The Clipse Conversation

Welcome to the 58th issue of Backseat Freestyle. This is my weekly hip-hop newsletter I send out every Friday(ish) featuring a deep dive analysis on one big thing that happened over the past seven days. I also include a roundup of links to what I’ve been listening to, reading and watching. You can check out the archive, here, and read more about me, here. If you’re already a BF subscriber, thank you for your continued support. If you’re arriving to this issue by way of a forward, LinkedIn or social media, please subscribe below. And please share this newsletter with your circle so that they can enjoy it; personal referrals go a long way toward my goals for growth. With that said, let’s get into it….

Front Seat

This is what’s driving hip-hop this week….

CLIPSE IS BACK, have you heard? I’m sure you have, because if your timeline is anything like mine, you’ve seen plenty of…clips featuring Pusha T and Malice discussing, well, that depends. On one hand, they’re talking about their reunion and the various details surrounding it. On the other hand, it seems like they’re answering a lot of questions about a lot of people and a lot of topics, whether that’s Kendrick v. Drake or lyricism today. They’re game for it all, which we should applaud. And their profile as elder statesmen, prolific rhyme spitters and willingness to spill tea, makes for good press. It seems, though, that their participation is in search of reciprocity. They want media to go deep on Let Got Sort Them Out. It’s a compelling LP on which the pair flash the personal in new ways (loss of life, chiefly) and the braggadocios in old ways. It’s also an avatar to a larger conversation—or lack thereof.

🚙 🚙 🚙 🚙

Back Seat

Respect my mind or die from lead shower.

TO PARAPHRASE OPRAH WINFREY: you get a Clipse interview, you get a Clipse interview, you get a Clipse interview, you get a Clipse interview, you get a Clipse interview, you get a Clipse interview, you get a Clipse interview, you get a Clipse interview, Everybody Gets A Clipse Interview! (And you and you get performances.) 

Pusha T and Malice were seemingly ubiquitous leading up to the release of their latest album, Let God Sort Em Out. The project is only the fourth official Clipse release to see the light of day and their first full-length collaboration in 16 years. Considering those circumstances (as well as their experiences with various labels over the years), it’s not hard to understand the Brothers Thornton might have a lot to get off their chests. 

But their grind(ding) of a press run was less a masterstroke than a nod to the halcyon days of The Source, Vibe and XXL. 

“Why is it the best rollout, though?” Pusha asked Bootleg Kev when the host suggested as much, echoing the chatter that swelled from social media. “This is all just an ode to rap and rap journalism and being critiqued and putting out your music. Letting people hear your shit.

“Facing it, facing your product,” Malice chimed in. “Getting in front of it. Not throwing it and hiding.”

Make no mistake, though, the Virginia duo has long been favorites of the press. There’s no healthy tension left. The pair are just about universally revered for their skillset (rightfully so), but, ironically, perhaps as a result of all that love, they don’t receive the intense scrutiny of their work they so desire. 

It’s not that they aren’t aware of this relationship, either. 

“We've been fortunate enough to have really good journalism,” said Malice in a chat with Complex. “[Journalism is] something we don’t shy away from,” Pusha said in the same piece. 

Playboi Carti Is For The Children 

Though he plays the role of an enforcing criticizer in his raps, I find that Push himself leans more thoughtful in conversation. (I’ve had two experiences with him on the professional tip; one with his brother way back in 2006 for Scratch magazine and more recently in 2018 for Vevo.)

For his part, Pusha would make a good media columnist—he has an innate sense of how music press works, a genuine curiosity for the state of hip-hop (throughout the Let God Sort Em Out promo jaunt he’s lobbed a number of open-ended questions about the culture) and a humility for he and his brother’s place in the larger rap pantheon. 

For these reasons, he also can be more honest in his own assessment of his work than what makes up the hip-hop media ecosystem (he was just fine with Clipse’s placement on Complex’s recent list of Best Duos).

For the record, I don’t use media and journalism interchangeably; the latter is a function that resides within the apparatus of the former.

There’s been a dearth of traditional hip-hop journalism happening for some time now by writers and/or critics (regardless of medium), who arm themselves with discernment versus the litany of social media accounts or cast of hosts who pilot their platforms (radio, podcasts, streams or YouTube) with aplomb yet measured judgment doesn’t serve their mission well, save a handful. 

How did we get to this point?

There’s a number of well-known business challenges that have muted hip-hop journalism: social media discourse essentially replacing album reviews, pageviews and display advertising not being able to generate a healthy enough revenue pool to afford a large swath of work, and the abundance of free commentary that render subscriptions irrelevant. 

I do often wonder, though, if what remains of journalism—and even content writ large—struggles for another reason, relating to its approach to strategy: there’s less acts that sound like the Clipse. Decoding bars is a pastime as traditional as baseball in the summer or dunking on someone on Twitter. So, it’s relatively easier to decipher couplets and opine if they’re good or not (the 🔥/🚮 paradox). As opposed to trying to interpret the staccato, Auto-Tune warblings of Ken Carson on “Blakk Rokkstar.” 

