Pusha T’s long path to solo stardom
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Version 0 of 1. Pusha T grew up seeing the infomercials. For the self-help books that promised tips on how to improve your life, have a happier marriage and enjoy your job more. Or for clinics that could cure everything from loneliness to cancer. Or for newly emerging religious groups. “I know of L. Ron Hubbard from growing up and wondering what . . . Dianetics was,” says the 38-year-old rapper born Terrence Thorton. But those TV ads for Hubbard’s form of psychotherapy, which was rebuked by medical professionals, would resonate with him decades later. And it might explain the line “I’m the L. Ron Hubbard of the cupboard,” which he raps in “Crutches, Crosses, Caskets,” a standout from his latest album, “King Push: Darkest Before Dawn — The Prelude.” Like many of Pusha T’s songs, it features smart rhymes and plenty of pop culture references. But whereas many rappers might name-drop Tony Montana, Pusha opts for the creator of Scientology. It’s representative of the shift that has made the second act of Pusha T’s career a continued success. For his first act, Pusha T had gained fame as one half of Virginia Beach hip-hop group Clipse. Along with his brother Gene “Malice” Thornton, the duo helped set the standard for a subgenre dubbed “coke rap,” with songs largely focused on the drug dealing lifestyle. The group’s first two albums were produced exclusively by the Neptunes (Pharrell Williams’s decade-defining production unit). Now Pusha T has expanded his palette, and “Darkest Before Dawn” is soundtracked by a list of rap’s most in-demand producers of multiple generations. “Intro,” with its quaking drums, comes courtesy of co-executive producer Puff Daddy and 22-year-old Metro Boomin, while Timbaland helms three songs. The resulting album is 10 tracks of torture-chamber boom-bap, with Pusha T’s smack talk falling somewhere in between “The Wire” mastermind Marlo Stanfield and alligator shoe-wearing wrestling legend Ric Flair. Even his trademark ad-lib — “EGHCK” — is more assured, said in an all-caps manner. “If I have a beat, I definitely will just take my time and, for days, try to lock in the feeling of a track,” he says, calling from tour rehearsals in Los Angeles. (He’ll visit the District’s 9:30 Club on Wednesday.) “Before, I could be a little more lackadaisical because I would have my brother come in and clean up. That was the dynamic people looked for — that they wanted to see regardless. Even if I did fall short, there was always the second half that they were waiting on. It was a two-step process. Whereas as a solo artist, all you’re really getting is me.” Pusha T’s path to solo stardom hasn’t been entirely smooth. Despite Clipse’s initial notoriety, Pusha T nearly fell into obscurity twice: In 2006, Jive released Clipse’s second album, “Hell Hath No Fury,” long after the group’s first blast of hype of 2002, a year that they released their debut album, “Lord Willin’,” and collaborated with Justin Timberlake on his single “Like I Love You.” “Fury” turned out to be an instant classic, but the duo’s momentum halted a few years later when Malice converted to Christianity. He refused to rap curse words or about cocaine, which effectively marked the end of Clipse. Pusha T regrouped by signing to Kanye West’s label G.O.O.D. Music in 2010. He kick-started his solo career with a guest verse on West’s hit “Runaway,” which brought Pusha his biggest exposure to date. Pusha T recently became president of G.O.O.D. Music, and will have West executive produce “Darkest Before Dawn’s” follow-up, simply titled “King Push,” which is due out later this year. He says that West added “more color” in terms of mood, which would pair well with the focus that Pusha shows on his latest work. His flow on “Darkest Before Dawn” is more drawn out and deliberate, the best showcase yet for his form as a rapper. “That’s a lyrical push that has always been built in me, from learning from my brother, to all of my greats,” he says. But back to that L. Ron Hubbard lyric . . . “It’s funny that you mention that line, because sometimes I say lines and I feel like, man, ain’t nobody going to get that. Then you may debate for a second whether to say the bar or not. And then it’s like man, . . . I Google everything. I was Googling when I was listening to Jay Z, you know what I’m saying? I did research. And right now it’s like, man, they’re going to have to Google what I’m saying. Do your research.” |