Honestly, nobody really thought it was going to happen. For years, the idea of a new Clipse album felt like rap's version of a ghost story—something people talked about in hushed tones on Reddit but never expected to see in the flesh. Then July 11, 2025, actually rolled around, and the Clipse Let God Sort Em Out tracklist hit streaming services. It wasn't just a "reunion" project; it was a total disruption of the industry.
Most of us expected Pusha T to keep doing his thing, but the big question was always Malice. Or No Malice. Or just Malice again? Seeing him revert to the original moniker for this record was the first sign that the Thornton brothers weren't playing it safe. They didn't come back to give us a watered-down, "mature" version of their old selves. They came back to remind everyone why they were the most feared duo in Virginia to begin with.
The Full Let God Sort Em Out Tracklist Breakdown
If you haven't memorized it yet, the sequence of this album is incredibly tight. It’s 13 tracks that clock in at just under 45 minutes. No bloat. No "interlude for the sake of an interlude." Just pure, concentrated Pharrell production and surgical lyricism.
- The Birds Don't Sing (feat. John Legend & Voices of Fire)
- Chains & Whips (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
- P.O.V. (feat. Tyler, The Creator)
- So Be It
- Ace Trumpets
- All Things Considered (feat. Pharrell Williams & The-Dream)
- M.T.B.T.T.F.
- E.B.I.T.D.A. (feat. Pharrell Williams)
- F.I.C.O. (feat. Stove God Cooks)
- Inglorious Bastards (feat. Ab-Liva)
- So Far Ahead (feat. Pharrell Williams)
- Let God Sort Em Out / Chandeliers (feat. Nas)
- By the Grace of God (feat. Pharrell Williams)
That Kendrick Verse and the Def Jam Breakup
The wildest part of this whole rollout wasn't even the music—it was the corporate warfare behind the scenes. You've probably heard the rumors, but it's basically confirmed now: Clipse walked away from a massive deal with Def Jam just to keep "Chains & Whips" on the album.
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Apparently, the "lyrics committee" at Universal (the parent company) got cold feet. They were worried that having Kendrick Lamar on a track with Pusha T would look like a direct provocation toward Drake, especially after the 2024 nuclear fallout. Pusha and Malice weren't having it. They reportedly paid a seven-figure sum to buy out their contract and took the whole project to Roc Nation.
Imagine being so dedicated to a single verse that you'd rather go independent and pay millions than let a suit edit your vision. That’s some legacy-defining energy right there.
Why Pharrell Went Minimalist This Time
Pharrell Williams handled the entire production. Every single beat. But if you were expecting the neon-bright "Grindin'" synths of the early 2000s, you probably got a bit of a shock. The production on Let God Sort Em Out is sparse. It's cold. Some critics, like those over at Pitchfork, complained that it felt a bit "hollow," but they kinda missed the point.
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The beats are designed to get out of the way. When you have Malice rapping about the death of his parents on "The Birds Don't Sing," you don't want a club-shaking bassline distracting you. You want that haunting, cinematic atmosphere. It's "smart basketball," as Pusha put it. It’s for people who actually listen to the words.
Standout Moments You Might’ve Missed
- The Nas Feature: "Let God Sort Em Out / Chandeliers" is essentially a masterclass. Nas hasn't sounded this hungry in a minute, and the transition into the "Chandeliers" section is arguably the best beat switch of 2025.
- The Re-Up Gang Cameo: Seeing Ab-Liva on "Inglorious Bastards" felt like a gift to the day-one fans who spent their high school years bumping the We Got It 4 Cheap mixtapes.
- Malice’s Evolution: He’s not "No Malice" anymore, but he’s still carrying that spiritual weight. He’s just found a way to bridge the gap between his faith and the grit of the Clipse brand. It’s less preachy and more... weary. Like a man who’s seen it all and still has a story to tell.
Is This the Album of the Year?
A lot of people are saying yes. It debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200, which is wild for a duo that hadn't dropped a project in 16 years. It’s currently sitting at #6 on Rolling Stone’s "Best of 2025" list, and for good reason. It proved that hip-hop doesn't always have to be a "young man's game."
You can grow up, change your life, and still have the sharpest pen in the room. The Clipse Let God Sort Em Out tracklist isn't just a list of songs; it's a blueprint for how to age gracefully in a genre that usually tries to discard you the second you turn 40.
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If you haven't sat down with the lyrics yet, you're doing yourself a disservice. This isn't background music for a party. It's a record that demands you pay attention.
Next steps for the true fans:
- Listen to the transition between "M.T.B.T.T.F." and "E.B.I.T.D.A."—Pharrell’s drum patterns here are some of his most experimental in a decade.
- Check out the "Ace Trumpets" music video again; the visual references to Ye and the Virginia Beach scene are much deeper than they appear on the first watch.
- Read the lyrics for "By the Grace of God" while listening to the outro. It’s the most vulnerable the brothers have ever been on record.