Clipse Just Changed the Game… Again.
Clipse is back and the impact is seismic.
This isn’t just a nostalgic return or a reunion for the sake of headlines. Nah. This is a meteor strike in a rap landscape that’s been, frankly, coasting. Pusha T and No Malice, two certified veterans from Virginia Beach, just re-entered the arena with Let the Lord Sort ‘Em Out, and they’re landing to the body, head and, at times, below the belt.
In a time when algorithms, social media antics, and microwave music dominate the mainstream, Clipse offers something rare: intention. It’s mature. It’s cold. It’s calculating. It’s Contemporary Adult Dope Boy Rap—a genre I’m stamping right now. Nobody’s truly mastered what aging gracefully looks like for the street-savvy emcee. We have seen it only for titans like JAY-Z to ghost the culture. Clipse did that which was as elusive as an electric eel covered in oil. They created a sonic lane that merges wisdom, war stories and wit without sounding preachy or washed. Or overly hard. These are grown men rapping at the highest level. Two artists, almost 50 and over 50, out-rapping entire generations.
This isn’t a review. But I have to briefly talk about “Birds Don’t Sing,” a standout track featuring John Legend and Voices of Fire. It’s soul-shaking. Deep. Emotive. It centers on their parents and the painful beauty of loss, legacy and reflection. In a genre where parents are often missing, condemned or spiritually benign, this song brings the pain to the forefront. It punched me in the chest. I lost my father at a young age, and this song unearthed that grief all over again. A white Billboard reviewer dismissed it as one of the weaker tracks. Maybe he couldn’t hear the frequency Clipse was operating on. I stopped reading his words immediately. Cultural resonance can’t be measured by metrics. Some things are meant to be felt, not explained. Sometimes the you have to come from the soil to get the soul.
The brilliance of Clipse is in their duality. Pusha is the brand keeper, the risk-taker, the wildcard who’s been navigating luxury rap and corporate chessboards. Malice—formerly No Malice—took a spiritual path, all the way to being a preacher. But on this album, he returns with a vengeance. Many are saying he out-rapped Push. And guess what? That’s fine. This isn’t sibling rivalry. It’s sibling supremacy. I love it.
We’ve seen countless rappers attempt comebacks after long hiatuses, chock-full of gymnastics. Most don’t stick the landing. Clipse could not fall off because they managed to create demand though absence. They have Pharrell and others, as well. The supporting cast of Ab Liva, Tyler, The Creator, Nas, Kendrick Lamar and others are all amazing on Let the Lord Sort ‘Em Out. Clipse hovered just under outer space and just above the clouds. Never predictable, but omniscient. OutKast should take note. I’m just saying.
Now, let’s talk culture. We’ve continually made the mistake of measuring success by first-week numbers and playlist placements. Oh, and do not get me started on those that exist outside of our villages. Clipse didn’t come to play that game. F that. This isn’t about units. This is about impact. The community is talking. Quoting lines. Debating verses. And recognizing that something real has happened.
This album isn’t about the past. It’s about setting a path forward. To me, this is a roadmap for artists aging in Hip-Hop, for Black men reclaiming vulnerability. The culture must learn to balance growth with grit. Let the Lord Sort ‘Em Out proves you can evolve and still remain raw. It’s strategy. It’s elegance. And yes, it’s a little bit petty. Because Hip-Hop is going to maintains that sharp edge. The grown folks who tried to make “mature rap” a thing often forgot that some ingredients is part of the culture’s DNA. Clipse didn’t.
And that brings me to the bigger picture. Clipse has created a blueprint. It is not the only one, but for rappers of a certain ethos, this can help. They’ve shown us what longevity looks like with purpose. They’ve redefined what it means to be an elder statesman in a genre obsessed with youth. Whether the rest of the industry follows their lead is anyone’s guess. But know: This is what cooking looks and feels like. That microwave sh#t gotta go.
You’ve been told. You’ve been informed. And yes: you’ve been warned.
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