Clipse - “Let God Sort Em Out” Review
Written by Beau Croxton
Clipse by Cian Moore
ALBUM OF THE MONTH: JULY
Clipse returns with their first album in 16 years, and it lives up to the hype— Let God Sort Em Out stays true to everything that’s great about the duo, while expanding on their sound in a contemporary way.
One of the most vital rap duos of the 2000s has returned— Clipse (aka brothers Pusha T and Malice) are back with their first album in 16 years. Many know that this record has had an unreal amount of hype. If they start giving out grammys for album roll-outs, Clipse would be the one to bet because the rollout has been wildly eventful– the tiny desk performance on release day was the cherry on top. Here at Occult, we are happy that this massive rap blockbuster of 2025 lives up to the hype– Let God Sort Em Out is a no-skip record that is overflowing with what Clipse does best, even if it switches up the formula.
Speaking to Ebro in his Apple Music interview on the album, Pusha T said “We're chasing a feeling”. The feeling is potent— an ice-cold, classic, bad-ass feeling courses through the majority of this record, with just a few introspective reflections to break up the album. Let God Sort ‘Em Out is a triumphant reclamation of Clipse’s status as one of the greatest rap duos. It expands their sound in a sleek and refined way with their usual-best sharpness and cut-throat lyricism.
Notably, the record has its own presence; it's not rooted entirely in nostalgia and fan-service, like some predictable rehash. Although there's not (full) Neptunes production on this record, Pharrell Williams takes the helm on production again (solely) and his curation here is a notable return-to-form that combines both new and old vibes. After all, it was Pharell (not Chad Hugo) who was featured prominently all over the liner notes on their classic album, Hell Hath No Fury, and Pusha has even noted in interviews that Pharell did that record’s production on his own.
Check out our track-by-track review of our Album of the Month: Let God Sort Em Out
“Birds Don’t Sing” is a bold opener that details the tragic nature of the brothers losing their parents in rapid succession. The song poetically highlights the fact that their parents were able to “go together”. Speaking of his father passing shortly after his mother, Malice notes “Chivalry ain’t dead— you ain’t let her go alone”. This song’s placement as the opening track is a significant statement piece– it's devastating, but beautiful. It lets the listener know the record has far more to say than nostalgia. John Legend belts gospel vocals while a spoken word message from Stevie Wonder ends the song– it's an incredibly powerful homage to those who have lost their parents. This track is an unexpected yet strong inclusion to the record that stands firmly on its own.
“Chains and Whips” is a stark shift into nothing but the stank-face inducing bad-assery that Clipse is known for. With suspense building instrumentals and mean-mugging verses, it serves as a ramp-up for all the cold-as-ice rap on the rest of the record . Pusha T raps the hook in disgust. Distorted trumpets burst like laughing hyenas behind Pusha T’s scathing verse that declares “There’s no tombstones in the desert”. Kendrick Lamar’s verse has been the subject of massive controversy after the historic year he’s had (see here)—– this album had endless lore before it even dropped. Kendrick gets right into quotable bars and lyrical kung fu, declaring himself “the two-time Gemini with the genocide.” It’s wild that Kendrick penned this verse amidst his 2024 rap beef where he was busy being strategic on other targets…Pusha T only has one word to describe that fact in his interview with Ebro on Apple Music… “psycho”. Pusha T is a total monster, so that's very high praise.
Kendrick Lamar and Pusha’s last link-up was “Nosetalgia”, where Lamar penned a rhyme scheme using numbers/syllables like “nine/ten” in about a dozen different ways. On “Chains and Whips”, Lamar pens a worthy sequel, channeling the same method with a new scheme– he uses a “Gen/gin/jin” rhyme scheme about 22 times amid fast-pace, ever-changing flows. It's nothing but pure lyrical gymnastics from one of the best rappers to do it. Pharell’s distorted vocal hook warning you that “the Devil is talking to you”, is a brilliant set up for Kendrick’s devilish, scorched-earth verse and Pusha, Malice and Pharell set up Kendrick for an atomic slam-dunk.
On “POV”, Pusha T glides with a peculiar flow over brilliant beats, detailing the transportation of kilos via Maybach and Amtrak, which all leads into an unreal feature verse. Of course, Tyler, The Creator (who is a self proclaimed Clipse megafan) knows that Pusha T is the king of coke-rap, and his feature brings nutty bars like ““My **** Push keep dirty-white moving like mosh pits“. In (another) one of the most iconic moments on the album, Malice spits pure greatness over a beat-switch that closes one of the best songs on an incredible high.
“So Be It” is easily the classic of the record. Its dark and irresistible Saudi-Arabian string samples are absolutely on par with Clipse’s (and Pharell’s) most iconic beats, and Pusha T’s verses are classic. There was a bit of a scare with a sample not getting cleared, and a different version popping on DSP’s on release– but luckily it was quickly resolved & this track gets to be enjoyed in its full 10/10 glory.
