Latest news with #LetGodSortEmOut
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pusha T Doesn't Plan to Work With Ye Again: ‘That's Definitely in the Past'
Don't count on a Ye-produced Pusha T track anytime soon. The Clipse sat down with The Guardian recently as the hip-hop duo continues to promote their new Let God Sort Em Out album, and Push was asked directly if he would ever consider working with Ye (formerly Kanye West) again. More from Billboard Ye Says He Misses Pusha T's 'Friendship' After Being Name-Dropped in New Clipse Song Carnie Wilson Pays Tribute to Dad Brian Wilson Following Family Funeral: 'God Knows What We'd Be Without Him' 60th Anniversary of Beatles Show at Shea Stadium to Be Celebrated by New York Mets 'Yeah, that's in the past,' he answered bluntly. 'That's definitely in the past.' Before he was asked that particular question, though, he was asked if he could mention some of the good times they had as members of G.O.O.D. Music. 'Just as a rap aficionado, well, being there was special,' he replied. 'Creating 'So Appalled' and 'New God Flow' were some of my favorite memories. The G.O.O.D. Friday series, that was crazy, too. The albums I dropped during that time, like Daytona and It's Almost Dry, they are very, very strong offerings. It goes without saying that me and Ye made great things together.' Push has distanced himself from Ye in recent years and told GQ that he doesn't think his former collaborator is a man after Ye took to social media and admitted that he missed being friends with him. Later in the interview, the brothers from Virginia were asked about their favorite albums of all time, and the answers Malice gave may surprise some — especially about the music he listens to while working out — while Push took a more rap-centric approach. 'Listen, I love The Killers, I love Red Hot Chili Peppers, even Billy Joel,' Malice said. 'When I work out in the gym, I have Coldplay playing, or U2's The Joshua Tree. It's funny, because when I watched MTV back in the 1980s, David Bowie was always on there. All these years later and Bowie is still at the forefront today. I think that says something about true talent and how it can carry on through the ages. It even outlasts your death.' Pusha added, 'I'm always torn between Mobb Deep's The Infamous, Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, and Biggie's Life After Death. I can drive anywhere in the world with those four albums and I will be happy.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Clipse Had the Most Traditional Album Rollout in Years — And It Worked
In its first week, Clipse's Let God Sort Em Out album accrued 118,000 first-week sales, earning a spot at Number Four on the Billboard 200 — their highest chart debut. Along with its sharp rhymes, the album was praised for its extensive and holistic media rollout, which appeased blog-era rap fans accustomed to the rollouts of the aughts, which often included a great deal of press. They created multiple editorial profiles and conducted a Hot 97 radio premiere for 'So Be It,' which led to a scavenger hunt for its MP3 file — it felt like a return to 2008 in a way that diverged from our current recession and housing crisis. Their press run has been a salvo for rap purists who miss artists talking to actual journalists, not athletes, fellow artists, or streamers who claim to be such while flouting journalistic ethics. Clipse did speak with some content creators and podcasters, but they also connected with trained journalists, exemplifying the ideal balance of casual conversation and thorough interviews. We know Clipse for giving people their fix, and that's what they did for those who miss traditional rap media. It was the most intentional, impeccable rollout that may never happen again: Will we have a story as engrossing as Clipse's, from artists who realize the importance of telling it to journalists? Additionally, it's worth wondering how that kind of access affects people's willingness to be critical. More from Rolling Stone Raekwon Chefs Up Some Raw Classic New York Rap On 'The Emperor's New Clothes' Travis Scott's 'Jackboys 2' Tops Albums Chart Travis Scott Hangs Out With His Amazing Friends on 'Jackboys 2' The leadup started last year, with a conversation with Vulture and a profile in the September 2024 issue of Rolling Stone. They offered two days of access in their hometown of Norfolk, where I got to talk to them for almost five hours over three interviews. Unpublished interview nuggets still periodically pop in my head: talking with them for 20 minutes about Virginia's rich music history, and Pusha telling me that Malice sending him the video for the 2012 Loaded Lux vs. Calicoe rap battle made him realize he was still tapped into the culture. The duo was candid and insightful, understanding the assignment. Malice has dropped two albums since pausing Clipse in 2009, but there's a perception that he's been absent from the rap game since then. People wanted to know what he's been up to, as well as the what and why of his comeback. Years ago, editorial would have been the no-brainer format to explore such a winding saga, but a