As soon as this album came out, legions of 13-year-old Travis Scott fans rushed to hate on it. These guys fought entire wars to cope with the fact that their supposed GOAT got out-rapped, out-produced, and embarrassed by a duo that hadn’t made a collaborative project in over 15 years.
Pharrell is the more nonchalant side in his beef with Drake. After Drake threw shots on “MELTDOWN” off of Travis’s UTOPIA, the song he infamously flaunted to Pusha without revealing that the Pharrell diss was on there, Pharrell went radio silent for a year and then randomly responded on the Despicable Me 4 soundtrack. That’s why it’s so funny that he cooked up one of the greatest beats I’ve ever heard just to be there firsthand for what he expected to be Travis Scott’s funeral.
The idea that Pusha T needed to diss Travis Scott to sell this record is so braindead. Matter of fact, I would say that if you completely removed the references towards Travis from “So Be It,” it would still be my favorite song on the album. The track samples an old Arabic song, chopping it up for some “Candy Shop”-esque strings and an omnipresent deep voice that follows certain bars.
None of the three verses on this song actually mention Travis by name and only use vague references. Malice, who really doesn’t have personal beef with Travis since he’s kind of had one foot out the door of the rap game for the last few years, just kind of rattles off vaguely threatening lines. It’s good lyricism even without a clear target.
You ain't solid, ain't valid, you ain't Malice
Been quiet, ain't riot, you ain't Paris
Blow money, you owe money, we ain't balanced
You ain't believe, God did, you ain't Khaled
All black, back to back, this ain't traffic
Can't wrap your head 'round that, you ain't Arab
Somewhere else he does that, and a similarly good track, is “Chains and Whips” with Kendrick Lamar. This is a very aggressive song with an insanely hard beat that rips off the kick pattern from “No Church in the Wild” off Watch the Throne. Both Pusha and Malice’s verses on this song are kind of just aggressive with no clear target, as if they’re just throwing at a wall and seeing what sticks. Like they actually sound like they want to kill somebody here.
I will close your heaven for the hell of it
You’re gasping for air now, it’s beautiful
But Kendrick comes in for the highlight of the song. His verse has a crazy flow and great internal rhyme and alliteration, just spamming words with a “gen” syllable and reflecting on his place in hip-hop. This feature blows Clipse’s verses out of the water.
The two-time Gemini with the genocide
I'm generous, however you want it, I'll be the gentle kind
Gentlemen and gangstas connect, the agenda of mine
Move n****s up outta here, this shit get gentrified
On the theme of great features, Tyler, the Creator’s actual rapping ability aside from his artful production gets criticized pretty often. I think his verse on “P.O.V.” solidifies that such questions are very stupid. The verses are the redeeming part of “P.O.V.,” since I’m not entirely sure I like the more minimalistic and slow beat. The first five seconds of the song tease an entirely different style of production, and I wish it was the style of instrumental that Clipse ultimately decided to go with.
But even with that, the lyricism in all of the verses is so strong I can barely fault the beat. It’s the most openly arrogant song off this record, and Tyler perfectly matches the vibe with his verse. His flow is perfect, the tone suits the beat, and there are some hilarious lines. (“keep dirty white moving like moshpits”)
Aside from all the braggadocio, the other through line for this album is the theme of loss. “The Birds Don’t Sing” is the best of the songs where this idea dominates, with a great John Legend chorus, simplistic piano beat, and emotional bars. A friend told me that this song made him cry, and that makes sense. It is very vulnerable, detailed, and paints a clear chillingly clear picture about grief.
“All Things Considered” is a little more upbeat but touches on a similar theme. The only issue with this song is that despite a decent chorus, the beat sounds a bit funny to me. The entire thing just feels weirdly off-key? I can’t exactly pinpoint the root cause of it, but it holds this song back for sure.
Following this song is a string of three abbreviated songs, “M.T.B.T.T.F.,” “E.B.I.T.D.A.,” and “F.I.C.O.” The first one, which stands for “Mike Tyson blow to the face,” is the weakest of the three. The beat follows this weird rhythm which I don’t 100% vibe with, but it still has some good bars.
“E.B.I.T.D.A.” is insanely good. That beat is so smooth and sounds like Pharrell literally time traveled back to the 2000s to tap into his own brain. It’s so fast-paced, upbeat yet mysterious, and symphonic in the sense that so much is going on yet it still manages to be beautiful. I can’t get over the fact that this is named after some technical financial term, though. Like I’m not here for AP Micro.
“So Far Ahead” is my only skip on this album. It follows this really weird structure where Pharrell has this randomly upbeat chorus before it descends into Clipse’s much darker verses. This is the same problem that “IFHY” off of Wolf has in my opinion—the whiplash between a dark main artist verse and an upbeat Pharrell feature. Pharrell is best when his pop style can suit the song he’s featuring on, like Tyler’s “Big Poe.”
The last song to speak about on this album is its title track, “Let God Sort Em Out/Chandeliers.” This song has two parts to it (hence the slash) and both beats are outstanding. They are fast and relentless, and Clipse and Nas’s deliveries both follow suit. Nas is as always, an incredible lyricist, and Clipse doesn’t falter from their usual lyrical mastery on this song either. A great representation of the LP’s name.
TL;DR: Clipse makes their comeback after 15 years with a tight 13-track album that delves deep into loss while simultaneously digging into their enemies’ reputations. Pharrell is masterful in his producer role, churning out several perfect beats that elevate the already impressive verses, my favorites being the more fast-paced and darker instrumentals. Every feature is meticulously chosen and supplements the song they are on perfectly.
Rating: 8.8/10
Favorites:
So Be It
E.B.I.T.D.A.
Chains & Whips
Individual Track Ratings:
