Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out Review

The duo of brothers, Pusha T and Malice, have reunited under the production of Pharrell to drop one of the tightest collections of songs this year.

In the music industry, it’s an extremely rare occurrence for a group to reunite after years of solo careers. It’s an even rarer occurrence when their first album in 15 years blows away listeners and critics alike. Consisting of brothers Pusha T and Malice, Clipse has done that on Let God Sort Em Out with Pharrell at the production helm.

Clipse was known for dropping some of the best hip-hop in the early 2000s, with slick bars about illicit drug dealing backed by the club-friendly production of The Neptunes, consisting of Pharrell and Chad Hugo. Their last record together, Til The Casket Drops, was released in 2009 to less commercial success than their previous projects. Shortly after, the brothers disbanded and began their solo endeavors, with Malice writing a memoir and releasing solo albums, while younger brother Pusha T found huge success signing to Kanye West’s label G.O.O.D. Music. Pusha T would spend more time in the spotlight and go on to release two of his best projects, Daytona and It’s Almost Dry, both receiving Grammy nods. It would be remiss not to mention his huge beef with Drake that ended with Push dropping the scathing diss track ‘The Story of Adidon,’ in which he exposed Drake for having a child.

Starting in 2022, the duo slowly made their way back to each other, beginning with a collaboration on Japanese fashion designer Nigo’s album I Know Nigo!, and eventually announcing their full-scale return with Let God Sort Em Out. The album’s much-discussed rollout began with the lead single ‘Ace Trumpets.’ On this track, Push and Malice take control with the demeanour of calculated killers. The booming bass and drum track mix well with a droning synth to elevate the brothers’ performances. Pusha T’s chorus creates a beautiful contrast, embodying the feel of porcelain.

The album’s opening track, ‘The Birds Don’t Sing,’ features a beautiful chorus from John Legend and is a heartbreaking tribute to the brothers’ late parents. Push details his experience in preparing for his mother’s death and his mindset during this time, while Malice talks about his memories of how his father raised his children. Malice’s lyrics, “See mine made sure he had every base covered, so imagine his pain finding base in the cupboard,” show the growth from him and his brother. Fans of the duo remember how much drug dealing was glamorised in their early releases. There is still a plethora of references to this illegal activity throughout the album, but in this song this it is reminisced about in almost a shameful way, as if this part of their life is like a skeleton in the closet.

John Legend isn’t the only hard-hitting feature on the track list. On ‘Chains & Whips,’ Kendrick Lamar shows off his ferocity and attacks his verse with a vengeance, showing off his mastery of hip-hop, with some creative alliteration as well. Pharrell’s production takes a note out of Kanye’s ‘No Church In The Wild’ with thick, rolling drums and haunting brass, guitars, and chops that make you believe when Malice says, “this is the darkest I’ve ever been.” On ‘P.O.V.,’ Tyler, The Creator drops one of the most memorable bars, saying, “Push keep dirty white moving like mosh pits.” Again, Pharrell’s production shines especially with the beat switch towards the end of the track. 

If you think of modern “coke rap”, one of the first names that comes to mind is Stove God Cooks, who has stood out on Griselda’s projects. It’s only right that he received a feature on ‘F.I.C.O.,’ delivering a standout hook in his iconic cadence. Nas also continues his very late career revival run with a feature on ‘Let God Sort Em Out/Chandeliers.’ The first part of the song has Push and Malice delivering chilling bars over an equally eerie beat. It then switches to a trumpet-heavy beat for Nas, combining the album’s sound with a track you would find on Nas’ King’s Disease III.

A lot of the album’s highs come from the mastermind of Pharrell leading the production. His rapport with the group stems from his days in The Neptunes and producing their early work, so it’s only fitting that he took the reins on the sonic direction of Clipse’s comeback album. Each song has a different feel to it, but they all mesh together in the scope of the album. Let God Sort Em Out sounds more modern when compared to their early collaborations, but it still delivers the same sonic appeal. The choir backing vocals on ‘E.B.I.T.D.A.’ sound similar to the track ‘Keys Open Doors’ off their 2006 record Hell Hath No Fury, but the addition of synths and keys pulls it into the current day of rap.

Pusha T and Malice also sound more refined, having 15 more years of experience under their belts. They show off their proficiency over the English language, finding more ways to rap about drugs that hasn’t already been said. Their flows are tight throughout the entirety of the album and have enough variety to keep the songs sounding unique. The brothers sound hungry, ready to show the world that Clipse is back with an exclamation point.

In the streaming era of 30-song albums, a solid collection of 13 hard-hitting songs is hard to come by. Each track is relentless with the trio of Pusha T, Malice, and Pharrell, each at their best, their chemistry palpable. For a comeback album, this is one of the best from some of the best to ever do it.