Pusha T suggests Def Jam’s issue with Kendrick Lamar’s verse on the Clipse album is rooted in the legal issues surrounding “Not Like Us”

American hip-hop duo Clipse, consisting of Gene "Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton, recently appeared on The Bootleg Kev Podcast and opened up about their return to music.

According to Hot New Hip Hop, the two recently dropped their first album, titled Let God Sort Em Out, on July 11, 2025, after 15 years. The album features musicians including Nas, Tyler The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, and more.

Notably, as per the news outlet, Def Jam and UMG, their parent company, sought to dismiss the Not Like Us singer’s feature of Chains & Whips, considering Kendrick Lamar and Pusha’s beef history with Drake.

In a YouTube video shared on July 13, 2025, the host of The Bootleg Kev Podcast asked about the alleged controversy surrounding Kendrick Lamar’s feature on their album, Let God Sort Em Out.

“I don't think it's about the verse per se. I think it's just about the optics… Basically, I feel like that's how they looked at it with all the lawsuit stuff going on. And then you have misinterpretations of or people just not knowing and just walking on eggshells around that whole situation I believe,” Pusha said.

When asked if Kendrick Lamar’s verse on their album has connections to the legal issues surrounding his 2024 release of Not Like Us, Malice said:

“I think that's a narrative that needs to die also because you know Kendrick is out here setting precedents. You know he has his own movement, breaking records and to think that he needs to or that we need to or start some coalition and teaming up. I don't even like the sound of that. You can't undermine what he's doing.”

In the video, Pusha T’s brother Malice backed Kendrick Lamar. Naming the American rapper and singer, a top-tier “lyricist”, Malice admitted that he is the “perfect match” for the album.

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Kendrick Lamar’s contribution to Pusha T and Malice’s new album explored

In an interview published on June 2, 2025, with GQ, the Thornton brothers opened up about how they fought with Def Jam to keep Kendrick Lamar’s guest verse on their song Chains & Whips.

“They wanted me to ask Kendrick to censor his verse, which of course I was never doing… And then they wanted me to take the record off. And so, after a month of not doing it, Steve Gawley, the lawyer over there, was like, ‘We'll just drop the Clipse.’ But that can't work because I'm still there [solo]. But [if] you let us all go…,” said Pusha.

Notably, Clipse, formed of Malice and Pusha T, were dropped from the label Def Jam. Pusha was also released as a solo artist.

The 48-year-old American rapper, who had a complete album and more music with them, said he felt “good” when other labels pursued his music.

“It felt good to even see how other labels were buying for the project.”

Meanwhile, as per GQ, the two eventually joined Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. Talking about their new partnership, Pusha teased the news organization that “synergy, just in a rap sense, is going to speak volumes.”

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According to Billboard, Pusha T and Drake have been subbing and dissing each other since 2011. Their diss era reportedly consisted of Drake releasing Duppy Freestyle in 2018 and Pusha T answering it with Story of Adidion.

Edited by Prem Deshpande