Let God Sort Em Out: 10 out of 10

   From a personal and professional perspective, the last 7 days have been eventful, exciting, and fun.  But, of the excitement I have experienced the past week, listening to Let God Sort Em Out (“LGSEO”) by the Clipse made my week even better.  If you know me well or not so well, you know I love hip hop music.  I love lyricism, top tier production and beat selection, creativity, and all things “hip hop.”  LGSEO is a masterclass in the core components of hip hop, and then some.  This album will send you on a roller coaster with respect to emotion, feelings and actions.  You might cry, laugh, make the ugly face we make when a lyric is incredible, dance, hit the repeat button, etc.  So, be prepared.

 

Besides the amazing art on display on LGSEO, this album also represents a comeback story of sorts.  This comeback feels like when Rocky Balboa conquered Ivan Drago after Drago killed his friend, Apollo Creed.  If you have followed the Clipse, you know they have not released an album since 2009. Where were you in 2009?  I was in my first year of law school.   I am now 14 years into my legal career.  During the hiatus, Pusha T dropped solo projects—some of which I believe are very good.  And, I think you can see his growth as an emcee during that period, which culminated in his performance on LGSEO. 

 

LGSEO also serves as a reunion of Skateboard P. a.k.a. Pharrell Williams and the Clipse.  And, to take it a step further, it reunites the three Virginia artists, which is great for music and for the State of Virginia.  I am a huge fan of one producer locking in with a group or emcee to create a masterpiece (also, see RZA and Wu Tang Clan and D.J. Primo and Guru).  Recently, we witnessed Nas and Hitboy connect on several highly acclaimed albums. And although this is not a new approach, I do believe it is underutilized in the era where artists love to secure production from many different producers on a project. 

 

This album also serves as a reintroduction of No Malice—an emcee who has been away from the game for a long time.  I have seen emcees (Mase), and athletes (Michael Jordan) retire in the peak of their respective careers.  In the case of M.J., he came back to the game of basketball and won three NBA Championships.  But, in the case of Mase, who was very much a superstar when he retired, his return to the hip hop game was not as well received.  And, to be honest, the “it” factor he had before his retirement had dissipated.  Which brings us to No Malice.  When I say this emcee returned to the game showing no signs of rust, I mean it.  And, despite the strides Pusha T. made as an emcee, No Malice showed why he is the big brother and the superior emcee (despite years and years of not releasing any music). 

 

The rollout for LGSEO is one for the books.  I cannot recall an album being released with such a precise plan.  And, the execution of said plan has been immaculate.  With LGSEO, the Clipse went on one of the most elaborate album rollouts I have maybe ever seen.  I remember first hearing that the Clipse were dropping an album.  For me, that was enough to spark my interest.  But, then, they went on a historic press run.  I remember hearing “Ace Trumpets” for the first time, which I thought was a really good song.  Then, they released “So Be It” but they did not immediately release it on Apple Music.  So, and I’m a little embarrassed to say that I was riding in my car listening to the song on YouTube.  And I mean I played it so many times within the first 48 hours of hearing it that I had basically memorized the words.  The beat on that song is magnetic.  But, the lyrical marksmanship of both Push and Malice were impeccable.  They rolled out singles with music videos, they sat for interviews, and were guests on podcasts and even pulled off a Tiny Desk Performance and an appearance on the ESPY Awards.  They left no stone unturned in their comeback story.  It was an immaculate rollout.

 

In another era of hip hop, features were a large part of the allure of an album.  And, sometimes, the absence of features was also part of the large landscape (e.g. Blueprint Album by Jay-Z and Illmatic by Nas).  Well, this album did not disappoint in the world of features.  The album boasts features from some of the biggest names in the history of hip hop, including Nas and Kendrick Lamar (and to a much lesser extent, Tyler the Creator and Stove God Cooks).  Nonetheless, I think the Clipse struck a proper balance of allowing others to get verses, while not allowing their album to feel like a compilation album.  It is imminently clear that LGSEO is a Clipse album.

 

There are very few songs in hip hop history that have ever moved me to tears.  I’d say Tupac’s song “Dear Mama” is another song on that short list.  But, the Clipse song, “The Birds Don’t Sing,” is one of the most direct, transparent and relatable songs I’ve heard in all of my years of listening to music.  In the first verse, Push talks about the death of his mother and how he still feels like he did not handle the events leading to her death in the best way.  Then, in the second verse, Malice talks about how great of a father he had and how he was the person who found his dad (and mom) once they passed away.  If you have parents, or a parent, this song is going to evoke some emotion.  It is a brilliant song.

