipses-time-has-come/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 16, 2015|title=LORD WILLIN',THE CLIPSE'S TIME HAS COME|last=Reid|first=Shaheem|website=MTV|date=June 3, 2002|access-date=January 10, 2021}}

In early 2001, Williams signed the duo to Arista Records through his recently established Star Trak imprint. With the backing of The Neptunes and the record label, Clipse proceeded to begin recording material for Lord Willin'.

Two singles were released prior to the album. The lead single, "Grindin'", was released on May 14, 2002. The song became a summer Top 40 hit, reaching number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} It has since been regarded by numerous publications as one of the best songs of the 2000s.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7692-the-top-500-tracks-of-the-2000s-50-21/3/|title=The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s|work=Pitchfork|access-date=January 10, 2021}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-songs-of-the-aughts-20110617/the-clipse-grindin-20110616|title=Best Songs of 2000s|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=17 June 2011|access-date=January 10, 2021}} It was ranked at number 23 on BBC's Greatest Hip Hop Songs of All-Time list.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20191007-the-greatest-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time|title=The greatest hip-hop songs of all time|last=Brown|first=TM|work=BBC|date=October 9, 2019|access-date=January 10, 2021}} The second single, "When the Last Time", was released on July 30. It is the duo's highest and longest charting song to date, peaking at number 19 on the Hot 100, and staying on the chart for 21 weeks.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/clipse|title = Clipse|magazine = Billboard}}

After the release of the album, two more singles were released off the album. "Ma, I Don't Love Her" was released on December 3, 2002 and was a modest hit, peaking at number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} The fourth and final single from the album, "Hot Damn", was released on April 29, 2003. It is titled as "Cot Damn" on the album, and was also released as a promotional single for The Neptunes' 2003 compilation album Clones. It peaked at number 58 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/clipse/chart-history/bsi/|title = Clipse|magazine = Billboard}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/lord-willin-mw0000221519 |title=Lord Willin' – Clipse |website=AllMusic |access-date=April 6, 2016 |last=DiBella |first=M. F.}}

| rev2 = Blender

| rev2Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |url=http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_510.html |title=Clipse: Lord Willin' |journal=Blender |access-date=July 6, 2016 |last=Ex |first=Kris |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040820013921/http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_510.html |archive-date=August 20, 2004 |url-status=dead}}

| rev3 = The Boston Phoenix

| rev3Score = {{rating|3|4}}{{cite news |url=http://www.bostonphoenix.com:80/boston/music/otr/documents/02421822.htm |title=Clipse: Lord Willin' (Star Trak/Arista) |work=The Boston Phoenix |date=September 5–12, 2002 |access-date=November 25, 2017 |last=Endelman |first=Michael |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041031052030/http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/music/otr/documents/02421822.htm |archive-date=October 31, 2004 |url-status=dead}}

| rev4 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev4Score = B+{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2002/09/13/lord-willin |title=Lord Willin' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=September 13, 2002 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |last=Fiore |first=Raymond |page=156}}

| rev5 = Los Angeles Times

| rev5Score = {{rating|3|4}}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-18-ca-rack18-story.html |title=Clipse, 'Lord Willin',' Star Trak/Arista |work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 18, 2002 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |last=Baker |first=Soren |author-link=Soren Baker |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503181139/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/aug/18/entertainment/ca-rack18/2 |archive-date=May 3, 2016 |url-status=live}}

| rev6 = HipHopDX

| rev6score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.204/title.the-clipse-lord-willin |title=The Clipse - Lord Willin'|publisher=HipHopDX|date=August 23, 2002}}

| rev7 = Rolling Stone

| rev7Score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/clipse/albums/album/127706/review/6067371/lord_willin |title=Clipse: Lord Willin' |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=September 5, 2002 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |last=McGuire |first=Kathryn |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930221002/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/clipse/albums/album/127706/review/6067371/lord_willin |archivedate=September 30, 2007 |url-status=dead}}

| rev8 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev8Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Clipse |last=Matos |first=Michaelangelo |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |year=2004 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/171 171] |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide }}

| rev9 = USA Today

| rev9Score = {{rating|3.5|4}}{{cite news |title=Clipse, Lord Willin' |work=USA Today |date=August 20, 2002 |last=Jones |first=Steve}}

}}

Lord Willin' was met with positive reviews from music critics. M.F. DiBella of AllMusic, who gave it a 4 star rating out of 5 said "While the two MCs' presence is invariably formidable on virtually all of the tracks, the Neptunes' pop-ish turn in their beatwork doesn't always do justice to the depths that the Clipse MCs wish to plunder".{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/lord-willin-mw0000221519|title = Lord Willin' - Clipse | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|website = AllMusic}} Raymond Fiore of Entertainment Weekly stated "On Lord Willin’, brothers Malice and Pusha T seize the moment with hustlers’ tales culled from Virginia's mean streets, a raw complement to the music's artsy, unrepentant grime."{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2002/09/13/lord-willin/|title = Lord Willin'|magazine = Entertainment Weekly}} Los Angeles Times gave the album a 3 star out of 4 rating,

stating that "The results are blissful, as the body-rocking, futuristic beats mesh magically with the clever, straightforward rapping of the two MCs, who inject sly humor and hard-core boasting into nearly every lyric." USA Today also had a similar approach, awarding the album a 3.5 star rating out of 4.

