The Virginia-raised duo first exploded onto the commercial hip-hop scene in 2002 with their hit single "Grindin" and debut album Lord Willin', both produced by renowned the Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo). It was Pharrell who named Clipse, originally dubbing them "Full Eclipse" as a reference to the brothers' dark skin. They would go on to drop three more acclaimed studio albums, as well as some of the best mixtapes of the 2000s rap era with their supergroup Re-Up Gang (combining Clipse, Ab-Liva, and Sandman). But in 2010, the duo split, with Pusha T signing to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. music label and pursuing a successful solo career, while Malice converted to Christianity and changed his stage name to No Malice.
Throughout the following years, the brothers alternately teased and shut down rumors of a Clipse reunion, though they appeared together on three later songs: Kanye West's 2019 "Use This Gospel," and Nigo's "Punch Bowl" and Pusha T's "I Pray for You" in 2022. Rumors of a Clipse reboot were reignited in 2023, when Pharrell put an unreleased Clipse song as on soundtrack to his first fashion show as creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton.
On July 11, 2025, fans' prayers were answered with the self-release of Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse's first project since 2009's Til the Casket Drops. Between Wu-Tang Clan embarking on a farewell tour, Raekwon and Mobb Deep teaming up for a thirtieth anniversary celebration of their debut albums, and SeaWorld's bizarre viral concert series, hip-hop's current cultural landscape seems to be steeped in nostalgia. All of this laid the groundwork for this epic, long-awaited Clipse reunion, and the Thornton brothers have returned with a vengeance.
The Let God Sort Em Out Tour began a few weeks ago, with Atlanta-based opening act EarthGang along for the ride. To have EarthGang, a headlining act in their own right, as a supporting act, is a testament to the powerful legacy Clipse has curated over the last three decades. EarthGang's official DJ primed the crowd by having them sing along with crowd-pleasing hits like Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," before introducing Dreamville's indie darlings.
A fellow beloved hip-hop duo who recently went independent, EarthGang brought the energy right out of the gate. The soulful Southerners performed a few selections from their latest album, Perfect Fantasy, as well as songs from some of their older favorites, like the 2019 hit "Top Down" and "Down Bad" from Dreamville's third collaboration project. But my highlight of EarthGang's set was their rendition of their 2022 song "All Eyes On Me," which they performed over the Notorious B.I.G.'s classic "Juicy" beat instead of the original instrumental. Toward the end of Doctur Dot's last verse, the DJ cut the music entirely, and a hush came over the crowd as he finished the song a capella, to roaring applause. Before exiting the stage, EarthGang thanked Denver, thanked Clipse, and whipped the crowd into a frenzy for the headliners' imminent entrance.
Clipse Kills
After a brief intermission, the lights dimmed for the main event. Two massive screens displayed videos and photos from Clipse's history to a soundtrack of furious piano keys, before the audio and text on screen abruptly shifted into "This is culturally inappropriate," a refrain repeated on Let God Sort Em Out. Then the first few notes of "Chains & Whips" dropped, and the crowd — packed Mission Ballroom to the gills with eager, merch-clad Clipsters of all ages — erupted in cheers.Footage of battalions of soldiers, cowboys, bullet assembly lines and famous Black thought leaders rotated on the screens as Pusha T emerged while delivering the first few bars of the song's chorus. Malice entered from the same hidden spot at the beginning of his verse, while Pusha T made his way to stand on one of two small platforms on either side at the front of the stage. Murmurs in the crowd predicted that Clipse would open with "Ace Trumpets," the lead single from their new album, but if you know the behind-the-scenes album lore, "Chains & Whips" was the perfect choice.
The duo paid a seven-figure sum to exit their contract with Universal Music Group over this very song, because the label wanted Kendrick Lamar's guest verse removed. Not only did Clipse keep the Kendrick feature, they capitalized on the controversy, revitalized the Kendrick vs. Drake beef, started openly criticizing rivals and former partners, and made their stubborn adherence to authenticity the cornerstone of their album rollout. After all, lyrically hating on your enemies is a time-honored tradition in rap, and old dogs don't always need new tricks (Actually, some of these new tricks could learn a thing or two from these old dogs). Few others in the rap game (Kendrick being a notable exception) can diss with the panache, nuance and jaw-dropping vitriol of Clipse. Any concerns that they've mellowed with age were instantly dismissed; they're still the patron saints of haters everywhere.
Though Pharrell, who produced and appears on Let God Sort Em Out, wasn't in attendance, the Thornton brothers were clad in coordinating Louis Vuitton menswear looks, signaling the duo's ongoing partnership with the fashion house under Pharrell's creative direction. Malice rocked a matching jacket and pants in Pharrell's signature LV stylized camo print, while Pusha T opted to pair the pants with a clean white T-shirt and tan vest bearing LV insignia. Clipse followed "Whips & Chains" with "P.O.V.," another hit from Let God Sort Em Out, then the throwback "Popular Demand (Popeyes)" from Til the Casket Drops, before finally taking a breath and addressing the crowd.
Their subsequent hour-long set featured a healthy mix of songs from all four of their studio albums, satisfying longtime and newer fans alike. Perhaps it's recency bias, but the audience seemed most excited for the new songs, like "M.T.B.T.T.F." (which included Pusha T's riveting a capella opening set to a backdrop of Mike Tyson footage), "F.I.C.O.," "Ace Trumpets" (of course, the crowd gleefully screamed the infamous first line, "Yellow diamonds look like pee-pee" in unison), and "Inglorious Bastards." But when Pusha T questioned if there were any fans who had been following Clipse since the beginning, the response was an emphatic "Yes."
Clipse launched into a series of older songs, including "What Happened to That Boy" (their collaboration with Birdman), "Mr. Me Too," "Keys Open Doors," and of course, the chart-topper that started it all, "Grindin." United by the common thread of Pharrell's production, Clipse's early and newer discography blends into a cohesive setlist pretty seamlessly. Towards the end of their performance, the brothers performed the opening track of Let God Sort Em Out, "The Birds Don't Sing," which describes the deaths of their parents.
Bolstered on the album by a full choir of singers, several string instrumentalists, and features from John Legend and Stevie Wonder, their stripped back live version of the song provided a moving tribute to the duo's parents, ending with both men turning to look up at individual portraits of their mother and father projected on the onstage screens. After thanking Denver fans, Clipse declared Let God Sort Em Out the album of the year and disappeared off stage...and then promptly returned for a three song encore: "Cot Damn," "Virginia," and "So Far Ahead."
The spectacle of big-budget arena tours doesn't make sense for every artist, and Clipse is the perfect example of that. The draw of a Clipse show is the rappers themselves, the nostalgia triggered by their previous albums, and the undeniable talent and chemistry Pusha T and Malice share as artists and performers (and brothers!). Almost all of Clipse's backing tracks only include the first bar or two of their vocals. That's the mark of a seasoned professional.
Every word is enunciated, emphasized, and appreciated, but never mouthed or mumbled. It takes practice, patience and sheer dedication to the craft to achieve Clipse's level of artistry, and the new generation of viral rappers simply doesn't have the history or longevity to compete.
Good things indeed take time. Let's just hope that the next Clipse album doesn't take another sixteen years.
