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Let God Sort Em Out, the first album in 16 years from the revered rap duo Clipse, featuring Pusha T and Malice, is set to release on July 11 via Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. Initially scheduled for summer 2024 under Def Jam, Pusha T disclosed in a recent GQ profile that a disagreement over a Kendrick Lamar verse caused the UMG-owned label to sever ties with both Clipse and Pusha T as a solo artist—at the request of the artists.
After submitting the finished album to Def Jam last year, Pusha noted that the label had reservations about Kendrick’s verse on a track titled “Chains & Whips.” This occurred during the same period as the tension between Drake and Kendrick, culminating in the massive hit “Not Like Us.” This conflict arose a couple of years after Drake experienced a loss in a different exchange of diss tracks with Pusha T. Though Drake had not yet filed a defamation lawsuit against UMG—set to happen in January 2025—UMG reportedly remained wary of “the antagonistic [optics] of two of Drake’s biggest rivals collaborating.”
“They wanted me to ask Kendrick to tone down his verse, which I would never do,” Pusha expressed, calling their fears “absurd” and adding that the label pressured him to remove the entire song from the album. “After a month of holding firm, Steve Gawley, the lawyer there said, ‘We’ll just drop the Clipse.’ That didn’t make sense since I’m still with them [solo]. But if you’re letting us all go…”
Thus, Clipse and Def Jam went their separate ways, and it didn’t take long to secure a new label for their fourth album. “It felt great to see how many other labels were interested in the project,” Pusha remarked.
Ironically, Pusha shared that reigniting any conflict with Drake does not appeal to him. Despite the occasional veiled mention of their rivalry in songs like Travis Scott’s “MELTDOWN,” Pusha insists he feels no need to retaliate. “Considering all that’s happened, I don’t believe there’s anything left to be said in a subtle manner again.”
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