Clipse’s ‘Let God Sort Em Out’: All 13 Tracks Ranked

Hearing John Legend and the Voices of Fire soar over Pharrell’s haunting keys is an exciting moment, especially because the listener knows even more grandiose moments are to come. Fans will also notice the brother’s honoring their mother’s memory after having apologized for their sinful mistakes on 2006’s “Momma I’m So Sorry.” This through line is exciting, and seeing Clipse tap into emotional catharsis is a fitting introduction to new, refined era for the group. But even better, grimier songs await. “The Birds Don’t Sing” just doesn’t feel like a classic Clipse anthem because of its pop-leaning schematics, so it doesn’t leave as much of a lasting impact as the album’s other highlights.

Similar to the album’s intro, closer “By The Grace of God” packs one last punch, and Pharrell’s hook-game has never been stronger — but the grandiose nature of the album’s final track doesn’t leave as much residue as it should. For a track with a choir as potent as this, exploring themes of faith and “empires” crumbling should leave a heavier impact. Instead it comes and goes almost like a gentle breeze.

Truthfully, “So Far Ahead” feels like “By The Grace of God” part 1, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Letting “God take the wheel like a Tesla” is sound advice, after all. Yet with an album stuffed with so much variety, it’s noticeable when two songs feel inextricably tied together. But it’s nice to hear Malice elaborate on his pull towards faith-based music over these gospel-heavy backdrops. Not to mention, the bar “I’ve been both Mason Bethas” deserves to live in hip-hop infamy forever.

Even though “EBITDA” was over in the blink of an eye, I found myself humming Push’s hook long after it ended. But that’s thing: This song is too catchy to be this short. Offering a playful take on financial jargon, “EBITDA” would be ranked higher if Pharrell and Clipse traded just a few more bars for a few more minutes. Doesn’t mean I won’t run it back a hundred times though.

“Mike Tyson Blow to the Face” is an unreal song title. “Took chains and touched chains like King Midas” is just one of the few unreal bars packed in said song, all of which culminates in a motivational chest-beating. “MTBTTF” is a boisterous track filled with far more swagger than its 2:30 runtime allows it to show off, and it feels like it ends before it truly begins. It’s a shame Clipse didn’t let this masterful concept breathe for a just little bit longer.

It wouldn’t be a Clipse album without a barrage of bars reminding the opps while they’re still on top. “Finally got the courage but you still a whole b—h/ The rest of y’all on my six-year-ago s—t,” are just a few of the great braggadocious rhymes on here. When Nas comes in, it adds yet another layer of mafioso sophistication to the track — just would have been nice if he stuck around for more bars, but those bars sure are swanky. “Single-handedly boosted rap to its truest place/ F—k speaking candidly, I alone did rejuvenate/ Hip-hop into its newest place.”

“Ace Trumpets” was a perfect choice for this album’s lead single. The song seamlessly picks up right where Clipse left off, announcing the duo’s return with a new sheen but the same old polished wordplay. There are so many bars to pick out and adore here (“Drugs killed my teen spirit/ Welcome to Nirvana” will undeniably be a crowd favorite during Clipse’s next shows). As Pharrell’s claustrophobic synths suck the air out of the room, its Clipse’s flawless return to form that creates the goosebumps.

OG Clipse fans will likely get misty-eyed once they hear “Inglorious Bastards.” The song evokes the duo’s immaculate early-2000s run, with DJ Clue popping in for some signature ad-libs, and Ab-Liva closing out the track with some scathing bars. “Inglorious Bastards” feels like a homecoming, with Clipse using the track to dap up its day ones.

After a promising teaser, It was admittedly a little disappointing that Stove God Cooks only appeared on the hook to “FICO” — but this is one hell of a hook. As the brothers reflect on their tumultuous come-up, Stove God Cooks adds a shot of adrenaline to Clipse’s motivational bars. “You don’t know what I know/You ain’t see what I saw,” Cooks cries out, as if he’s standing right in front of you. Altogether, it amounts to an inspiring track about grinding through the mud, and proves it’s almost impossible to have too much Stove God on a track. Even though he’s just on the hook, it feels like Clipse are fighting for their life amidst the God.

Once The-Dream came in and started whispering I knew “All Things Considered” was something special. While Pharrell’s 808s threaten to shatter speakers, the brothers use the backdrop to instead offer up frank and unguarded verses about their subsequent struggles. Push speaks on his wife’s miscarriage, with a quick jab at J-Prince, while Malice reminisces on the events that led to Clipse’s demise 15 years ago. Meanwhile, Pharrell flexes his wealth and The-Dream coos his way through a verse about how “Life or death are simple formalities.” It’s a song that has a surprising amount of whiplash too it, like a great rollercoaster that leaves your joints sore but the rest of you aching to get back on.

The incendiary Travis Scott bars sucked all the air out of the room when “So Be It” dropped a few weeks ago, but this song is bursting at the seams with unbelievable bars. “Your soul don’t like your body, we helped you free it/ Then we wait for TMZ to leak it,” “Wish upon the stars on my roof, they all scattered/ Ain’t no more Neptunes, so P’s Saturn,” “She leanin’ on Celine ’cause she ain’t steppin’ in Giuseppe.” Too many vibes to count, this song is high art.

This whole song feels like one long exhale, as Push and Malice spit venom within a stream of consciousness flow, only to be disrupted by Tyler’s fantastic wordplay. “When you become the Devil or the tap dancing negro/I came to terms that I’ma probably outgrow my heroes,” he raps, perhaps referencing a mutual friend-turned-foe within the group. It’s great having Tyler, The Creator slink back into his sly and mischievous Goblin bag. Still, Clipse fire off plenty of bars to remind Tyler they’re the real kings of being diabolical. “

Ghostface with the wrist, bird falconaire/ Willy Falcon, trunk full of talcum here/ Shotgun wit’ ya ex, feels like Malcolm’s near,” Push growls before Malice struts in to remind hip-hop he was, “the only one to walk away and really be free” after taking his religious path. But then the artist formerly known as No Malice then circles back moments later: “I done sung along with rappers I never believed/Came back for the money, that’s the Devil in me.”

“P.O.V.” felt like a perfect introduction to this new era of Clipse, one where Pusha T is no longer the only proud supervillain — Malice is just a little more pious about it.

“I don’t f—k with the kumbaya s—t” is really the only moment where Clipse gets the wind sucked out of their sails. “Chains & Whips” feels like a pass-the-torch moment in many respects. Sure, there’s the mutual loathing of a certain Canadian crooner bubbling just beneath the surface, but K-Dot’s animated delivery feels like when Doctor Doom and Magneto linked up.

While the duo’s diablerie across the record keep their guests from overshadowing their own menace, it feels like Push and Malice genuinely stepped out of the way for Kendrick. “The things I’ve seen under my eyelids/ Kaleidoscope dreams, murder, and sirens/ Let’s be clear, hip-hop died again,” Kendrick announces, almost like a religious diatribe. “Chains & Whips” is a disorienting track in many ways, especially considering the song cost Clipse their deal with Def Jam. But most importantly: It just sounds really, really good.