Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out ALBUM REVIEW
âThe past ten years, screamin', âUnoâ Then side step back into the duo,â raps Pusha T on I Pray For You, the final track from his previous solo album, 2022âs Itâs Almost Dry. The song featured none other than Malice, with whom he had recently reunited as Clipse for a few tracks including 2019âs Use This Gospel from Kanye Westâs Jesus Is King album and Punch Bowl, a Neptunes-produced track from Nigoâs 2022 compilation album. Following two underrated solo albums, the rapper formerly known as No Malice showed that the old Clipse energy never left him, reverting back to his original stage name. 16 years removed from their third studio album, 2009âs Til The Casket Drops, a lot has changed for the two brothers. With one album after the next, Pusha T built himself one of the most spotless discographies in hip hop history while also being a member and president of the GOOD Music label before its dissolution. A lot of the publications discussing Clipseâs reunion speak of Malice taking a long hiatus, failing to even mention his two solo albums, 2013âs Hear Ye Him and 2017âs Let The Dead Bury The Dead. It may have been a significant departure from Clipse, but it wasnât like he took some long break as he would return just two years later for the Use This Gospel collaboration.Â
Considering Pusha T has gone on record saying he hates Til The Casket Drops, the first Clipse album in over a decade picks up right where they left off with their all-time classic album, 2006âs Hell Hath No Fury. Their fourth studio album, Let God Sort Em Out follows their catalogâs history of biblical undertones, with Maliceâs christian faith acting as a through line between the old Clipse and today. While the production on Hell Hath No Fury is credited to The Neptunes, it is important to note that Pusha T revealed Pharrell to have produced the album in its entirety. As their darkest, most abrasive, and most experimental, and most classic body of work, it makes sense why the Pharrell-produced Let God Sort Em Out may feel closer to their beloved second album compared to their others. However, the chemistry and sound are not at all stuck in the past. While completely separate from Itâs Almost Dry, half of which Pharrell produced, Let God Sort Em Out does feel like an extension of Pusha T and Pharrellâs chemistry on that album, especially compared to Til The Casket Drops. Let God Sort Em Out may be more sample-driven and draw on a wider variety of musical styles, but the two albums make use similar percussion and both have a signature sound that ties the album together. The joker laugh and âtheyâre gonna dieâ drop is replaced with a âthis is culturally inappropriateâ warning, and the sniff sound remains of course. While Clipse and solo Pusha T have always brought the best out of Pharrellâs production, Let God Sort Em Out seems to really have pushed him musically. He also seems to have brought Push further out of his comfort zone as he continues to play around with his inflections like he did on his last solo album. His laidback approach on P.O.V. is reminiscent of his performance on Call My Bluff. I knew Malice would deliver on this album with the Clipse collaborations that preceded this album. While he has his fair share of show-stealing verses, it sometimes feels like Malice is featured on this album. He only begins on one song and usually raps one verse while Pusha T often handles the chorus and sometimes multiple verses. The albumâs title track and E.B.I.T.D.A. are where the brothersâ chemistry feels the tighest as they trade bars to showcase their musical chemistry. Pusha T and Pharrell have collaborated more recently so it the musical style sounds a little more natural for them.Â
Either way, Let God Sort Em Out is without a doubt one of the best rap albums I have listened to in many years. In addition to the incredible production from Pharrell, Pusha T and Maliceâs display of brotherhood and lyrical unity on this album is the biggest highlight. The album begins on a somber yet beautiful note; The Birds Donât Sing might be one of the best songs I have ever heard in my entire life. It is worth noting that the albumâs expensive quality is not on accident, as much of it was recorded at the Louis Vuitton headquarters in Paris, where Pharrell is the creative director of menswear. Both verses are equally as heartbreaking, as Pusha T and Malice honor their parents, who passed within months of each other. Pusha T recalls his last moments with his mother and the overwhelming feeling of loss. âSome experience death and feel numbness. But not me, I felt it all and couldn't function,â he raps. He also talks about noticing how his mother told them to resolve their issues with their other siblings and made sure they had food in their fridges. âSee, you were checkin' boxes, I was checkin' my mentions. Sayin' you was tired but not ready to go / Basically was dying without letting me know,â he vulnerably shares. If Pushaâs verse and the powerful chorus from John Legend didnât make you feel anything, then Maliceâs verse certainly did. Knowing that he was the one to find both of his parents when they passed, I definitely got chills right as he said, âYour car was in the driveway, I knew you were home / By the third knock, a chill ran through my bones.