Clipse’s return was always going to be a comeback for the books.

After nearly 16 years without a full album, Pusha T and Malice came back with “Let God Sort Em Out” on July 11, 2025— a Pharrell Williams-produced reunion with Kaws cover art, a lead single in “Ace Trumpets,” and the kind of anticipation that only happens when a duo has already proven their value. Clipse’s last album was released in 2009, and their reunion has been buzzing in the streets for years. Their 2019 return on Kanye West’s “Use This Gospel” and other live appearances kept the possibility of a real comeback lingering in the air. 

What makes the Clipse story so compelling is that it is two brothers returning with entirely different life philosophies and somehow making that tension part of the music. Pusha spent the years after “Til the Casket Drops” building one of rap’s sharpest solo résumés, while Malice stepped away from the spotlight and into spiritually focused work. The Washington Post noted that the reunion album folds street narratives together with reflections on grief, aging, and personal growth, especially the loss of their parents, which makes the project feel like a reckoning. 

Sonically, “Let God Sort Em Out” works because Pharrell does not flatten Clipse (as if he could). Critics did not all hear it the same way. Pitchfork said some of the production can feel overly polished, while The Guardian called it one of the best albums of 2025 and praised the beats as a major strength. Even the less enthusiastic reviews still acknowledge the brothers’ chemistry is real. 

On tracks like “The Birds Don’t Sing,” “Inglorious Bastards,” and “M.T.B.T.T.F.,” the album balances opulence, faith, grief, and menace without losing the clipped, precise lyricism that made Clipse iconic in the first place. 

That is why the BET Awards 2026 Album of the Year conversation should not treat Clipse like a sentimental throwback. This project has the guts, the story, and the sonic muscle to compete as a serious contender. It already earned Clipse a 2026 Grammy win for Best Rap Performance with “Chains & Whips,” which only proves that the comeback had weight beyond fan service. More importantly, the album feels authored by men who have lived enough to rap with a different kind of authority. In recent interviews, the brothers described the record as a chance to present mature, still-sharp street rap without pretending time has not passed — and that is exactly why it still hits. 

If BET voters reward legacy, risk, and the ability to make a reunion feel necessary, then Clipse are very much in the mix. “Let God Sort Em Out” does not ask for a trophy because of what Clipse used to be. It argues for one because, nearly 16 years later, they are still this good.