Mark Stefanos
Clipse, the iconic Virginia rap duo composed of brothers Pusha T and Malice, took the stage of the Novo for their Let God Sort Em Out Tour last Saturday, Aug. 23. The crowd was already geared up to indulge in some “Nosetalgia,” but lost it when Kendrick Lamar came out as a surprise guest on the opening song, performing their searing collab “Chains & Whips” for the first time live.
Watch the clip here, so long as you don’t mind the crowd yelling every word:
K. Dot ceded the spotlight back to Clipse after his part, calling it a “privilege to be in front of motherfucking legends.”
Legends is facts — Clipse have been a cornerstone of rap since their 2002 debut Lord Willin’, known for their gritty lyrics, off-the-wall production from the Neptunes and Pharrell, and for being the pioneers of “coke rap.”
After their last album Til the Casket Drops in 2009, the duo went on hiatus — Malice pursued spiritual growth, briefly changing his name to “No Malice,” while Pusha T built his acclaimed solo career, became the president of Ye West’s GOOD Music for a spell, and beefed with Drake, producing “The Story of Adidon,” a diss so venomous and scarring, it rivals “Not Like Us.” Pusha famously reveals on the track that Drake is “hiding a child” — accurately revealing to the world that Drake has a son, Adonis — a claim that Kendrick tried to match on his “Meet the Grahams” Drake diss, claiming Drake has an unacknowledged daughter, which has pretty much turned out to be unfounded.
(Side note: “Adidon” also has lines making fun of the sickly appearance of Drake’s buddy and in-house producer Noah “40” Shebib, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, one of the most ruthless disses in rap history.)
Clipse at the Novo, August 23, 2025. (Brendan OConnor @growupbrendan)
Let God Sort Em Out, released in July, was the highly anticipated reunion of the Clipse brothers after 15 years. It doesn’t sound like they lost a beat — executive-produced by Pharrell, it’s one of the best-reviewed rap releases of the year.
But the road to the album release wasn’t smooth. Def Jam and its parent Universal Music Group initially balked at Kendrick’s verse on “Chains & Whips” which Pusha claimed was due to tensions tied to his feud with Drake, who was suing Universal over “Not Like Us.” Unwilling to compromise, Clipse bought out their deal for over a million dollars and dropped the album with distribution through Roc Nation.
The Novo show was a showcase of Clipse’s enduring chemistry, infectious music and indomitable spirit.
The Let God Sort Em Out Tour kicked off August 3, continues through September across the country, then heads to Europe in November. But you’ll be able to catch them back here at Camp Flognaw, coming to Dodger Stadium November 15-16.