Pitchfork placed Lord Willin' at number 155 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7706-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-200-151/5/|work=Pitchfork|author=Pitchfork staff|title=The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 200–151|date=September 28, 2009|access-date=October 1, 2009}} Slant Magazine placed the album on their list of best albums of the 2000s at number 98.{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-of-the-aughts-albums/215|work=Slant Magazine|access-date=February 10, 2010|author=Cataldo, Jesse|title=Best of the Aughts: Albums|date=February 2010}} Complex included Lord Willin{{'}} in their list of The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s.{{cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/the-best-albums-of-the-2000s/lord-willin|title=The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s: Lord Willin{{'}}|website=Complex Networks}}

In its first week of release, Lord Willin' sold 122,000 units, debuting at number four on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 1, 2002. The album continued to gradually sell after that, and as of December 2009, it has sold 960,000 copies according to Nielsen Soundscan.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/266574/clipse-eyes-fresh-start-with-new-label |title=Clipse eyes a fresh start with new label |publisher=Billboard.com}}

Credits adapted from Tidal.{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/4934078/credits|title=Credits / Lord Willin' / Clipse|via=Tidal|access-date=January 10, 2021}}

All tracks produced by The Neptunes.

{{Track listing

| total_length = 52:41

| title1 = Intro

| writer1 = {{hlist|Terrence Thornton|Gene Thornton|Pharrell Williams|Chad Hugo}}

| length1 = 2:16

| title2 = Young Boy

| writer2 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Williams|Hugo}}

| length2 = 4:25

| title3 = Virginia

| writer3 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Williams|Hugo}}

| length3 = 3:57

| title4 = Grindin{{'-}}

| writer4 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Williams|Hugo}}

| length4 = 4:24

| title5 = Hot Damn

| note5 = also known as "Cot Damn") (featuring Ab-Liva and Roscoe P. Coldchain

| writer5 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Rennard "Ab-Liva" East|Amin "Roscoe P. Coldchain" Porter|Williams|Hugo}}

| length5 = 5:01

| title6 = Ma, I Don't Love Her

| note6 = featuring Faith Evans

| writer6 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Faith Evans|Williams|Hugo}}

| length6 = 4:17

| title7 = FamLay Freestyle

| note7 = performed by Fam-Lay

| writer7 = {{hlist|Nathaniel Johnson|Williams|Hugo}}

| length7 = 1:57

| title8 = When the Last Time

| writer8 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Williams|Hugo}}

| length8 = 4:14

| title9 = Ego

| writer9 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Williams|Hugo}}

| length9 = 2:48

| title10 = Comedy Central

| note10 = featuring Fabolous

| writer10 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|John Jackson|Williams|Hugo}}

| length10 = 4:33

| title11 = Let's Talk About It

| note11 = performed by Jermaine Dupri featuring Clipse

| writer11 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Jermaine Mauldin|Williams|Hugo}}

| length11 = 5:10

| title12 = Gangsta Lean

| writer12 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Williams|Hugo}}

| length12 = 5:20

| title13 = I'm Not You

| note13 = featuring Jadakiss, Styles P, and Roscoe P. Coldchain

| writer13 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Jason Phillips|David Styles|Porter|Williams|Hugo}}

| length13 = 4:19

}}

{{Track listing

| total_length = 60:48

| headline = Bonus tracks

| title14 = Grindin' (Remix)

| note14 = featuring Birdman, Lil Wayne, and N.O.R.E.

| writer14 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Bryan Williams|Dwayne Carter, Jr.|N.O.R.E.|P. Williams|Hugo}}

| length14 = 4:20

| title15 = Grindin' (Selector Remix)

| note15 = featuring Sean Paul, Bless, and Kardinal Offishall

| writer15 = {{hlist|T. Thornton|G. Thornton|Sean Henriques|Bless|Jason Harrow|P. Williams|Hugo}}

| length15 = 3:47

}}

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{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Clipse|title=Lord Willin'|award=Gold|relyear=2002|certyear=2002}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Clipse}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2002 debut albums

Category:Clipse albums

Category:Albums produced by the Neptunes

Category:Star Trak Entertainment albums