decline in the popularity (and existence) of traditional media outlets dovetailed with the rise of new media options. Now, an artist can tell their story on a podcast, talk to a streamer, another entertainer, or, in the case of Cam'ron in 2017, simply do an Instagram Live session telling all themselves. Stan culture helps artists on the status of the so-called Big 3 avoid all media, knowing their fans will tap in from their social media pages. Kendrick Lamar does sparse interviews, J. Cole's last print cover was about basketball, and Drake lampooned traditional media with his Her Loss promotion. But those options pale in comparison to talking to a (good) journalist who knows how to ask the right follow-up questions, refrain from previously asked questions, and, when necessary, ask the tough questions. The written feature also contextualizes artists and their legacies in a way that a conversation can't always do. Clipse's story is history. Despite what conservatives think, history is still worth reading. Their story was told in print via Rolling Stone, GQ, and The New York Times, as well as a range of video interviews in the past month. From Complex and Spotify to Jadakiss and Fat Joe, Clipse covered the gamut of popular media, prioritizing fellow hip-hop heads. And the people they didn't talk to got plenty of aggregation material: They delved into their perception of whatever happened with UMG and Def Jam behind Kendrick's verse. Pusha revealed why he dissed Travis Scott, and both talked about their devotion to high-quality hip-hop. But no matter how many Instagram slides we make about the effectiveness of their rollout, it's not a one-size-fits-all approach. This wasn't just about intention, but timing. The gap between finishing the album and releasing it allowed them months to plan promotion. The duo's manager, Steven Victor, was a publicist at Interscope Records before pivoting careers; it's worth wondering how much he helped craft the press run. It helps him that there aren't many acts like them. Clipse are grown men with a lot to talk about: Pusha T has long been one of the most engaging interview subjects in music, and Malice is reminding us that he's one of the most thoughtful. Not many acts can keep fans' interest over a dozen interviews, or carry the respect to have outlets wanting to interview them after they've previously covered so much ground with prior interviews. Clipse are a canonical rap group with two amazing, if not classic, albums in their catalog. They've also been away since the first Obama administration, while Pusha T became an established solo star. Their comeback single, 'Birds Don't Sing,' was one of the most poignant songs they've ever done, and before the album dropped, their other singles showed that they hadn't lost a step. There just aren't many hip-hop stories with the impact and circumstances to capture the rap world's attention in the same way, or artists willing and able to communicate like Clipse can. That's not to say publicists shouldn't look to Clipse's rollout for pointers, but they can't expect their results. What happened this summer, with talented lyricists and talented journalists coming together to strangle hip-hop discourse, feels like a hat tip to a bygone day, when Jay-Z was name-checking 'hottest interviews' as part of the criteria for best rapper, and the road to platinum went through promotion in a print magazine. Since then, the lyricist, like the journalist, is fighting for their life against the lowest common denominator spectacle. The modern rap icon doesn't need to be a lyricist to be a star, nor do they need traditional media. The codes of rhyming that Clipse speak of are as precious as the ethics of journalism, clasped tightly by their advocates, and unappreciated by the unaccustomed. Clipse, intentionally or not, reached an olive branch to a fellow medium besieged by layoffs, streamers, and virtue signalers who don't consume the work they claim they want; it felt like solidarity. We learned, with this rollout, that people don't realize how much they've missed lyricism or journalism until they're reacquainted with them on the highest level. The Clipse rollout has felt like a homecoming party; therefore, anyone who's not festive is perceived as a party pooper. A Pitchfork review ranked the album a 6.5 out of 10, surmising that the album was sharp lyrically but faltered because of Pharrell's presence. Perhaps it was the review's cutting tone that had it roundly condemned online, even though it expressed that the reviewer generally enjoyed the album. It's impossible to know, but it felt like part of the backlash was that a critic had the gall to offer a dissenting opinion on an album that had enjoyed a purely celebratory album cycle; it's worth wondering whether the Clipse's meticulous rollout anticipated engineering the kind of goodwill that would deter people from calling out what they may have disliked on the project. Even during an album credited for reviving traditional media, there was a moment that expressed how much people fundamentally misunderstand the function of music criticism. Despite that hiccup, Clipse's album cycle has shown that traditional hip-hop media can still aid in helping an act properly promote their work, provided the story and timing are right. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Working with Kanye? That's definitely in the past': rap legends Clipse on beef, Bono and Mr Bean
