This Is Culturally Inappropriate: A Review of The Clipse’s 4th Studio Album

The Clipse 4th studio album : Let God Sort Em Out

This was a release I’d been looking forward to all month. The Clipse is back with their fourth studio album. Never thought I’d see the day—but here we are. If you’re a fan of genuine hip-hop like me, you know this is huge for the culture. I remember when the duo—two brothers from VA—somewhat went their separate ways. One-half of the group stepped away from the secular spotlight and leaned fully into his spiritual journey.

“I’ve done both Mason Bethas.” — Malice (on So Far Ahead)

That line hit hard—spoken from a man who’s lived both sides of this industry, and this life.

The Clipse pose together in coordinated outfits for a promotional photo celebrating their new album release.

Let’s Get Into the Record:

This album features some of the biggest heavy hitters in the industry right now: Kendrick Lamar, The-Dream, Stove God Cooks, Tyler, The Creator, Nas, and none other than Mr. Happy himself, Pharrell.

It opens with an audio letter that sounds like it’s meant for the parents of Pusha T and Malice. As someone who’s recently experienced the loss of a parent, I appreciated this being at the top of the album—not the end—where tributes usually go. It felt intentional. It felt real.

The first full track, Chains & Whips featuring Kendrick, sets the tone right away. Bars are flying one minute in, and I immediately knew what kind of album this was going to be. Kendrick raps that hip-hop is “dead again,” and this album feels like resuscitation. This is for the heads. A no-skips experience. As I’m writing this, I’ve already run it back twice on my Dre Beats.

Although they released Ace Trumpets as the single, I keep coming back to it. Again. And again.

The Return of Real Bars:

To me, hip-hop took a different turn around the mid-2000s. What I call “The Drake Era”—everything got more melodic and rhythmic (yes, I know that’s not technically a word, but you feel me). I’ve been itching for bars. Cadence. Drum kicks_ that hit like they used to.

So I was ecstatic to hear Stove God Cooks doing that signature “cocaine crooning” on F.I.C.O. Anything out of the Griselda camp has my attention—it brings me back to the gritty, 90s rap I grew up loving.

The track P.O.V. featuring Tyler, The Creator? Whew. Let me tell you something—if Tyler don’t do anything else, he’s going to slide on a beat and demand silence from everyone else in the room. You can hear how much of a Clipse fan he is. He left nothing on the table. Honestly? Top 5 Tyler verse for me.

Then there’s Let God Sort Em Out/Chandeliers featuring Nas. Classic Nas. Comes in with that calm-but-deadly flow and adds exactly what the track needs.

The Takeaway:

Nobody lost it—from old school to new school.

• ✅ The budget was there.

• ✅ The bars were there.

• ✅ The production? Phenomenal.

It’s proof that real hip-hop albums still exist—when the intention is there.

Chart-wise, I’m curious to see how this performs. It won’t ease Drake’s pain—or Travis Scott’s, for that matter. (There’s even a little Easter egg referencing him.)

Pharrell and Clipse gather on a rooftop as the sun sets, previewing their new track "Let God Sort 'Em Out."

Let’s Talk Rollout:

The rollout was flawless.

• Dropped singles with precision

• Teased Kendrick’s verse

• Pharrell pulling up with sneak peeks and moodboards

As someone who interned during the golden era of Southern hip-hop campaigns, I miss a good, slow burn. I know we’re in the “surprise drop at midnight” era, but this brought me back to when anticipation mattered.

And as if that wasn’t enough? They dropped a Tiny Desk performance. If you know—you know. That “Grindin” beat hit like it was the lunchroom all over again.

Run this album top to bottom. Let it breathe. Let it live in your speakers all weekend.

I’ve included the project below via Spotify.

I’m rating this a strong 9/10.

Now go listen—and tell me what you think.