Clipse, the return: a church deconsecrated between the ruins

Over the past sixteen years, clipse have experienced an self -imposed exile. Shortly after the release of the Duo album in 2009 “Til the Casket Drops”, the two brothers Pusha T and Malice silently abandoned the groupunder the pressure of a federal investigation that would bring their former manager to a 32 -year sentence for drug trafficking. In the following years, the rumors about one of their return multiplied, but only in 2019 the two gathered primarily for the album “Jesus is King” by Kanye West. “Let The Lord Sort Ema Out” is their new record produced by the longtime collaborator and mentor Pharrell Williamswho returns in the role of producer of the album after breaking up with his collaborator of Neptunes Chad Hugo, with whom he had sculpted The hypnotic sound of the clips.

Let’s start by saying that the productions are of excellent workmanship, the disc is compact and well packaged: elegant but not too combed, full of details and imbued with a sort of spirituality that makes the voices of pusha t and malice of the rap prayers of redemption. Pharrell is very skilled in placing the disc in a sort of sumptuousness, without however expanding in mannerism. It is a clipse project, it must therefore be hard, direct, without frills, but not for this sloppy. “Let the lord sort em out” emanates dark atmospheres sold by sudden lights, there are both acid sounds and more pop gushes, But its limit is in not having innovative, gritty, surprising beat hip-hops. Pusha T reports the old swallower in vogue while Malice is more complex and reflective. The two seem to rap in the ruins of a world that is no longer there, between street life, disenchantment and reflections on existence. There is a journey through the folds of a route, closed and past, which is that in world of drug dealingin addition to a more reflective jump, more situations, on the death of parents. It is a continuous ping-pong between high and bass, between heaven and asphalt.

It is not a split album, on the contrary it is imbued with pain and personal mythology, but in very few cases it is really disruptive. The wow effect is missing, the scratchy surprise is missing. “Let the Lord Sort Em Out” slips very well to listening, but does not corrode, it does not spread. “Chains & Whips”, “POV”, the beautiful “The Birds Don’t Sing”, “So Be It”, “Let God Sort Em Out/Chandeliers” are among the best tracks. Ab-Liva (of the parallel project of the re-up gang clips), John Legend, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Stove Cooks, The-Treame, Tyler, The Creator and the Voices of Fire Choir, in addition to collaborators Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonderbring their world, continue their personal stories and add interesting ingredients. They are high -sounding guests, who do their part. “Let God Sort Em Out” had all the credentials to be a manual to save the soul after a dissolute and suffered lifea definitive coronation of a magical duo. And at times it is, the album does not disappoint lovers of the genre. But the wings are missingthose that allow albums to fly above all and everyone to stay over time.