No Malice facts for kids

Quick facts for kids No Malice
No Malice performing with Clipse in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Gene Elliott Thornton Jr.
Also known as	Malice, Malicious
Born	(1972-08-18) August 18, 1972 (age 52) The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Origin	Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	East Coast hip hop Christian hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Reinvision Arista Re-Up

Gene Elliott Thornton Jr. (born August 18, 1972), known by his stage name No Malice, is an American rapper from Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was first known as Malicious and later Malice. He is famous for being one half of the hip hop group Clipse. His brother, Pusha T, is the other half. No Malice released his first solo album, Hear Ye Him, in 2013. His second album, Let the Dead Bury the Dead, came out in 2017.

Life and Music Journey

Early Life and the Group Clipse (1972–2009)

No Malice, whose real name is Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., was born on August 18, 1972, in The Bronx, New York City. Later, his family moved to Virginia Beach. In 1992, he and his brother, Pusha T, started a rap group called Clipse.

They met Pharrell Williams, a famous music producer from the group The Neptunes. Pharrell was very impressed with their rapping skills. He helped them get a record deal with Elektra Records in 1997. Clipse recorded their first album, Exclusive Audio Footage, with The Neptunes producing it. Their first song, "The Funeral", got fans excited, but it didn't sell many copies. Because of this, the album was never officially released, and Clipse left Elektra Records.

In 2001, Pharrell Williams signed Clipse to Arista Records. Clipse then released their first official album, Lord Willin', on August 20, 2002. This album was a big success! It reached number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-hop Album chart. It also hit number four on the Billboard 200. Popular songs from the album included "Grindin'" and "When the Last Time". Just one month after its release, Lord Willin' was certified gold. This means it sold over 500,000 copies.

Around 2003, Clipse started working on their second album, Hell Hath No Fury. However, there were many problems with their record label. Their label, Arista Records, merged with another company, and Clipse ended up with Jive Records. Clipse felt that Jive Records was not focusing on their music. This caused many delays in releasing their new album. The group became very frustrated and even sued the label to be released from their contract.

Finally, in May 2006, Clipse reached an agreement with Jive Records. Their album, Hell Hath No Fury, was released on November 28, 2006. It included songs like "Mr. Me Too" and "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)". Music critics loved the album. The hip hop magazine XXL gave it a perfect "XXL" rating. Only a few albums had received this honor before.

In 2007, Clipse left Jive Records and signed with Columbia Records. Their next album, Til the Casket Drops, came out on December 8, 2009. This album was different because it featured producers other than The Neptunes. While it was a good album, it didn't sell as well as their previous ones.

Solo Career and Hear Ye Him (2010–Present)

In April 2010, No Malice announced that he and Pusha T would release solo albums. He also shared that they were no longer with Columbia Records. In 2011, No Malice published a book called Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind & Naked. This book is about his life, including his decision to become a Christian.

On March 6, 2012, he announced a change in his stage name from Malice to No Malice. He shared this news in a video online. The video started with quotes from the Bible.

In 2012, No Malice worked with Lecrae on the song "Darkest Hour" for Lecrae's mixtape Church Clothes. No Malice then started releasing songs from his first solo album, Hear Ye Him. The first single, "June", came out on June 19, 2012. Other singles like "Unforgettable" and "Smoke & Mirrors" followed. His album Hear Ye Him was released on August 18, 2013.

On August 18, 2017, No Malice released his second solo album, Let the Dead Bury the Dead. This album includes a song called Fake News. In this song, No Malice talks about his earlier music. He sings, "Take my catalog, I just as soon set a match to it / Money like a side chick, I ain't that attached to it." This shows his changed views.

In July 2018, he released a single called "Give 'Em Game". A reviewer said that No Malice shares "timeless bars that listeners will gain wisdom from."

No Malice and his brother, Pusha T, reunited as Clipse for a special appearance. They were featured on the song "Use This Gospel" on Kanye West's 2019 album Jesus Is King. In 2022, they worked together again on Japanese DJ Nigo’s album I Know NIGO! for the song "Punch Bowl". The next month, they appeared on Pusha T’s album It's Almost Dry on a song called "I Pray For You".

Music Releases

Solo Albums

Songs Featuring No Malice