Music When Rappers Break Up With Their Producers

Clipse can still rap their asses off, but there is something noticeably missing from the new Clipse Presents: The Re-Up Gang album, which dropped today. That something? Good beats. You see, we fucking love Pusha T and Malice over Neptunes production. But over Sleepwalkers (very apt name, btw) tracks? Eh…not so much.

Which got us thinking: this isn’t the first time a rap act has carved out a dope sound with a certain producer and then parted ways to dismal effect. After the jump, check out our compilation of those rappers and their respective before/after track records.

Booze Smirnoff Remixs Vodka With Rappers

Smirnoff takes its mantra, “Mix Well, Drink Responsibly” to another level with their new music campaign. This February, the spirits brand known for a flavorful range of vodka, enlists Just Blaze, Cool and Dre and DJ Premier to remix classic material by Common, Q-Tip and KRS-One for the Signature Mix Series. With each collaboration, a new drink will be created, aptly named after it's ingredients, like “Blueberry Abstract,” Just Blaze's interpretation of Common's “The Light.” Click SmirnoffSignatureMixSeries.com to download the songs for free.

Events Blaze a Candle

It would've been nice if Nas would've released his long awaited new record, Hip Hop Is Dead, to coincide with his birthday party Wednesday night in NYC at Canal Room. But with the drop date postponed til December at the earliest, wifey Kelis pulled out all the stops for Mr. Jones and threw him a surprise bash, with DJ Goldfinger on the decks and an assortment of celebrity guests, not to mention Playboy bunnies popping out of a birthday cake. Complex managed to put down the Henn-dog for a few minutes and snap some flix. Happy b-day, Nasir.

?uestlove and model Jessica White give the stone face.

DJ Premier schools Doug E. Fresh on the secrets to his recent success with lady marmalade ' Christina Aguilera.

The cake was delicious. We mean the real one with the candles.

Tracy Morgan (right) will soon be the funniest man on the planet, once the NBC sitcom Thirty Rock premieres.