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Did Clipse (Pusha T and No Malice) release the rap album of the year?
Sixteen years after the release of their last album, Clipse (Pusha T and Malice) make a striking comeback with Let God Sort Em Out, produced by Pharrell Williams. A mix of diss tracks, luxury, and sharp lyrics, the iconic coke rap duo hits hard. Is their album the best rap project of 2025?
By Alexis Thibault.
Clipse: coke rap legends and the school of hard knocks
There are comebacks we thought were impossible. And then there are those we no longer dared to hope for. Clipse, the cult music duo from Virginia Beach made up of the Thornton brothers – Malice and Pusha T – belongs to both categories. Sixteen years after Til The Casket Drops (2009), they’re back with Let God Sort Em Out (2025), a new record that revives their signature aesthetic without being trapped in nostalgia.
Formed in the late 1990s, Clipse quickly became one of the greatest duos in American rap. Their debut album Lord Willin’ (2002), produced by the Neptunes, was an instant classic. A blend of intergalactic beats and dark tales of drug dealing, street life, and thwarted ambition. With Hell Hath No Fury (2006), the brothers doubled down – suffocating atmosphere, sharp lyrics. The project became an undisputed reference in coke rap, a subgenre where the streets become an economy of survival, a space of style, and a personal faith even.
But after their last album released in 2009, their paths diverged. Pusha T’s career skyrocketed and he became known for his legendary beefs with Drake in 2018 and acclaimed solo albums Daytona (2018) and It’s Almost Dry (2022). Meanwhile, Malice stepped away. He converted, left rap behind, and became No Malice. Their joint reappearance on Kanye West’s Jesus Is King (2020) was just temporary.
Prestige and provocation: Clipse’s poised comeback
Everything changed in Paris in 2023. On the runway of Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Spring/Summer show, Pharrell Williams – artistic director of the house and longtime producer for the duo – premieres their unreleased track Chains & Whips. A dark ego trip laced with references to American slavery. The announcement of the new album came late on, but its release on July 11th, 2025, unfolded like a major event. The first single, So Be It, is a diss track directed at Travis Scott, who’s described as a spineless opportunist.
Another controversy is the rumour of censorship around Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Chains & Whips. According to Pusha, Def Jam wanted to cut his most scathing lines. The result? Clipse walked out on the label. It was ultimately Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s camp, that brought the album to life. A change of team that underlines the tensions between two schools of rap. On one side, sanitized pop-rap, and on the other, raw and credible writing.
Pharrell Williams oversaw the entire project. The album was even recorded in Louis Vuitton’s studios in Paris. A case of street rap colliding with luxury in a fascinating, yet divisive alliance.
Clipse: a dense, brutal and imperfect album
Despite their age – Malice is 52 and Pusha T is 48 – Clipse have lost none of their greatness. Malice’s voice is deeper now and carries a disillusioned wisdom drawn from his spiritual retreat. As for Pusha, he stays true to himself – arrogant, cut-throat, a tad theatrical. Among the featured artists, Kendrick Lamar and Nas shine, while Tyler, The Creator twists the knife. John Legend adds a slightly too-polished melodramatic note.
Some have criticized Pharrell for delivering an overly polished production. The Neptunes of Hell Hath No Fury (2006) unleashed chaos through the loop. But, this album’s refined intent, recorded at Vuitton studios, mixed in Paris, with obsessively crafted visuals, has smoothed away some of the rawness.
And yet, despite its flaws, Let God Sort Em Out makes a strong impression. First, for its coherence – thirteen tracks, no filler. Then, for its narrative. Clipse tackles money, God, power, and family with sharp, deeply referential, often funny punchlines. Finally, for its ambition. In an era where rap albums are often reduced to playlists, Clipse deliver a dense, deliberate body of work. Too sanitized, though?
Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, available now.
