The Clipse Deserve Album of The Year and Then Some
The Clipse are nominated for five Grammys and I believe with my chest that they should get at least four. And here’s why…
Over the course of my videos about The Clipse, I’ve witnessed something remarkable. Two brothers from Virginia Beach, VA, in their late 40s and early 50s respectively, have released one of the most powerful hip hop albums of 2025.
Pusha T and Malice didn’t just come back. They came back better.
Their latest album, Let God Sort ‘Em Out, is a masterclass in lyricism. It’s emotionally charged. It’s technically precise. It’s the kind of album that reminds you why you fell in love with hip hop in the first place.
And it deserves multiple Grammy wins. This article is my official vote for that.
“The Birds Don’t Sing” and the Weight of Loss
The album opens with “The Birds Don’t Sing.” From the first bar, you know you’re not listening to filler. You’re not hearing artists going through the motions.
This is a tribute to their parents. Both of them died months apart from each other.
That kind of loss changes you. It ages you. It forces you to confront mortality in ways you never wanted to.
And The Clipse put all of that into their music.
The song isn’t just sad. It’s not just reflective. It’s a raw excavation of grief, gratitude, and everything in between.
When you lose both parents in quick succession, the world tilts. Nothing feels stable anymore. And you can hear that instability in the production, in the delivery, in the pauses between the words.
This is what happens when artists stop trying to prove something and start trying to express something. The difference is everything.
Virginia Beach’s Finest
Pusha T and Malice have been representing Virginia Beach for decades. They put their city on the map in ways that few artists ever do for their hometowns.
But what’s remarkable about their latest work is how they’ve matured without losing their edge. They haven’t gone soft. They haven’t started making music for people who don’t understand hip hop.
They’ve deepened. That’s different.
The Virginia Beach grit is still there. The street knowledge. The unflinching observations about life, death, and what it takes to survive.
But now it’s filtered through the wisdom that only comes from living. From losing. From rebuilding.
The “Young Man’s Game” Myth
People love to say that hip hop is a young man’s game. That if you’re not popping by 25, you’ve missed your window. That the industry has no room for veterans.
The Clipse obliterated that myth with Let God Sort ‘Em Out.
Yes, Pusha T is in his late 40s. Yes, Malice is in his early 50s. And yes, they created an album that’s as strong—and stronger—than most rap albums released in 2025.
Age didn’t slow them down. Experience sharpened them.
Their flows are more precise now. Their word choices more deliberate. Their concepts more fully realized.
Young rappers have energy. Veterans have mastery. And The Clipse demonstrated that mastery can create art that energy alone never could.
The Vatican Performance: A Full Circle Moment
This year, The Clipse performed at the Vatican. Read that again. The Vatican.
No other hip hop group had ever done that before. This was historic.
For Malice, this was especially significant. He had once stopped rapping because of his faith. He struggled with whether he could be both a believer and an artist in a genre often at odds with religious values.
To return to rapping. To pay tribute to his parents. To do it at arguably the most religious place on earth.
That’s full circle. That’s redemption. That’s the universe saying “yes, you can be all of who you are.”
The symbolism wasn’t lost on anyone paying attention. Here was a man who walked away from his craft for his faith, now welcomed into the heart of that faith while practicing his craft.
Beautiful doesn’t even begin to cover it.
The Inevitable Criticism
Of course, there were detractors. There always are.
Some viewers of my videos claimed the Vatican was “stealing souls” during The Clipse’s performance. They offered no proof. Just vague accusations and conspiracy theories.
Others slammed the Vatican’s history. They brought up allegations about what happened underneath the floors. Things I’m not too familiar with, honestly.
But here’s what I noticed: none of this criticism was actually about The Clipse. It was about people’s feelings about institutions. About religion. About things that have nothing to do with two brothers honoring their parents through music.
The performance happened. It was powerful. It was meaningful. And no amount of sidebar controversy changes that.
The Lyricism That Sets Them Apart
Let’s talk about the bars. Because at the end of the day, that’s what matters in hip hop.
The Clipse brought talent and precision to every track on this album. These aren’t generic verses. These aren’t recycled metaphors or predictable rhyme schemes.
This is sharp, specific, intentional writing.
You can hear the hours they put in. The revisions. The craft.
When you’re young, you can get away with raw talent. Energy carries you. Your youth itself is part of the appeal.
But when you’re a veteran? You have to be undeniable. You have to prove that you still have something to say and the skill to say it better than anyone else.
The Clipse did exactly that.
Every verse is purposeful. Every bar is earned. Every song feels like it had to exist.
Pharrell’s Production Genius
Super producer Pharrell produced Let God Sort ‘Em Out. And we absolutely appreciate his genius.
The production is immaculate. The beats are innovative without being distracting. The soundscapes support the lyrics without overwhelming them.
Pharrell created the perfect canvas for The Clipse to paint on.
