Clipse Reunion Album Dodges Drake-Lamar Fallout
Unexpected label drama leads to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
A highly anticipated reunion album by **Clipse**, the Virginia rap duo of **Pusha T** and **Malice**, almost didn’t happen due to the lingering tensions between **Drake** and **Kendrick Lamar**. Here’s how the squabble impacted the album’s release.
Label Demands and Creative Freedom
Scheduled for release by a Universal subsidiary, the album hit a snag when the label reportedly insisted on removing the track Chains and Whips
, which featured **Kendrick Lamar**. According to **Pusha T**, the label’s lyrics committee
felt that having **Lamar** on a track with him would be seen as intentionally provocative.
Rather than comply, **Clipse** opted to buy out their Universal contract. Clipse’s album, now titled *Let God Sort Em Out*, has found a new home on **Jay-Z’s** Roc Nation label, with Chains and Whips
included.
Drake’s Legal Battle and Industry Impact
Adding another layer to the story, **Drake** is currently suing Universal for defamation over **Lamar’s** 2024 hit Not Like Us.
Universal has dismissed the case as utterly without merit
and has not commented on the **Clipse** situation.
The alleged existence of a label committee wary of **Clipse’s** lyrical prowess only adds to the duo’s mystique and serves as useful publicity for their comeback. For instance, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported that hip-hop and rap revenues in the U.S. hit $4.4 billion in 2023, underscoring the genre’s massive financial stakes (RIAA).
Malice’s Transformation and Return
Fifteen years ago, **Pusha T’s** brother, **Malice**, stepped away from the duo, his conversion to Christianity clashing with their trademark tales of the cocaine trade. He later changed his name to **No Malice**, but he’s back, rapping about his time as the Bezos of the nasals
with an impressive array of euphemisms.
Clipse’s Enduring Appeal
Even so, **Clipse’s** return hardly requires a publicity stunt. Their first two albums, released in 2002 and 2006, cultivated a dedicated following. **Pharrell Williams**, one half of the production duo the Neptunes, was instrumental in propelling **Clipse** to stardom, and he’s back on board for this new project.
While **Drake** may not be directly mentioned, the album serves as a reminder that crossing **Pusha T** is still a risky proposition. On So Be It Pt II
, rapper **Travis Scott** is sharply criticized.
Sonic Landscape and Guest Appearances
The album is strengthened by contributions from guests like **Nas** and **Tyler, the Creator**. The music, largely handled by **Williams**, is equally compelling. While he’s focused on fashion as the creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, his production here is inspired.
The rhythm that underpins Ebitda
sounds like an introductory fill that’s about to resolve into something more straightforward, but it never settles down, obstinately driving the track on. The horn riff of Inglorious Bastards
is warped into a daring atonality.
Emotional Depth
The album’s sole misstep is the opener, The Birds Don’t Sing
, with its big **John Legend**-sung chorus venturing into a poppy commerciality that clashes with **Clipse’s** core identity. Still, the track is redeemed by its lyrics, which depict the near-simultaneous deaths of the brothers’ parents. It’s new emotional territory for **Clipse**, who up to now didn’t really do vulnerable.
*Let God Sort Em Out* offers far more than nostalgia: familiar but fresh, it’s one of the albums of the year.