Women In Rap Are Writing Their Own Stories, Men Want A Handmaid’s Tale

It’s also likely why prior to Pusha and Malice’s return, Griselda’s roster received an abundant dose of positive press, due to the same MC idolatry. There's still a widespread appreciation for lyrics out there, of course. The success of On The Radar, Justin Credible’s freestyle series and, one, Kendrick Lamar are testaments to the mic controller/master of ceremony. 

Yet, look at the streaming consumption of today’s top acts and you’ll find Travis Scott, Playboi Carti or Yeat. It’s not a matter of opinion to say they’re immensely important contributors to hip-hop. 

Personally, if you cut me open, I bleed ‘94-97 New York rap out of my veins. Back then, I like to say, lyricism, in terms of coin currency, had a value of a silver dollar; today, though, it’s been devalued to about a dime, meanwhile vibes, melody and vocal experimentation have risen in importance to the younger set. That allows for artistic evolution–and a new excitement. (Nemzzz and PlaqueBoyMax, are among those I’ve been checking for heavy this year; the latter, in particular, represents new ground as both a producer and a streamer.)

In the back half of Pusha’s quote to Complex regarding their views on journalism, he surmises that the artists who are unwilling to participate in interviews, et al., are acts that aren’t confident in their product. 

My feeling is this group of artists who play coy, and use the mystery card, do so as a defense mechanism, because mainstream hip-hop media, in terms of execution, isn’t well equipped to cover rap that isn’t rooted in lyricism or a similar aesthetic. Case in point, Tyler, The Creator’s offbeat creativity was accepted but not truly celebrated until he practically duplicated Flower Boy with Call Me If You Get Lost and used the Trojan Horse of DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz to make it more palatable. That women don’t get their just due nor mass attention beyond their dating lives, despite defining this era, is a whole ‘nother conversation. 

Upstart outfits took advantage of this rap media deficiency to great benefit, including Our Generation Now via Hakeem Rowe’s YouTube interviews, the No Jumper podcast and the Kids Take Over instagram account, to name a few. 

Clipse’s return is undoubtedly one of the biggest stories of hip-hop in 2025 and the accompanying press underscores that beyond any doubt. On the other hand, when it came to the biggest new release in hip-hop this year, Carti’s I AM MUSIC, the conversations was hardly the same fawn fest; instead, media folks excused themselves by offering their inside-ness as grounds for a recusal (ie, I’m not outside like that; but, you push white like a snow plow?) Who’s gonna sort that out?

Trunk (Music)

Music, news, reads, podcasts and videos that I’m checking for this week.

It’s not the best Clipse album, but that’s besides the point. To be this potent together after over a decade apart is its own accomplishment. The pair lament loss in “The Birds Don’t Sing” and “All Things Considered" with depth while gleefully sneering on “P.O.V.” and “F.I.C.O.” They trend toward rote on some cuts and while the DJ Clue ad-libs on two tracks serve up nostalgia like white lines on a glass tray there’s also a randomness to it. We can’t wait another 16 years for the Re-Up. [Listen]

With all due respect to The Alchemist, there’s magic in Larry June with Cardo on the beat. Peel the top back and press play on this one. [Listen] Related: Speaking of ALC, he and Freddie Gibbs are reuniting for Alfredo 2 and pushed out a new record (“1995,” so good) and a short film (!) ahead of its release. [Listen] [Watch]

JACKBOYS 2 is chock full of high-powered production and brooding raps. It’s a lot to take in over an hour, but there’s flashes of Travis Scott pre his manic algorithm pursuit on “CHAMPAIN & VACAY” and “WHERE WAS YOU.” [Listen]

Tha Carter VI landed with a thud. Lil Wayne’s post peak career is one I find really interesting (The Funeral, his guest spots), but the sequencing on this album pandered to DSP platforms so heavily that it was hard to find any cohesion. Now, is this a molehill or a mountain? [Listen]

On her new DJ Drama-assisted project,Grady Baby, Anycia does a good job of paying homage and showcasing her personality. [Listen] Related: Saweetie is full of personality, but she’s become pretty automatic in the last year or so and her latest, “boffum,” is money. [Listen]

He’s not just heating up the summer; Benny The Butcher has been hot all 2025 with a deluxe issue of his collaborative project with 38 Spesh and a solo EP-ish. Here, he unleashes another solo set via Summertime Butch 2. “Told You So,” “Summer ‘25” and “Gold Plated Leica” are standouts. [Listen]

DJ Drama stays busy, popping up on Trippie Redd’s “The Face,” the more traditional of the rapper’s maxi-single (throwback nomenclature!) that also features the raucous “Wake Up” on the A-side. [Listen]

Veteranz Day: Raekwon returns with his debut Mass Appeal LP, The Emperor’s New Clothes. The Nas collabo, “The Omerta,” is getting all the press over an alleged alternate verse from Esco but “Wild Corsicans” and “600 School” are some heaters. [Listen] Related: Mass Appeal’s slate also included Slick Rick’s Victory album, which additionally can be consumed as a short film. When I was running The Bridge podcast hosted by Nas, we had Idris Elba as a guest and the two talked about working together on what would become this album. [Watch]