â Remembering their father, Malice connects the proximity of his passing to their motherâs to his chivalrous character. âThe way you missed Mama, I guess I should've known / Chivalry ain't dead, you ain't let her go alone,â he raps. Like Push, he recalls subtle hints that he may have known of his passing before his final days, finding scriptures and half-written texts: âPostin' noted Bible quotes, were you preparin' then?âFrom there, Malice remembers their fatherâs best qualities and how his friends also looked to him as a father figure, instilling core values onto them as well. He also sees his conversations with his dad as the catalyst to want to rap again: âAskin' âShould I rap again?,â you gave me your blessing. The way you spelled it out, there's an L in every lesson. âBoy, you owe it to the world, let your mess become your message.ââ Malice ends his verse on a sad and beautiful note, rapping, ââI love my two sonsâ was the code to your phone, now youâre gone.â Thanks to the magic of Pharrell and Stevie Wonder, the layered synths on this track have never made a simple piano sound so powerful. I had been listening to this tearjerker of a track on repeat since they premiered it at an LV fashion show last summer, and was not sure how it would be as the intro. However, it works really well as this track definitely feels closest to God and religion with its heavy subject matter, as well as John Legendâs choir-backed hook.Â
From there, the rest of the album sounds like the brothers closer than ever as they rap with conviction over classic yet unorthodox production. To me, it sounds like they are picking right back up for an updated version of the quintessential Clipse sound, letting God sort everything else out along the way. They get right to it with Chains & Whips, which was also premiered years ago at a LV fashion show. The beat, which features Lenny Kravitz on the guitar, is absolutely nuts. I have not heard a hip hop song like this since No Church In The Wild. The production is absolutely perfect for Pusha T, who cleverly plays with the the âchains and whipsâ used as tools of oppression during slavery while rapping about beating the system with a different set of chains and whips: expensive jewelry and cars. His verse is just as tough as this unorthodox beat, exposing rappers who flaunt fake personas and wealth and seeing right through the bullshit. Sending not-so-subliminal shots at Jim Jones after he questioned Pushâs placement as a top tier lyricist: âYou'd think it'd be valor amongst veterans / Iâm watchin' your fame escape relevance.â Malice complimentâs Pushâs verse with a similar approach: âYour lucky streak is now losin' you / Money's dried up like a cuticle.â The epic guitar sounds, thumping bassline, and chopped organ sounds are also perfect for Kendrick Lamar, who delivers one of his best verses in a long time. Much like the most aggressive tracks on GNX, he starts very slow and builds into one hell of a consonance scheme that carries the rest of his verse. Lines like âI don't fuck with the kumbaya shitâ and âBut fuck it, the West mines, we right nowâ show that he is clearly still on the energy that fueled his beef with Drake and the GNX album. He leans into his status as an untouchable rapper with easily his best lyrics in the verse: âEvery song is the book of Genesis, let the sonics boom / N****s want the tea on me, well, here's the ginger root.â As a longtime hip hop listener and longtime fan of Kendrick who fits in the Gen Z age group, I am not sure who he was referring to when he said people said he couldnât reach Gen Z. Pusha T and Malice are impossible to outshine on a track, but Kendrick comes incredibly close with one hell of a feature. With Push and Kendrick coming back together for a track, I loved how he reconnected with Tyler, The Creator, who also has a collaborative history with Pharrell, on P.O.V. Tyler expressed his excitement for this album when I saw him on his latest tour a few days, and his guest verse really delivered. This is vintage Odd Future Tyler, as he hasnât sounded this commanding in a long time. He still sounds playful like his more recent stuff, but his delivery and punchline-centric approach certainly recall his earlier and more aggressive rap style. âMy n***a Push keep dirty white moving like mosh pitsâ is quintessential Tyler, and I am so glad that Clipse and Pharrell brought the best out of him. Pusha and Tyler rekindled their chemistry for the first time since 2011 on that track, but Malice shines on his own with the beat switch at the end, delivering one of his best verses. âIf they had to weigh the operation, call it obese / I mix it like Mahomes, then I tell 'em go deep,â he begins before spitting some of his most powerful lyrics: âIf I didn't give you both sides, I wouldn't be me / I was the only one to walk away and really be freeâ and âIf I lie to myself, I can sell it to me / I done sung along with rappers I never believed.â
