Daveed Diggs is one of those rappers that I wish wrote straight fiction. His words tumble from him in a quick spiral of literary turns of phrase in a way that makes me know heād write amazing short stories. Their last album, Splendor & Misery, told an entire saga. Unfortunately for me, Daveedās short story collection hasnāt happened yet. Fortunately for me, however, clipping. is on a new album cycle. The first single, āNothing Is Safe,ā is perhaps the closest to mainstream hip-hop theyāll ever get ā though this doesnāt mean itās anything typical. clipping.ās greatest talent lies in the stunning juxtaposition of Diggās lightning-speed flow and Jonathan Snipes, William Hutson, and Diggās unique production sensibilities. They often experiment with altering analog sounds like crushed glass in a container, bells, etc. to create atmospheric hip-hop that always feels like youāve stepped off a ledge into a slightly different version of the world. āNothing is Safeā is deceptive in this way: it begins with a classic hip-hop piano line, a single high note thrumming a menacing quarter note staccato that leads into an equally menacing synth line. When Diggs enters, his voice is stark, rhythmic: āEveryone safe and sound, this how family do / Only homies around, everyone here is crew / Something foul in the air, something feelinā askew / Wind is in the pipes, itās that whistle callinā for you.ā
What clipping. is particularly adept at doing is building tension. Theyāre known for eschewing typical hip-hop styles in the past, often leaving an entire song without that desired bass drop. In āNothing is Safe,ā they do give it to you ā but it doesnāt come until literally halfway through the five minute song. Leading up to the moment, there is a subtle, ratcheting rhythm picking up in intensity and volume until the penny drops and the trap beat comes, the chord progression expands, and Diggs opines: āNothing is safe, nothing is, nothing is sacred.ā Itās an incredibly strong opener to their next era, I can only assume the album will be even stronger.
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