Pusha T and Malice are true MCs.
Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out Tour is in full swing, and the first of two stops in New York City was last night (Aug. 7) at Terminal 5. As annoying as that venue could be, the energy in the building more than made up for it. The place was buzzing as fans waited for the duo to hit the stage after opener EarthGang, and the place exploded as soon as the “Chains & Whips” beat came on. They then followed that up with “POV” and “Popular Demand” as the crowd rapped along to every word.
I was expecting more guest appearances, like maybe Jada and Styles for “I’m Not You” or Fabolous for his feature on “Comedy Central” that never gets talked about enough, but unfortunately they didn’t perform these songs. They also didn’t do “Virginia” which also a bit disappointing. All in all, their set lasted about an hour and I was home before midnight, so I can’t really complain, especially because the show they put on was damn near flawless.
They controlled the crowd like the masters of ceremony that they are, and had the audience losing it with each needle drop. After I left the show, I thought to myself that they might have another classic under their belt with Let God Sort Em Out.
Certain albums represent a moment in time and this may be one of them, especially when you consider all of the factors in play — the impeccable rollout, Push’s Travis diss on “So Be It,” the Stove God Cooks feature, the chart success the album has had so far, Malice blacking out on every song as he makes his triumphant return to the group, and the hip-hop community’s overwhelmingly positive response. That may be another conversation for another day, though.
Until then, here are the 7 best moments from the Clipse’s first NYC tour stop.
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Paid in Full
Both Push and Malice wore Sergio Tacchini/Dapper Dan-inspired Louis Vuitton tracksuits like they were AZ and Rich Porter, and they commanded the stage like the blocks that the teenage Harlem kingpins commanded back in the ‘80s. They had on the perfect fits for a rap show in Manhattan.
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The Imagery
One of the other highlights of the night was the collection of images projected onto two big screens behind the duo as they performed. There was a video of a group of kids playing patty cake (I know how it’s spelled but that’s what we call it) as they performed their signature song “Grindin’,” and courtroom footage of O.J. Simpson trying on gloves while they performed “So Be It.” The screens worked as sort of a moodboard as they ran through their catalog, new and old, and added to the overall vibe of their performance.
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The Guy in the Corner Rolling Up
I want to salute the guy I noticed on the other side of the venue who was in the cut enjoying the show by himself as he rolled up some weed and rapped along to “So Be It,” as if he was the one performing. My man was looking down on the stage and waving around rap hands as he took breaks between building his blunt. That’s what a good live show is all about — and that was probably one of the more satisfying joints that dude has smoked in a long time.
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The Last Verse of “So Be It”
I think hearing a venue packed to the brim rapping that Travis Scott diss word for word at the top of their lungs is insane. Imagine a crowd of people shouting, “You cried in front of me, you died in front of me” and it’s about you? I would be sick to my stomach. The audience was rapping that verse like it’s been out for years. No matter what, Travis won’t be able to win this battle. He needs to just let bygones be bygones at this point.
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Stove God Cooks
When “FICO” dropped, the stage turned red and the two large screens onstage projected red numbers mimicking a stock market ticker, but it wasn’t until it was time for the hook that the crowd started to lose it. That’s because they brought their only guest of the night out in Stove God Cooks. The Griselda affiliate received one of the biggest pops of the night — it was like hearing “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s glass shatter in the middle of a match.
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“The Birds Don’t Sing”
Things slowed down when they performed “The Birds Don’t Sing” featuring John Legend, as images of their late parents and family were projected in the background. And when it was over the crowd gave them and their parents a heartfelt round of applause that made me a bit verklempt, I can’t even front. I also was reminded that both brothers were born in the Bronx because their father had on Giants gear and an FDNY hat in some of the photos.
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The Crowd
The crowd was the best thing about the Clipse show: the energy in there was incredible, and you felt it as soon as you walked in. Everyone knew every word to every song, even the just-released ones. I honestly thought the crowd was going to lean a bit older, but it was more diverse than I expected. People of all ages, races, creeds and backgrounds were in the building, and Clipse had them in the palm of their hands.