Pharrellâs production balances polished with rugged really well, but his filthiest beat on Let God Sort Em Out is easily So Be It. The deep 808s and reversed percussion underlay a brilliantly flipped Saudi Arabian sample. Pusha T absolutely snapped on this track: âIf I'm not in the telly sellin' the yeti / Then I'm twirlin' your bitch like she in spaghetti, heavy.â The diss toward Travis Scott is understandable considering his previous beef with Drake and the end of his friendship with Kanye, but Travis also seems so far removed from that whole situation. Then again, Push is probably just backing Pharrell after Drake dissed Pharrell on a Travis track from the same album on which Pharrell also produced a song. I know So Be It has an incredible beat, but I do want to shout out So Be It Part II, which was temporarily added to the album due to sample clearance issues with Part I before it was finally cleared. Creating a completely different song out of the same verses, that beat is also incredible; it sounds like vintage 2Pac meets an old vampire movie soundtrack. While Pusha T and Maliceâs similarities often complement each other, Ace Trumpets is the perfect example of their contrasting styles. Push is expressive is playful, with every bar being punchy and dynamic while Maliceâs delivery is cold and conversational. For example, Push begins his verse with, âYellow diamonds look like pee-pee / Bitches fly from D.C. on my private to Waikiki, three-peatâ while Malice will spit a lyric like âDrugs killed my teen spirit, welcome to Nirvana.â Maliceâs verse on this track is easily one of his best, spitting one clever punchlines after another: âNever leavin' home without my piece like I'm Mahatma,â âNever turn the other cheek, you'll die at the Oscars,â âDressed in House of Gucci, made from sellin' Lady Gagaâ and âUmbrella in my Rolls match the one that's in this Mai Taiâ to name a few. Both Pusha T and Malice carry the same rhyme schemes throughout their entire verses, an impressive feat that happens on the majority of this album. They do the same on All Things Considered, one of the albumâs slower and bouncy tracks, which feature quirky features from Pharrell and The-Dream. Pusha T shines on the song M.T.B.T.T.F., which could fit comfortably on any of his studio albums with its classic rhythm with unpredictable sample chops (as could the song Inglorious Bastards). His lines where he stunts his wealth on both rappers and casual listeners often make me laugh, but as a wine drinker, the âcheap as rieslingâ bar was particularly funny. The uptempo and jumpy rhythm is reminiscent of the classic Neptunes sound from the first Clipse albums. Pharrell spits the first verse on the track, sounding so comfortable that he feels like a third Clipse member. I wish he rapped more.Â
Speaking of features that should have rapped more, Nas gets his very own beat on Let God Sort Em Out/Chandeliers. I loved the way he began his verse: Single-handedly boosted rap to its truest place / Fuck speaking candidly, I alone did rejuvenate Hip-hop into its newest place / Made it cool for Grammy nominated LP's from previous generation MCâs.â Nas and Clipse are some of a short list of hip hop O.G.âs who have really taken lyricism to new heights in the 2020âs, proving that the genre is far from a young manâs game. I love his inclusion on the album for that reason and heâs obviously a favorite of mine. However, the verse does feel kinda slapped on a track where Push and Malice show their strongest chemistry. Plus, they both wouldâve snapped on that beat. While I loved Stove God Cooksâs feature on F.I.C.O., part of me wanted a verse from him, as he often raps as triumphantly as that beat is. The songs So Far Ahead and the albumâs closer By The Grace Of God showcase Pharrellâs versatility, delivering uplifting choruses with gorgeous chords backed by gospel vocals while before launching into some of the most haunting and hard-hitting beats for Clipseâs verses. It really displays how Pharrell took creative license with the Thornton brothers and pushed them out of their comfort zones.Â
Let God Sort Em Out is flawless. It feels like both a return and a reset for Pusha T, Malice, Clipse, Pharrell, and an older generation of hip hop greats. Music of the highest quality, this album should not simply be written off as âcoke rap,â âstreet rap,â or âgangsta rapâ as there is so much more to it than that, with songs like The Birds Donât Song being prime examples. Even in the meanest of verses like Malice on Chains & Whips, he stands in his faith with lyrics like âJohn 10:10, thatâs my usual.â So who outrapped who? The brothers both brought the best out of one another, but Pusha T did on a lot of it, likely due to the fact that he raps significantly more. Malice had plenty of show stopping moments and quotable bars. With each listen, I get so much out of this album. Let God Sort Em Out is hip hop at its highest level, proving that good rapping has no age limit and that timeless music and lyricism will always matter. Even if Pusha T goes back to his solo material and Malice doesnât do anything on his own, Clipse is cemented as an updated version of their former selves, and everything else is clearly sorted out from there.
Fav Tracks: The Birds Donât Sing, Chains & Whips, P.O.V., So Be It / So Be It Pt. II, Ace Trumpets, M.T.B.T.T.F., E.B.I.T.D.A, F.I.C.O., So Far Ahead, By The Grace Of God