The Birds Don't Sing [from new album Let God Sort Em Out] is an incredibly emotional track, especially for an album opener. What things did your parents say to you that make you proud and have stuck with you over the years? Fran_MMalice: Creating that song was a very emotional time and it cut real deep, but to be able to journal the grief from losing both our parents into a piece of art was also healing. I believe it's a song that is going to resonate with a lot of people, because whether we like it or not, most of us are going to end up outliving our parents. This is something always in the back of your mind, you know? Already, a lot of people are coming up to us on the street and saying: thank you, that song helped me to grieve. The Birds Don't Sing isn't just our story, it's everybody's story. Pusha T: In hindsight I believe my mom was leaving breadcrumbs and doing all these little things in order to let us know she didn't have long left. She was mapping, planning and vocalising specific things before she passed away. It was her way of saying goodbye, you know? It was super important to detail all of that, because it gave me and my brother a sense of peace. Malice: No doubt. In terms of specific things our parents said? Well, you know, my dad always instilled in us the idea that honesty is the best policy! That you have to go through life being as truthful as possible and to always try to show integrity in your character. I remember mom was always big on us truly being brothers and looking out for one another, no matter what. That advice still resonates to this day and with the energy of this album. How did you guys develop your signature diction and wit as writers? MaximFlathMalice: Remember the movie Crooklyn by Spike Lee? The scene where all the brothers and sisters are watching Soul Train and American Bandstand? That was the perfect depiction of how musical our household was. By the time we moved to Virginia, I told my mom I wanted a microphone, a beat machine, a turntable, a Gemini mixer with the reverb on it. My mom literally forced my dad to buy it all for me, because he was much more dismissive at first and said things like: 'Why do you need all that? Rap ain't even gonna be here for that long, son!' Pusha T: Music was always a big part of our upbringing. If I just think about our house then the living room was filled with hundreds of vinyl records from all genres. That was the foundation. You know that I recently found all those records and got them back? Malice: No, I didn't know that. Pusha T: It was literally tons of vinyl. Look: if my parents would argue, someone would go downstairs and put a record on full volume to drown out the noise. Music was always the backdrop and there tended to be cousins dancing in our house. A specific rapping style? I always liked the energy of the old horror movies. Like The Omen and The Exorcist, where a lot of it is based on these eerie conversations and they didn't need special effects to scare you. People think gangster shit is supposed to be loud or obnoxious or ignorant, but to me the most gangster shit in the world is when you're having a really cutting conversation and looking directly into someone's eyes. To be able to embody a coldness without being over the top. Like Tony Soprano might smack somebody up, but the most gangster part is when he's just lucidly speaking to his therapist, you know? My rapping style is a lot like that, too. Malice, you are a man of God and so am I; I'm a woman, actually. I love hip-hop, but sometimes the lyrics, imagery and messaging feels so spiritually off. How do you navigate that as a Christian? LoveFromLagosMalice: The gospel tells us about the war between the spirit and the flesh. It talks about these constant contradictions, and how helpless we all are as long as we are in this flesh. The flesh and the spirit are always at enmity with one another. So, we are all walking contradictions, right? The thing about morality is that you're only good until you're not. It's not supposed to be a juggling act: we all try to do the right thing, but there's going to be circumstances where we fall short. There is part of the scripture from the apostle Paul, who says: 'For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Who will rescue me from this body of death?' It shows that we are all sinners and we all fall short. That's what being human is all about. And Pusha, you've been very candid about how things ended with Kanye's GOOD Music label. While I understand you went through a lot of challenges, can you mention some of the good times? LovefromLagosPusha T: Just as a rap aficionado, well, being there was special! Creating So Appalled and New God Flow were some of my favourite memories. The Good Friday series, that was crazy, too. The albums I dropped during that time, like Daytona and It's Almost Dry, they