New Tyler, The Creator album arriving this Monday. [Info]

Legal: Destroy Lonely fan injured in fall overseas; parents will file “complaint” against the rapper. [Info] And, as we all know by now, Diddy was acquitted of the most serious charges in his recent trial. He’s scheduled to be sentenced in October. This New York Times piece (I included a gift link) examines the perception of what his partiers were thought to be versus what they actually were–and if that was the key to his being found guilty on lesser charges. [Read]

Kai Cenat covers Time’s first creators issue. [Read]

XXL recently released their annual Freshman Class, highlighted by Ray Vaughn, Gelo and YTB Fatt, among others. This is a tough year to create this list. [Read]

Fantastic profile of Meek Mill by Abe Beame; shouts to birthday boy William Ketchum for sending my way. The piece is similar to one I commissioned years ago when I was the executive editor at XXL. I hired Thomas Golianopoulos to trek down to Philly to interview Meek while he was home on a big tour stop. Meek had been away for a bit, so the family obligations collided with the 1:1 time and we settled on a phoner. I think that ended up impacting the pages we gave him in the mag. [Read]

I soft launched my own pod, Backseat Freestyle Podcast, which were included as newsletter issues but I’m gonna let it live independently moving forward. Recording two to three episodes this coming week. Check out the first two. [Listen]

Although I wrote about Drake being so far gone now, I can empathize with certain moves he’s making. The battle is over and although it was billed as Kendrick vs. Drake, it wasn’t necessarily a direct fight for Drizzy during each round (that’s not K.dot’s doing so the fight was still fair). And now that the smoke is cleared, Drake wants to have his say, regardless if I agree or disagree, clearly he has something to get off his chest about old allies and that’s his right. That also extends to LeBron, who, way back when, hosted a mixtape release party for Aubrey. That’s a real wound. What I don’t understand is Drake’s embrace of the streaming world, which is the medium he used to debut “What Did I Miss,” and its video. We’re all paying attention, though. [Watch]

Although I wrote about Drake being so far gone now, I can empathize with certain moves he’s making. The battle is over and although it was billed as Kendrick vs. Drake, it wasn’t necessarily a direct fight for Drizzy during each round (that’s not K.dot’s doing so the fight was still fair). And now that the smoke is cleared, Drake wants to have his say, regardless if I agree or disagree, clearly he has something to get off his chest about old allies and that’s his right. That also extends to LeBron, who, way back when, hosted a mixtape release party for Aubrey. That’s a real wound. What I don’t understand is Drake’s embrace of the streaming world, which is the medium he used to debut “What Did I Miss,” and its video. We’re all paying attention, though. [Watch]

Latto continues to have good chemistry with rappers born in the UK. Nemzzz’s “Art” is a good transatlantic banger. The British keep on making it? [Watch] Related: Joyner Lucas isn’t feeling it, bruv. Ha. [Listen]. Latto had a good sit-down interview with Speedy Morman, who’s proving to be the exception when it comes to men interviewing women rappers–he’s engaging with her in a flirty way, naturally, but he also is well researched and genuinely respectful of her profession. [Watch]

I mentioned the Freshman list being difficult to put together. Aside from shotcalling acts months in advance, there’s the matter if the acts want to participate or not. That’s been my experience when I was on staff, but I have no insight into this year’s operation. That said, the aforementioned Nemzzz, plus Chuckyyy would have been two good picks. The latter is riding high at the moment of “No Blickout,” which came out hot on YouTube. [Watch]

This video…no notes. Juice WRLD and XXXTENTACION’s posthumous linkup “The Way” has been floating around in various versions, but the completed track paired with this animated visual is stunning and a tough reminder of what these two young men could have done with their respective careers. [Watch]

Memphis Bleek had a fun sit down with The Breakfast Club to promote his new podcast, RocSolid. And Rob49 joined Charlamange, Envy, Jess and Loren for a quality conversation that gave big Unc energy even though he’s under 30 (WTHelly!) [Listen] [Listen]

This edition of Backseat Freestyle is dedicated to the late Sacha Jenkins, who passed away last month due to complications from a neurodegenerative disorder. I posted a short post on my IG story about Sacha; he was kind and generous with his time when I was a young journalist. Later, with some gray to my beard, he was so happy to know I got married, had a kid and moved to the suburbs. Hip-hop had given to us after we gave so much to it, he liked that; it’s his life story. [Obit] Plus: Open Mike Eagle with a touching tribute. [Watch]

Backseat Freestyle is written and produced by me, Jayson Rodriguez, impartially and independently via my company, Smarty Art. If you have any comments, feedback or questions, feel free to email me: [email protected]. If you would like to discuss sponsoring an issue of the newsletter, contact: [email protected] and check out the rates, here. And follow me elsewhere:

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