From Virginia to the Vatican: Clipse’s Historic Performance Goes Global
Hip hop just carved out holy ground.
This past weekend, Clipse made history at the Vatican, becoming the first rap act to ever perform at St. Peter’s Square. Pusha T and No Malice stood shoulder-to-shoulder with John Legend for a moving live rendition of “The Birds Don’t Sing” from their new project “Let God Sort Em Out.”
The performance was part of “Grace for the World,” a landmark concert tied to the World Meeting on Human Fraternity. The show wasn’t just another gig, but it was the first-ever concert held at the site, staged as a message of unity and peace for a global audience.
Pharrell Williams, who has been in their creative orbit for decades, served as co-director and executive producer of the event through his company, Something in the Water, and was instrumental in pulling the historic set together.
“This is a rare cultural moment where the world stops and collectively tunes in,” Pharrell said ahead of the event. “It is a message of unity and grace for all of humanity.”
The lineup itself included performances from Jennifer Hudson, BamBam, Jelly Roll, Karol G, Teddy Swims, John Legend, and Maestro Andrea Bocelli. Bocelli called the event a chance to “shine a spotlight on humanity with music from the very heart of Christianity and the most important spiritual square, reaching the entire world with a single message of brotherhood and peace.”
The concert was livestreamed on ABC News Live, Hulu, and Disney+.
The duo released their album on July 11th, with the album featuring names like John Legend, Voices of Fire, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator, The-Dream, Ab-Liva, Nas, Stove God Cooks, and vocals from Pharrell Williams.