But here’s what’s crucial to understand: Pharrell didn’t write those rhymes.
On God.
Yes, production matters. Yes, beats elevate songs. Yes, Pharrell’s contribution is significant.
But those words? That wordplay? Those stories and metaphors and emotional depths?
That’s all Pusha T and Malice.
Don’t get it twisted. This album works because of the synergy. But give credit where credit is due. The Clipse wrote their way into Grammy consideration.
Life-Changing, Motivational, Inspirational
I don’t use those words lightly. But Let God Sort ‘Em Out truly is life-changing.
It’s motivational because it shows what’s possible when you refuse to age out of your passion.
It’s inspirational because it demonstrates that loss can fuel art rather than end it.
And it’s life-changing because it challenges everything we’ve been told about who gets to succeed in music and when.
This album speaks to generations of hip hop lovers. It tells them to dig deep. To keep getting better. To never accept that your best work is behind you.
The Clipse could have coasted on their legacy. They could have done a nostalgia tour and called it a career.
Instead, they created something that stands alongside—and often surpasses—the work of artists half their age.
That’s not just impressive. That’s instructive.
You Don’t Have to Fall Off
This is the core message I want readers to take from my Clipse videos and from this article.
You don’t have to fall off.
People will tell you that you’re too old. That your time has passed. That you should step aside for the next generation.
Ignore them.
What you need to do is hone your craft. Keep being productive. Keep studying. Keep improving.
The Clipse didn’t maintain their level. They elevated it.
They got better lyrics. Sharper concepts. Deeper emotional resonance.
Age wasn’t their enemy. Complacency would have been. But they never got complacent.
The Grammy Case: Five Nominations
Let God Sort ‘Em Out isn’t just up for a Grammy this year. The Clipse received five nominations. Five.
Let that sink in.
Album of the Year. Best Rap Album for Let God Sort ‘Em Out. Best Rap Performance for “Whips and Chains.” Best Rap Song for “The Birds Don’t Sing.” And Best Music Video for “So Be It.”
Five nominations for artists in their late 40s and early 50s. Five nominations in a “young man’s game.”
That’s not luck. That’s mastery being recognized.
And here’s where I stand: I will only be satisfied if they win at least four of the five.
I’m willing to let someone else have Best Music Video. Fine. That category is subjective anyway. Visuals are important, but they’re not what The Clipse do best.
But the other four? Those should be theirs.
Album of the Year should be theirs because Let God Sort ‘Em Out is the most complete, emotionally resonant album of 2025.
Best Rap Album should be theirs because no other rap album this year matched their lyrical precision and thematic depth.
Best Rap Performance for “Whips and Chains” should be theirs because the technical execution is flawless.
And Best Rap Song for “The Birds Don’t Sing” should absolutely be theirs. That song is a tribute to their parents. It’s personal. It’s powerful. It’s the kind of songwriting that transcends genre.
Four out of five. That’s my expectation. Anything less would be the Recording Academy missing the point entirely.
What We Can Learn
The Clipse’s journey with this album teaches us several things:
First, mastery takes time. You can’t rush depth. You can’t fake wisdom.
Second, loss can be transformed into art. Grief doesn’t have to end your creativity. It can fuel it.
Third, faith and artistry can coexist. Malice proved that you don’t have to choose between your beliefs and your craft.
Fourth, age is irrelevant if the work is excellent. The market doesn’t care about your birthday if you’re delivering quality.
And fifth, there’s always room for one more great album. The industry isn’t full. There’s space for anyone willing to do the work.
Keep Getting Better
The Clipse could have given us a decent album. Something fans would appreciate out of loyalty. Something that would get a few plays and then fade.
Instead, they gave us a masterpiece. They gave us their grief, their growth, their absolute best.
And in doing so, they showed every artist watching that the game isn’t over until you decide it is.
Your 20s don’t define your potential. Your 30s don’t limit your creativity. Your 40s and 50s? Those can be your most powerful years if you let them.
But you have to do the work. You have to keep honing your craft. You have to stay productive.
You have to refuse to fall off.
My Vote Is Cast
This article is my official Grammy vote for The Clipse and Let God Sort ‘Em Out.
Not just because they’re veterans who deserve recognition. Not just because the album is technically proficient.
But because it’s life-changing. Because it’s motivational. Because it’s inspirational.
Because it tells generations of hip hop music lovers—and really, anyone pursuing any dream—to dig deep and keep getting better.
The Clipse did that. They dug deep. They got better. They created something that will outlast the moment.
And I love them for that.
Virginia Beach raised them right. Their parents would be proud. And hip hop is better because they refused to let age define their potential.
Let God Sort ‘Em Out isn’t just an album. It’s a testament to what’s possible when talent meets experience, when grief meets purpose, and when artists refuse to believe that their story is over.
The Clipse proved you don’t have to fall off. You just have to keep going.
On God.