are very, very strong offerings. It goes without saying that me and Ye made great things together. Do you think there'll ever be another collab between you and Ye? JooooooojPusha T: Yeah, that's in the past. That's definitely in the past. If I diss someone [Pusha T has criticised West in recent years], it's a very real thing to me. I watch other rappers use disses as a gimmick and shit like that, but that ain't what this is for me. There is always a lot of humour and brilliant scene setting in your lyrics. Have you ever thought about writing a screenplay? HhhhssssMalice: Writing a screenplay for a Clipse biopic movie is a must. A lot of people would like to see that film. Right now, we're seeing rappers fall to the federal government or they're losing their lives because of drug addictions and out-of-control egos. But there's a lot to learn from our lives, especially the way me and my brother have navigated the pitfalls of the business and always tried to make the best possible decisions. Who had the best verse on Let God Sort Em Out? BezosofthenasalsPusha T: I don't know if I have a personal favourite verse on the album to be honest, maybe it's my Ace Trumpets verse. I wish I had rapped what Malice said on Mike Tyson Blow to the Face: 'Only 300 bricks can make you Leonidas.' Pusha, I think I saw you performing with Kelis when she supported U2 in 2001. What was your experience of those shows? SharmadelicaPusha T: U2 were so fucking cool, man! I remember it was a super big deal to be touring with them at that time, and it was one of my first real experiences on a big stage. For U2, tour life is about five-star catering; runners who will go grab you whatever you ask for; and random vans that will take you anywhere in the city. These dudes had manicures, pedicures, massages! Touring with U2 seriously fucked up my expectations, bro. Because when you go out and tour for real as a rapper, the reality can be a very gruelling thing. Malice: Wait, hold up, can I share my own Bono interaction? I met him backstage around the time I converted from Malice to No Malice and found God. I remember Bono said to me: 'You have this righteous anger now and you have to go do something with it!' That always stuck with me. It kind of gave me the green light, and what Bono said is always in the back of my mind around not abandoning my convictions. Bono is a good dude. What are each of your favourite albums of all time? FionnmckMalice: Listen, I love the Killers, I love Red Hot Chili Peppers, even Billy Joel! When I work out in the gym, I have Coldplay playing, or U2's The Joshua Tree. It's funny, because when I watched MTV back in the 1980s, David Bowie was always on there. All these years later and Bowie is still at the forefront today. I think that says something about true talent and how it can carry on through the ages. It even outlasts your death. Pusha T: I'm always torn between Mobb Deep's The Infamous, Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, and Biggie's Life After Death. I can drive anywhere in the world with those four albums and I will be happy. Have you watched much British TV/film? If so, what have you liked and why? Jajones7Pusha T: [Loud laughter] Definitely Benny Hill! Benny was running around with women on late night TV! My older brother was always watching him, laughing, and I would sneak in. And what's my other man called … um, Rowan Atkinson? Mr Bean, right? That dude was ill. Do you still write your rhymes? If so, do you prefer handwritten, typing on the phone, or both? Do you have any particular rituals when writing or recording? WzrdwthwrzfMalice: For me it's about building a verse line-by-line throughout the day. It might start off in the shower, continue while I am driving, and then when I get to the studio I put it all together. It is always pen and paper with a pristine notebook. If I mess up on the writing, I am gonna rip out the page and start over. Pusha T: I can only write things down to be honest, because I am a very visual person. I don't know how to do the whole spontaneous freestyle thing, because I am always second guessing myself. I am a perfectionist and so that involves editing a lot. I might come up with a good bar, but I will keep going back to it and working out how to make it fresher. What can we expect from the duo in the future? Is this the end? CClarke2005Pusha T: We've definitely got more music in store, baby. Malice: [Laughs knowingly] Nah, we got it. We've definitely got it! Let Got Sort Em Out is out now on Roc Nation. Clipse's US tour continues until 10 September. They play the O2 Kentish Town Forum, London, on 9, 12 and 13 November and the O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, on 10 November
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Working with Kanye? That's definitely in the past': rap legends Clipse on beef, Bono and Mr Bean
