Pusha T on Kanye West, perfecting coke rap and the Grammys and hip-hop

The most vicious, masterful street-rap album of the year was written by a 45-year-old Virginia dad who can't wait to get home to his family after work.

Pusha T's "It's Almost Dry" is a 12-song switchblade of a record from one of rap's most focused craftsmen. Pusha T, born Terrence Thornton, came up as one half of the beloved brother duo Clipse, from the same freewheeling Virginia scene that birthed Missy Elliott and Timbaland. Alongside super-producer Pharrell, who always kept room for the rapper's trademark snarl in his schedule, Pusha perfected his drug-trade storytelling over skeletal, disorienting beats.

"It's Almost Dry," nominated for best rap album at the upcoming Grammy Awards, is a late-career highlight, with production split between Pharrell and his other longtime creative partner, Kanye West. The two have collaborated on records since 2010, and Pusha T took the reins of West's Def Jam imprint, G.O.O.D. Music, from 2015 through this year.