After invoking the heavens on their debut album, Lord Willin', the Clipse will flirt with forces from the opposite direction on Hell Hath No Fury, due December 16.

"The record was coming out so dark and crazy, we were like, 'Damn, this is way too demon, man,' " said Pusha T, one half of the Virginia rap duo.

"I'mma tell you, man," added his partner, Malice, "if you liked Lord Willin', f--- Lord Willin', this is it right here."

The Neptunes, who produced the Clipse's debut, returned to lay the sonic foundation for Hell, which was recorded between tour stops and quick jaunts to cities like Miami, Los Angeles and their home base, Virginia Beach. The hectic recording style was big change from the "camp in the studio" method the Clipse were used to.

"I was getting e-mailed beats," said Pusha T. "Then we'd meet up with Pharrell [Williams] and Chad [Hugo] on the road and record for a couple of days. Everyone was surprised how it was coming out."

A teaser single, "Pu---," will be leaked to the streets and mixtapes and will also appear on the upcoming Violator compilation V3: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (see "G-Unit, Missy, Busta, Others Lined Up For New Violator LP").

Though the rhyming duo are still figuring out what to release as an official, label-sanctioned single, they dropped some tantalizing possibilities. Pusha T said the song "Trill" is "guaranteed to have everybody snappin' their neck, ass-shakin'."

One song the pair are most excited about is "Mama, I'm So Sorry," which features an unlikely collaborator. After trying to keep the guest under wraps, Pusha T spilled the secret like a giddy child. "R. Kelly, R. Kelly, R. Kelly!" he said, laughing. "When I heard the song, I was like, 'Damn, I think we need to get R. Kelly on this.' We sort of took him out of his element with it, though."

Even though it's been just over a year since the release of Lord Willin', the Clipse aren't worried that the follow-up might be happening too soon. "Lord Willin' was very mixtape-ish, that kind of vibe — spittin' hot verses over hot beats. This one is more song-oriented," Malice said.

"We've grown more," agreed Pusha T. "It's not just 'I was sittin' on the corner yesterday' and blahsey blah. It's dealing with a lot more issues, being young and black and having a successful year. The best way to describe it is some Virginia corner boys meets 'Miami Vice.' The sh-- sounds like a soundtrack."

A large part of the duo's songwriting ear was developed with help from their hitmaking producer pals, whom they've known for more than a decade. "We was trusting them back when nobody was listening," said Pusha T. "If there's one thing they've taught us, it's that we have to evolve. We have to keep switchin' up, keep growin' up. Whatever we do, don't let them see it coming."