The Birds Don't Sing [from new album Let God Sort Em Out] is an incredibly emotional track, especially for an album opener. What things did your parents say to you that make you proud and have stuck with you over the years? Fran_MMalice: Creating that song was a very emotional time and it cut real deep, but to be able to journal the grief from losing both our parents into a piece of art was also healing. I believe it's a song that is going to resonate with a lot of people, because whether we like it or not, most of us are going to end up outliving our parents. This is something always in the back of your mind, you know? Already, a lot of people are coming up to us on the street and saying: thank you, that song helped me to grieve. The Birds Don't Sing isn't just our story, it's everybody's story. Pusha T: In hindsight I believe my mom was leaving breadcrumbs and doing all these little things in order to let us know she didn't have long left. She was mapping, planning and vocalising specific things before she passed away. It was her way of saying goodbye, you know? It was super important to detail all of that, because it gave me and my brother a sense of peace. Malice: No doubt. In terms of specific things our parents said? Well, you know, my dad always instilled in us the idea that honesty is the best policy! That you have to go through life being as truthful as possible and to always try to show integrity in your character. I remember mom was always big on us truly being brothers and looking out for one another, no matter what. That advice still resonates to this day and with the energy of this album. How did you guys develop your signature diction and wit as writers? MaximFlathMalice: Remember the movie Crooklyn by Spike Lee? The scene where all the brothers and sisters are watching Soul Train and American Bandstand? That was the perfect depiction of how musical our household was. By the time we moved to Virginia, I told my mom I wanted a microphone, a beat machine, a turntable, a Gemini mixer with the reverb on it. My mom literally forced my dad to buy it all for me, because he was much more dismissive at first and said things like: 'Why do you need all that? Rap ain't even gonna be here for that long, son!' Pusha T: Music was always a big part of our upbringing. If I just think about our house then the living room was filled with hundreds of vinyls from all genres. That was the foundation. You know that I recently found all those records and got them back? Malice: No, I didn't know that. Pusha T: It was literally tons of vinyl. Look: if my parents would argue, someone would go downstairs and put a record on full volume to drown out the noise. Music was always the backdrop and there tended to be cousins dancing in our house. A specific rapping style? I always liked the energy of the old horror movies. Like The Omen and The Exorcist, where a lot of it is based on these eerie conversations and they didn't need special effects to scare you. People think gangster shit is supposed to be loud or obnoxious or ignorant, but to me the most gangster shit in the world is when you're having a really cutting conversation and looking directly into someone's eyes. To be able to embody a coldness without being over the top. Like Tony Soprano might smack somebody up, but the most gangster part is when he's just lucidly speaking to his therapist, you know? My rapping style is a lot like that, too. Malice, you are a man of God and so am I; I'm a woman, actually. I love hip-hop, but sometimes the lyrics, imagery and messaging feels so spiritually off. How do you navigate that as a Christian? LoveFromLagosMalice: The gospel tells us about the war between the spirit and the flesh. It talks about these constant contradictions, and how helpless we all are as long as we are in this flesh. The flesh and the spirit are always at enmity with one another. So, we are all walking contradictions, right? The thing about morality is that you're only good until you're not. It's not supposed to be a juggling act: we all try to do the right thing, but there's going to be circumstances where we fall short. There is part of the scripture from the apostle Paul, who says: 'For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Who will rescue me from this body of death?' It shows that we are all sinners and we all fall short. That's what being human is all about. And Pusha, you've been very candid about how things ended with Kanye's GOOD Music label. While I understand you went through a lot of challenges, can you mention some of the good times? LovefromLagosPusha T: Just as a rap aficionado, well, being there was special! Creating So Appalled and New God Flow were some of my favourite memories. The Good Friday series, that was crazy, too. The albums I dropped during that time, like Daytona and It's Almost Dry, they are very, very strong offerings. It goes without saying that me and Ye made great things together. Do you think there'll ever be another collab between you and Ye? JooooooojPusha T: Yeah, that's in the past. That's definitely in the past. If I diss someone [Pusha T has criticised West in recent years], it's a very real thing to me. I watch other rappers use disses as a gimmick and shit like that, but that ain't what this is for me. There is always a lot of humour and brilliant scene setting in your lyrics. Have you ever thought about writing a screenplay? HhhhssssMalice: Writing