The Re-Up Gang, composed of the Clipse, Sandman, and Ab-Liva, have broken up according to one of the members, Sandman. The group came together in 2005 after The Clipse was in label limbo and released a series of mixtapes, titled We Got It 4 Cheap Vol.1-3. The mixtapes were hailed as the best thing since sliced bread and The Clipse got a new distribution deal for their label, Re-Up Gang Records. Well all is not well according to Sandman and he says he is no longer associating himself with the group, mainly faulting poor promotion and different priorities with the music and albums.

“When it comes to my music, dog, this is what I love,” said Sandman Tuesday afternoon. “I’m not tryin’ to be a god-damned architect or nothin’, or else I’d put my time into that. When you have a movement like the Re-Up Gang, something that came out of nowhere that was turned into a cult following, I just don’t see how people dropped the ball on the last project. So it didn’t make sense for me to stick around if shit ain’t in my best interest.”

Sandman said he had a number of problems with not only the promotion but the music being made and the singles that were pushed. “It ain’t in my best interest to put out a ‘Fast Lane’ video, after three years of nothing but street-driven music.” Sandman said referring to the “Fast Lane” song and video that was released to promote the Re-Up Gang’s recent release. “We gave y’all three critically-acclaimed mixtapes just to give y’all this toilet bowl-ass album and their video. To me, it’s unjust. The fans are onto it now too, ‘Damn, that’s it for the Re-Up?’ ‘Cause now all you hear about is [The Clipse‘ forthcoming album] Til The Casket Drops. The Re-Up Gang has been phased out; I guess I was just supposed to play along. I’m not no fuckin’ nut!“

While neither The Clipse nor Ab-Liva have commented or confirmed the split, Sandman said without him, there simply is no Re-Up Gang. “There is no Re-Up Gang. Before they added me, it was The Clipse and Ab Liva. That was it. That’s what it’s been reduced back to. Naturally, they’ve got to go around and promote the Re-Up Gang album now, ’cause it’s out, and to be honest, I feel like I don’t have to do that. To me, I just don’t think whoever – either Koch [Records] or The Clipse did not believe in this Re-Up movement. Or it didn’t mean nothin’ to them.”

Sandman also goes further in his delusions of grandeur and says that one day after he becomes huge The Clipse will likely come crawling back for a reunion album. “I could be bitter. You know how this shit normally looks. But I’m a G, Cannons Inc. is real, and I’m not runnin’ around not talkin’ no shit. The Re-Up Gang ain’t goin’ nowhere, and after I blow, niggas are gonna wanna do reunion albums and all that, but right now, [no]. I feel like they think that the Re-Up is all from them, the success of it.“

Well this certainly is not a good news bit for hip hop. The Re Up represents some of the last true lyricists in this shit and to see them dissolve is saddening. Who do  you think is right on this one though? Do you think the Re-Up Gang owes all of it’s success to the fame of the Clipse?