 

“F.I.C.O” is probably, at this moment, my favorite song on the album.  Per usual, Push opened the song up with his verse over an ominous beat.  And, per usual, he came out talking that talk “niggas double crossing talk behind your back, see, that’s where the knife go, I guess they wasn’t fuckin with us.”  Then he touched on addiction and how addicts will always choose the drug or other addictive habit over love.  He rapped” when you young, you realize that you can’t trust a mouth where the pipe go, they tried, but couldn’t love you enough…”  And when I thought Push had finally out rhymed Malice on a track, Malice dropped his verse.  And, let’s just say I spoke too soon.  On his coke rap shit, he rapped “my brick walk was second to none, I would have them take a number like DMV, that was the baseline, checkout on register one…”  Then, he dropped a reference to the Wire that was on brand for the song “When it come down to it, every Stringer Bell just needs an Avon who won’t sweep it under the rug…”

 

When I think about my favorite emcees, I can recall verses or bars that stand the test of time.  In many cases, these bars have multiple meanings.  As an example, on Jay-Z’s song Can I live, he rapped “ I keep my head , both of them, where they supposed to be, hoes’ll get you sidetracked, then clapped from close feet” or “I’d rather die enormous than live dormant, that’s how we on it. . .”  There are plenty of standout bars on this album.  On a song “So Far Ahead,” Malice rapped “the grass is greener on each side/I done been both Mason Bethas/I done been at both intersections/I done pulled Ocean 11s/Even when the well ran dry/I done raised quotas in the desert.”  On “M.T.B.T.T.F,” Malice rapped “Took chains and touched change like King Midas/ Imitation is flattery, they seem like us/But only 300 bricks can make you Leonidas/my old plug asked the new plug to reunite us/D class in my ears now let me see you bite it.”  And, on the song “F.I.C.O.,” Push rapped “if you’re re-upping with us then your credit score gotta be F.I.C.O/I’m  talkin 850 or bust.”   And on “P.O.V.,” Malice rapped “I done sung along with rappers I never believed/Came back for the money, that’s the Devil in me/Had to hide it from the church, that’s the Jekyll in me/I never thought twice what the pressure would be/ ‘Cause niggas’ chains look just like oppression to me.”

 

All in all, LGSEO is the best album I have heard in 2025 (literally, a 10 out of 10), and it is not even close.  I am always going to root for the underdog, and I believe the Clipse play that role if for no other reason than they have not released an album in 15 years.  And, in looking at social media and browsing articles discussing the album, the hip hop community is supporting this album.  I would love to see them win hip hop album of the year.  In the old days of the Source magazine, LGSEO is a five-mic album.  If you have not heard it, you should listen to the album ASAP.

 

Peace

 

 

  

Every Ghetto - A Hip-Hop Masterpiece

I have not posted a blog post in quite some time.  But, I was scrolling social media this morning when I came across a post asking what is your favorite Nas verse.  I immediately thought about Nas’ second verse from his song titled “Every Ghetto” from his 2001 classic, Stillmatic.  It is one of the best verses I have ever heard.

I’ve been listening to hip hop for as long as I can remember.  And, I would be lying if I said I marveled at the verse when I heard it in 2001.  But, hear me out: at the time Stillmatic was released, Jay-Z (my favorite emcee of all time) and Nas were embroiled in a highly publicized rap battle (Not to be confused with a rap beef like what Biggie and Tupac had). To be honest, I was rooting for Jay-Z to win the battle.  So, I was not looking to give any brownie points to Nas.  Consequently, I was not locked in on Nas’ lyrical prowess the way that I should have been (blame it on my youth).  It was not that I did not listen to Nas’ music, but I can say that, at that time, I believed that Nas was an incredible emcee, but that he did not have the best ear for beat selection.  And, this opinion likely diverted my attention from truly listening with an open mind. 

 

I’d say over the past 5 years or so (those COVID years allowed so much time for self-reflection and introspection), as Nas has continued releasing albums, I have focused on taking a deeper dive into his music—and particularly the lyrics (as opposed to skipping a song or breezing through it because I did not love the beat selection accompanying the song).  What I confirmed is a fact that I have always known and that is that Nas is maybe the most lyrically gifted emcee in the history of music.  Sure, there are other emcees who are lyrical savants, e.g. Black Thought, Mos Def (Yasin Bey), Andre 3000 and others.  Unequivocally, Nas has some of the most outstanding verses I have ever heard.  Just to name a few: 1) His verse on Self Conscious featuring Prodigy; 2) his verse on Verbal Intercourse featuring Raekwon; 3) his verses on Rewind; and 4) his verses on I Gave You Power. 