“Ace Trumpets” yields an incredible verse from Malice. He makes entendres that combine pop culture references with glamour achieved from coke slinging: “Dressed House of Gucci made from sellin’ Lady Gaga”. As a single, it was a tough track that was a solid glimpse into the world of this record– but the newer tracks frequently outdo “Ace Trumpets”.
Let God Sort Em Out album artwork. Out now via Roc Nation
“All Things Considered” is one of the most overtly modern sounding tracks, and synth arpeggios definitely kick things up a notch, production wise. Malice brings grim coke-rap quotables in the second verse– “I done packed the blizzard in Honda Civics- Took fatherless women and showed 'em living” Unfortunately, the only blatant sonic miss on the album is Pharell’s autotune hook here– the tone and temperament of it feel very out of place. No worries, Pusha T and Malice carry the track with remarkable verses.
“M.T.B.T.T.F.” aka ‘Mike Tyson Blow to the Face’ starts a highly-potent stretch of acronym-titled tracks and it’s probably the biggest banger on the whole project. Pusha T lays down one of his best verses here and with nods to Notorious BIG. Both brothers boast sets of quotable bars in acapella that lead into very satisfying beat drops. “She wants Mike Tyson blow to the face/ slalom ice, she wants snow on plate” – careful, you might get second-hand high from reciting the bars.
On “E.B.I.T.D.A.”, Pharell opens with a great verse that feels just like the old Neptunes days. While short and sweet, this is one of the most exciting tracks, with a Pharell beat that is straight out of 2006. It builds with endless quotables, alarm-synths, and twinkling keys. There is magic chemistry between the brothers as they exchange bars between the left and right channels.
“F.I.C.O.” moves at a laid-back pace and has an extremely choice hook from Stove God Cooks, while “Inglorious Bastards” starts brashly then moves into boogie-banger mode with horn samples. Notably, The track also resurrects a “We Got it 4 Cheap” vibe by featuring a great verse by their Re-Up Gang collaborator Ab Liva. This outright slapper is pure old-school fun, and it's a dark horse highlight.
On “So Far Ahead”, Pharell combines beautiful gospel falsetto with humorous flex-centric lyrics for a great feature. There are not many rap songs that get 6/8 timing right, but the contrast of gospel vibes and stone-cold verses accomplish it in a very interesting and refreshing way. The synths of title-track “Let God Sort ‘Em Out/Chandeliers” sound like an evil boss-theme in an arcade game, fittingly surrounding Pusha T’s monstrous presence. A sick beat-switch detour allows Nas to take off and do his own thing entirely, adding more W’s to a great rap record that's already chock-full of them.
The closer expands on the theme of “escaping the odds, ‘By The Grace of God” and its a fitting outlook on escaping the hard life that Pusha and Malice have always so expertly detailed. It’s fantastic between the insightful verses, 007-esque strings and cathartic gospel choir bursts. Perhaps the gospel hook could have been sung by someone besides Pharell– but it's a great closer nonetheless.
Let God Sort Em Out is a triumphant and top-shelf resurrection for Clipse so far into their career. This type of high-bar return recalls resounding late-career triumphs like A Tribe Called Quest’s “We Got It from Here, Thank You 4 Your Service”. This no-skip album also serves as a high quality, contemporary entry point to introduce a whole new generation of fans to the magic of “Mr. Me Too” and “Grindin”– and it’s an amazing thing.
At its best, Clipse’s music will have you feeling like the sharpest, coolest and baddest motherfucker on planet earth and Let God Sort Em Out is filled to the brim with those type of cuts. It also combines their venomous, top-shelf bars with a profound deepness. This refreshing and substantial record also clears the air of any lame “fast-food rap” trends that have been polluting the rap market. This record doesn’t need to follow any lame trends for clout, because it’s a trend-setter in and of itself. Let God Sort Em Out demonstrates a high bar of authenticity, skill, style and experience from two matured and well-seasoned vets — if the new generation can't match it, then that’s on them. It's amazing to hear this sharp material from them now, as they both are around or over 50 years old– rap groups rarely make comebacks this successful so late in the game.
I sure hope this is not Clipse’s farewell record, because they have just proved they can still make totally essential records in 2025. Whether or not Clipse decides to keep making records-– this album further cements their legacy as undeniable greats. It's a great feeling when a highly anticipated record pretty much delivers on all fronts and matches the hype. They deserve a heroes welcome for Let God Sort ‘Em Out, which is easily one of the best albums this year has seen so far.
Occult Highlights: M.T.B.T.T.F., Chains and Whips, So Be It, POV, Inglorious Bastards, E.B.I.T.D.A., Let God Sort Em Out/Chandeliers, Birds Don’t Sing
(…but we suggest you play the whole album in the whip, the gym or wherever 40 minutes of stank-face is deemed acceptable…. YEUGHK!…..)