After a year of build-up, earlier this month, Clipse unleashed the long-awaited Let God Sort Em Out to their ravenous fanbase. A 15-year hiatus marred and molded by rehabilitation, rebirth, trauma, grief and self-discovery became the foundation for the Virginia duo’s perfect storm. Debuting to 118,000 album-equivalent units this week – and a No. 4 bow on the Billboard 200, matching the duo’s career-high from 2002 breakthrough Lord Willin’ – is more than just a storybook ending for the Thornton brothers, it’s a beacon of hope for legacy artists striving to walk the tightrope between authenticity and chart success deep into a decades-long career.
For Clipse, the road to the Billboard 200 win wasn’t just an overnight miracle: It was an arduous road journey defined by wins and losses. Malice needed spiritual cleansing after retreating from the group in 2010, while Pusha T required separation from his brother to evolve into the cerebral assassin that he is on the mic. The passing of the Thorntons’ parents, six months apart in 2021 and 2022, further tested their resilience and strengthened their brotherhood. Becoming battle-tested sharpened their combat abilities; Pusha T learned how to skillfully decapitate rappers, while Malice’s God-fearing ways served as his sole compass in the fog of war. Let God Sort Em Out is the embodiment of yin and yang, or when the evolved forces of Martin and Malcolm band together for the greater good.
This wasn’t a reunion, it was a reckoning.
With a discography Bounty-strong, Clipse knew they needed seamless execution for Let God Sort Em Out. So the duo decided to bring in Pharrell, lead sonic architect behind the first two Clipse albums, to man the decks for the entire set. Fortunately, Williams provided the same edge and grit needed to accompany this comeback album. For Malice and Push, bringing Williams into the fold tied together their worlds of spirituality and savagery. Like the Thornton Brothers, Pharrell was facing a litany of questions: Was he still an Iron Chef-caliber producer? Had his love for fashion come to supersede music for him? These men had a boulder-sized chip on their shoulders, and powered up together, rather than shrink in size.
The album’s first four tracks are prime examples of Pharrell, Malice and Pusha operating a three-man weave to precision. The theatrical production on “The Birds Don’t Sing,” paired with a timeless John Legend hook and vivid recaps about their parents’ passing, is what happens when three greats are all on the same page. Meanwhile, elsewhere on the album, the brothers land glitzy features from the likes of Nas (“Let God Sort Em Out /Chandeliers”), Kendrick Lamar (“Chains & Whips”), and Tyler, The Creator (“P.O.V “) – but never let their co-stars overshadow their own efforts, as Push and Malice execute lyrical masterclasses.
Most importantly, what also vaulted Let God Sort Em Out into top five territory on the Billboard 200 was the set’s meticulously plotted roll-out. Gone are the legacy media days of the 2000s, as A.I. and streamers continue to oust traditional outlets from the field. That didn’t shake the Clipse, as the pair had cover stories with GQ and Complex. They engaged in performance pieces for Tiny Desk and Colors. They sat down with The Breakfast Club. They even ventured into the podcast world, hosting conversations with Joe Budden, Elliott Wilson and B. Dot. Lastly, what’s a great roll-out with a little controversy to stoke the conversation? Pusha’s barbs at Jim Jones (“Chains & Whips”) and Travis Scott (“So Be It”) — in addition to the well-circulated story of the duo being dropped from Def Jam because of Kendrick’s problematic verse and its associated Drake implications — made the Thorntons’ comeback story that much more intriguing.
So, if anyone is surprised that The Clipse has pushed over 100,000 first-week units, it’s simply because they haven’t watched their story unfold from start-to-finish. Let this serve as a lesson for legacy artists trying to straddle those lines between chart wins and acclaim: Don’t chase it. Be unapologetically you, commit to a gameplan that makes sense for you (and execute it meticulously), and the rest will follow.
