Dissect Podcast: The 10 BEST Clipse Bars on 'Let God Sort Em Out'
Podcast: Dissect
Host: Cole Cuchna (The Ringer)
Episode Date: November 25, 2025
Album Analyzed: Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse
Episode Overview
In this episode, Cole Cuchna breaks down the ten most impressive and complex lyrical bars from Clipse’s critically acclaimed 2025 album Let God Sort Em Out. Through close reading and layered analysis, Cole highlights how Pusha T and Malice expertly combine street narratives, wordplay, pop culture, and personal experiences, proving why Dissect named it the year’s best rap album. Not only does he showcase the brothers’ deft lyricism, but he also underscores the project’s emotional maturity and range.
Key Analysis and Insights
1. Elite Wordplay on “So Be It”
[01:13 – 01:22]
- Pusha T opens by spelling out “CLIPSE” in layered fashion, referencing both Pharrell (“P”—the producer, “et P” as in French for "and P") and the exclusive LV Epi leather line.
- The bars “I can show you how to bust a brick if you let me / I’m on a gram like confetti / Switch is ready” tie luxury fashion, drug measurements (“gram” and “eight ball”), and gun motifs together in dizzying wordplay.
- Cole’s takeaway: “This kind of elite sustained wordplay is commonplace for Clipse...” [01:38]
2. Malice’s Movie and Religious Motifs (“Ace Trumpets”)
[02:43 – 04:31]
- Malice combines financial (“over half a mil we call Fakasha”), spiritual (“reaching for Akasha”—a Hindu reference), and cinematic references (“from the tribe of Judah, I’m Mufasa”).
- The line "never turn the other cheek, you'll die at the Oscars" riffs on Jesus’ teachings, Will Smith’s slap at the Oscars, and the character Scar from The Lion King (“Oscar” contains "scar").
- Cole’s comments: “If that wordplay isn’t impressive enough... Oscars contains the word scar, Mufasa’s evil brother...” [03:20]
3. Luxury and Street Life Intertwined (“White Glove Service”)
[05:24 – 05:49]
- "White Glove Service with the brick I am Luigi": Merges luxury handling, Nintendo iconography (Luigi, bricks), and brotherhood (Luigi is Mario’s younger brother; Pusha is Malice’s).
- Layers Houdini references—both the magician (disappearing) and the 80s rap group, and connects with betrayal by former friends (Kanye “Yeezy”).
- International wordplay: Pronounces “WiFi” as “Wii Fee” (French pronunciation, nod to recording in France).
4. Greek Mythology, Drug Legends, and “Biting”
[08:18 – 08:39]
- Malice: “Took chains and touched change like King Midas. Imitation is flattery, they seem like us, But only 300 bricks can make you Leonidas...”
- References King Midas (gold touch), 300 Spartans (strength/numbers), and Colombian drug lord Leonidas Vargas.
- “She want Mike Tyson blow to the face, I’m talking 96 Hov with the bass”: Clever wordplay on Tyson’s infamous ear bite, Jay-Z’s debut year, and cocaine slang (“blow,” “bass”).
5. Ghostface, Saudi Motifs, and Drug Kingpins
[10:35 – 10:50]
- Pusha: “Sand colored Rolls Royce we like Saudis here / The only Audi here is driven by my au pair…Ghostface with the wrist, bird falconer, Willy Falcone, trunk full of talcum here, shotgun with your ex feels like Malcolm’s near.”
- Juxtaposes Saudis’ wealth (sand, Rolls Royce), Ghostface Killah’s legendary bracelet, bird (kilo of coke), drug lord references (Willy Falcone), and a Malcolm X allusion (famous rifle photo).
6. Production Deep Dive: Saudi Arabian Sample
[12:57 – 14:28]
- “So Be It” samples Talal Maddah’s 1979 track “Maza Akulu” (Saudi artist). Pharrell initially couldn’t clear the sample, but Swizz Beatz, en route to Saudi Arabia, secured the clearance, restoring the original sample to the album.
7. Hooks as Social Critique: “Chains and Whips”
[16:00 – 16:10]
- Chorus: “Uncle said you must be sick all you talk about is just get rich. Choke my neck and ice my bitch, beat the system with chains and whips.”
- Flips the legacy of American wealth and slavery—chains and whips—from oppression to emblems of Black luxury and resistance.
8. Fetanyl, Double Rhymes, and Movie References (“FICO”)
[17:49 – 20:03]
- Stove God Cooks: “You ain’t been where I go with a fetty so strong you gotta bag it with one eye closed”—alluding to both potent fentanyl and rapper Fetty Wap (missing an eye).
- Clipse sustain two-bar double rhyme schemes throughout their verses:
- Pusha: “late nights, pissy hallways, driving me psycho / ...moving weight was like lipo...”
- Malice: Movie puns and drug references: “Miami like big perm 'cause they numbers was Faison / Cuban showed me nothing but love...”
9. Masterful Internal Rhymes (“So Far Ahead”)
[21:40 – 21:58]
- Malice’s verse: Complex structures balancing multiple internal and external rhymes.
- “No mistaking me for the Reverend, usher in the money, my confession”—triple entendre referencing church roles, R&B singer Usher (“Confessions”), and personal financial revelations.
10. Emotional Depth: Family Tribute (“Birds Don’t Sing”)
[24:11 – 24:22]
- Malice closes with a moving eulogy to his father:
“Birds don't sing if the words don't sting / your last few words in my ears still ring / you told me that you love me it was all in your tone / I love my two sons with the code to your phone.” - Reveals that his father’s device passwords were set as “I love my two sons”, embedding familial love in every aspect of his life.
- Cole Cuchna: “It’s a profoundly intimate detail... shows his father’s love was embedded into every facet of his life.” [24:22]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Wordplay and Layering:
“Monogram also contains the word ‘gram’, a smaller measurement of cocaine, that resembles confetti when scattered.”
— Cole Cuchna [01:22] -
On Movie Motifs:
“Oscars contains the word ‘Scar’, Mufasa’s evil brother in The Lion King.”
— Cole Cuchna [03:20] -
On Social Critique:
“Chains and whips were torture devices once used on the enslaved, flipped here to reference jewelry and cars… black excellence and wealth is actually a form of resistance, a way to beat the system.”
— Cole Cuchna [16:10] -
On Personal Reflection:
“It’s a profoundly intimate detail that shows that his father’s love was embedded into every facet of his life.”
— Cole Cuchna [24:22]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:13] Pusha T’s four-layered opening on “So Be It”
- [02:43] Malice’s spiritual and movie references in “Ace Trumpets”
- [05:24] Pusha T’s brotherhood/luxury/rap nods
- [08:18] Malice’s Greek kings and biting boasts
- [10:35] Pusha T’s Ghostface/Kingpin/Saudi bars
- [12:57] Saudi sample story on “So Be It”
- [16:00] Chains and Whips hook analysis
- [17:49] Stove God Cooks double entendre
- [21:40] Complex rhyme schemes on “So Far Ahead”
- [24:11] Heartfelt tribute on “Birds Don’t Sing”
Conclusion
Cole Cuchna’s deep dive into Let God Sort Em Out not only illustrates Clipse’s virtuoso lyrical ability—juggling triple entendres, cultural, religious, and historical references—but also reveals their maturation, especially through passages that pay tribute to family and heritage. The album and its best lyrics stand as testament to their blend of street realism, luxury, social critique, and emotional honesty—earning the title of Dissect’s 2025 Rap Album of the Year.