 

But, today’s reaction piece is dedicated to Nas’ second verse on a song titled “Every Ghetto.” 

 

The verse:

My skin is a art gallery, right with paintings of crucifixes
Hopin' to save me from all the dangers in the music business
Was once a young gangsta hangin' with youth offenders
But since I tasted paper it started losin' the friendships

Watchin' kids freeze in winters, they still poor
How could I tease them with Benz's and feel no remorse?
Drivin' past them in the lively fashion, diamond colors clashin'
Red stones, blue stones, red bones and black ones
Fuck did I expect with bucket seats in a lex
And spendin' time in chuckie cheese with little des

Got guns when I'm with my daughter
Hate to bring a violent aura in her presence
She knows what Daddy taught her, it's lessons
Black princess it's a ugly world

I put my life up for yours, see I love that girl
Could you believe even my shadow's jealous?
My skin is mad at my flesh, my flesh hates my own bones
My brain hates my heart, my heart makes the songs
Though my songs come from the father
I'm lonely, hold me, it's gettin' darker

 

My Reaction:

 

Sometimes, you hear a song, but the title is incongruent with the substance of the song.  This happens quite often.  But, here, the song title and lyrics flow together seamlessly.  If you have not listened to the song, I’d suggest that you do so.  But, the song is about situations that happen on a daily basis in “hoods” all across the world.  Whether you are from the hood in North Carolina, or the hood in California, or New York, or Alabama, it is all the same shit.  Themes of jealousy, crabs-in-the-barrel, violence, religion are at the forefront. 

 

The first stanza he raps about his tattoos and how he thought his religious tattoos would save him from all the dangers in the music business.  This is interesting because religious tattoos and Jesus pieces are a staple in hip hop (and religion is a staple in hoods because it gives people something to believe in). But, regardless of the tattoos, there is no escaping the perils of the music business—even for a star at the level of Nas. He also rapped about a theme of jealousy, which is prevalent in hip hop music.  The theme of obtaining money, while simultaneously losing friends is nothing new.  BIG said it best: “Mo Money; Mo Problems.”  If you take it a step further, he is talking about the crabs-in-the-barrel mentality that is prevalent in the hood. 

 

The second stanza Nas shows empathy for people who are poor and do not have an abundance of resources (whether financial or other types of resources).  And when you think about it, this is basically most people who live in hoods across the globe.  He rapped about how they must feel when they see him (or really any person with money or perceived to have money) driving in a luxury car while wearing expensive jewelry while they are freezing in cold weather because they do not have adequate clothing.  This juxtaposition is startling.  The idea of a person starving but seeing another person who he can literally touch having seemingly everything is quite a depiction of the harsh realities of life.  He acknowledged how he understands how these people could be envious of him and his daughter—who is innocent, but the beneficiary of Nas’ wealth.  How many folks can relate to this?  How many people have overcome harsh circumstances to make it out of the hood only for family members or other people to hate them and their kids just because they possessed the ability to overcome their circumstances?  Again, it happens every day in every ghetto.  

 

The third stanza Nas raps about carrying a gun when he is with his daughter.  He hated bringing a violent aura into her presence but he loves her.  This stanza is all about being a father and knowing that there are forces in the world that may want to do harm to your child because of your choices or for no reason at all.  But, either way, he was saying that he is going to protect his daughter at all costs because its an “ugly world.”  When I heard this verse in 2001, I did not have a child.  But, hearing it in 2025 as I have a young son, this stanza resonates with me. 

 

The last stanza is probably the most mind blowing from a lyrical perspective.  He doubled down on his love for his child and how he would give his own life to save hers.  Then he compares the hate and jealousy in the world to relationships inside of his body.  Then, he goes into an in depth explanation of jealousy and even breaks it down in terms that I have never even considered.  He said his shadow was jealous of him and that his brain hates his heart.  I think he used these comparisons to illustrate how crazy and illogical a hating spirit can truly be.  And, he ended it by referring back to the “Father” who I believe is God.  So, he brought all the themes together.  This verse is a masterclass in emceeing.

 

If you have not listened to this song, I hope I have convinced you to do so. 

 

Peace