a screenplay for a Clipse biopic movie is a must. A lot of people would like to see that film. Right now, we're seeing rappers fall to the federal government or they're losing their lives because of drug addictions and out-of-control egos. But there's a lot to learn from our lives, especially the way me and my brother have navigated the pitfalls of the business and always tried to make the best possible decisions. Who had the best verse on Let God Sort Em Out? BezosofthenasalsPusha T: I don't know if I have a personal favourite verse on the album to be honest, maybe it's my Ace Trumpets verse. I wish I had rapped what Malice said on Mike Tyson Blow to the Face: 'Only 300 bricks can make you Leonidas.' Pusha, I think I saw you performing with Kelis when she supported U2 in 2001. What was your experience of those shows? SharmadelicaPusha T: U2 were so fucking cool, man! I remember it was a super big deal to be touring with them at that time, and it was one of my first real experiences on a big stage. For U2, tour life is about five-star catering; runners who will go grab you whatever you ask for; and random vans that will take you anywhere in the city. These dudes had manicures, pedicures, massages! Touring with U2 seriously fucked up my expectations, bro. Because when you go out and tour for real as a rapper, the reality can be a very gruelling thing. Malice: Wait, hold up, can I share my own Bono interaction? I met him backstage around the time I converted from Malice to No Malice and found God. I remember Bono said to me: 'You have this righteous anger now and you have to go do something with it!' That always stuck with me. It kind of gave me the green light, and what Bono said is always in the back of my mind around not abandoning my convictions. Bono is a good dude. What are each of your favourite albums of all time? FionnmckMalice: Listen, I love the Killers, I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers, even Billy Joel! When I work out in the gym, I have Coldplay playing, or U2's The Joshua Tree. It's funny, because when I watched MTV back in the 1980s, David Bowie was always on there. All these years later and Bowie is still at the forefront today. I think that says something about true talent and how it can carry on through the ages. It even outlasts your death. Pusha T: I'm always torn between Mobb Deep's The Infamous, Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, and Biggie's Life After Death. I can drive anywhere in the world with those four albums and I will be happy. Have you watched much British TV/film? If so, what have you liked and why? Jajones7Pusha T: [Loud laughter] Definitely Benny Hill! Benny was running around with women on late night TV! My older brother was always watching him, laughing, and I would sneak in. And what's my other man called … um, Rowan Atkinson? Mr Bean, right? That dude was ill. Do you still write your rhymes? If so, do you prefer handwritten, typing on the phone, or both? Do you have any particular rituals when writing or recording? WzrdwthwrzfMalice: For me it's about building a verse line-by-line throughout the day. It might start off in the shower, continue while I am driving, and then when I get to the studio I put it all together. It is always pen and paper with a pristine notebook. If I mess up on the writing, I am gonna rip out the page and start over. Pusha T: I can only write things down to be honest, because I am a very visual person. I don't know how to do the whole spontaneous freestyle thing, because I am always second guessing myself. I am a perfectionist and so that involves editing a lot. I might come up with a good bar, but I will keep going back to it and working out how to make it fresher. What can we expect from the duo in the future? Is this the end? CClarke2005Pusha T: We've definitely got more music in store, baby. Malice: [Laughs knowingly] Nah, we got it. We've definitely got it! Let Got Sort Em Out is out now on Roc Nation. Clipse's US tour continues until 10 September. They play the O2 Kentish Town Forum, London, on 9, 12 and 13 November and the O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, on 10 November
The Guardian
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Post your questions for Clipse
Two brothers, two classic albums and a reunion fans have been waiting for since 2009 … sound familiar? But while Oasis took to the stage with their lens firmly fixed on the past, Clipse came back this year with a return-to-form record: fourth album Let God Sort Em Out met the wild anticipation, restating Pusha T and Malice's lyrical skill, pushing starry guests to step up, and bringing the best out of producer Pharrell Williams. Next week, the Thornton brothers will sit for the Guardian Film & Music reader interview. You could ask them about how they fell apart and came back together; how rap has changed since they've been away; how the new album is a tribute to their late parents; the state of the Virginia and southern rap scenes today – or anything else you like. Post your questions in the comments by noon BST on 6 August and the best will appear in a future issue of Film & Music.
