Editing Clipse (section)

===1993–2000:  Formation and ''Exclusive Audio Footage''===
The Thornton brothers were born in [[The Bronx]], and in 1979 their family moved to [[Virginia Beach]]. It was here that the brothers were exposed to the illegal [[cocaine]] trade, and this would become an essential part of their musical career. In junior high school, Malice began rapping in a group called Def Dual Productions, for whom the producer was classmate [[Timbaland]], at the time going by "DJ Timmy Tim".<ref name="PushaTRedbullTalk">{{cite web |title=A Conversation With Pusha T in Berlin |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VLzMS9fA7M |website=YouTube | date=10 October 2018 |publisher=Redbull Music Academy |access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="RedbullOrigins">{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Chris |title=Origin Stories: The Neptunes|website=Daily.redbullmusicacademy.com |url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/04/origin-stories-the-neptunes |access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref> During this time, Malice also began selling the drugs that would form the basis of much of the duo's lyrical subject matter.<ref name="CNN">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Eh-oUMkYM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/d2Eh-oUMkYM| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Clipse talk to CNN about their past lives|website=[[YouTube]]|date=15 May 2014 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> A mutual friend introduced him to [[Chad Hugo]] in 1988, with whom he started recording songs as a solo act. In 1990 he met Hugo's friends Magoo , Larry Live , &  [[Pharrell Williams]] through other mutual friends.<ref name="RedbullOrigins"/> Williams and Hugo formed the production duo [[The Neptunes]] a few years later and continued recording with Malice. After graduating high school in 1991, Malice enlisted to serve in the [[United States Army|Army]] to support his family, working as a generator mechanic.<ref name="MTVMalice">{{cite web |last1=Tardio |first1=Andres |title=Life Before Rap: No Malice Reflects On His Service In The U.S. Army |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/h6ehee/no-malice-veterans-day-army |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927102842/https://www.mtv.com/news/h6ehee/no-malice-veterans-day-army |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |publisher=MTV |access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref> It would not be until 1994 when Malice's enlistment ended that the brothers would start recording together. Pusha, five years Malice's junior, would accompany his brother to recording sessions at Hugo's house. Eventually he decided to rap as well, and they recorded their first song together ''Thief in the Night'', featuring vocals from Pharrell,<ref name="RedbullOrigins" /> who suggested they should become a duo, calling themselves "Full Eclipse", later shortening their name to "Clipse".<ref name="RollingStonePushaT">{{cite web |last1=Vozick-Levinson |first1=Simon |title=Pusha T: The Rise and Reign of a Self-Made King |date=11 October 2022 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/pusha-t-its-almost-dry-2023-grammys-1234602996/ |publisher=Rolling Stone}}</ref> The Neptunes helped them secure a recording contract with [[Elektra Records]] in 1996. Under Elektra, and with the Neptunes handling its production, the Clipse recorded its debut album, ''[[Exclusive Audio Footage]]''. The group's 1st single, "The Funeral", helped to generate fan interest in the album, but failed to make a significant chart impact. With "The Funeral" deemed a failure, ''Exclusive Audio Footage'' itself was shelved. The Clipse was released from Elektra shortly thereafter but promotional CDs of the album still exist and would get an official release on May 2, 2022 via Spotify.<ref>{{cite magazine | last = Brackett| first = Nathan | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/clipse/articles/story/5938804/new_faces_the_clipse | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071114072658/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/clipse/articles/story/5938804/new_faces_the_clipse | url-status = dead | archive-date = November 14, 2007 | title = New Faces: The Clipse | magazine = Rolling Stone| access-date = July 31, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{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=July 31, 2008}}</ref>