The Breakfast Club: Best of Full Interview – Clipse Talk New Album, Def Jam Split, Travis Scott Beef, Cousinz Fest, Kendrick, Ye, Leaks & More

Date: December 31, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Guests: Pusha T, Malice (Clipse)

Episode Overview

This episode reunites hip hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice) for a candid, wide-ranging conversation with The Breakfast Club hosts. The interview delves into the origins of Clipse, their new album, the impact of family and faith, creative changes, Def Jam label drama, industry relationships, lyrical intent, and more. Both nostalgia and evolution are on display as Clipse reflect on their journey and look forward to their future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins & Early Days of Clipse

• Name & Formation
  • Malice: The group name was shortened from “Full Eclipse” due to Fat Joe’s existing crew (04:08).
• First Steps in Music
  • Inspired by local hip hop culture, breakdancing, and homemade raps.
  • Malice: “Just coming up under that. And we went to Chad's house one time and Pusha, he wrote his first rap and Pharrell was like, y' all should... be a group.” (05:01)
• Connecting with Pharrell & Chad
  • Linked up, in part, thanks to a malfunctioning drum machine and mutual friends (05:37).
• Virginia’s Influence
  • Both describe Virginia as a rich but under-recognized musical environment.
  • Pusha T: “Everybody who's made it in Virginia actually had to leave Virginia to make it... Clips broke in Philly.” (07:31)
  • Malice: “We have the same friends from, you know, way back, and just certain ethics and standards of loyalty, you know, that has been bred in Virginia.” (57:16)

2. About the New Album: Return, Themes, and Process

• Reuniting After Hiatus
  • Malice’s hiatus rooted in his spiritual journey.
    • Malice: “I understood and walked a similar path like Mase... to have a real live revelation of God and who he is, you know, and then have to navigate your way.” (09:36)
  • Family and faith helped bring the duo back together.
    • Malice: “I had asked my dad... what do you think about me rapping again? And he said, 'Son, I think you've been too hard on yourself.'” (11:37)
    • Pusha T: “She [mom] would always be like, I want you with him. I want your brother with you... that was always her thing.” (13:44)
• Creative Process & Intent
  • The album opens with a dedication to their parents—an emotionally charged piece recorded in a communal space:
    • Pusha T: “It was polarizing... while we're doing this in real time, everybody's in tears.” (14:10)
  • Theme of “urgency” guided song selection:
    • Pusha T: “The key thing that we were trying to find in the studio was urgency... it had to tug at your heart.” (56:05)
  • Pharrell produced every song, taking a direct and minimalist approach:
    • Pusha T: “Treating the vocal like a real instrument... there's so much that's this centered around the word... have to let that breathe.” (62:47)

3. Spiritual Evolution & Family Dynamics

• Malice’s Journey
  • Open about faith, finding peace in reconciliation and purpose.
    • Malice: “For anyone who has any questions about me, I'm Jesus inside out. Like, I'm all the way Gone with it like it's crazy. But I just took some artistic liberty, you know, with that line.” (31:22)
    • Discusses being called a pastor: “I’m not. I could be... God is everything to me first and foremost. And that's not cliche. Like, I need Jesus like I need water and food.” (67:45)
• Handling Comebacks & Authenticity
  • Malice: “You have to know, be solid in who you are... there is none righteous. No, not one. So nobody can truly point the finger. But you better have your heart positioned in Jesus Christ.” (38:13)
  • Family relationships provide stability and peace.
    • Malice: “You really should be [in harmony with your people]. Because that is what gives me a lot of peace knowing... everything was straight and always straight.” (16:56)

4. Industry Talk: Def Jam, Partnerships, Leaks & Label Moves

• Def Jam Split
  • Album delay and communication breakdown with Def Jam:
    • Pusha T: “They wouldn't text or email... only talk on the phone. I can only assume that it was just the optics with everything they got going on, with litigation, lawsuits, and all of that.” (28:45)
  • Leaving the label involved intervention from Jay-Z:
    • Pusha T: “He [Hov] had to pay... Steven reached out to him... I never seen lawyer work like this that fast.” (30:06)

5. Addressing Beef & the Art of Rap Battles

• Pusha T’s Approach

  • On rap beef preparation:
    • Pusha T: “You know, just me being a rap artist and me being an emcee, that's just second nature… I try not to engage too much. I've done it with the best and the biggest.” (24:43)
  • Insights into famous battles (including the Drake diss “Story of Adidon”).
    • Charlamagne: “I feel like you've been trying to catch a body since the Story of Adidon.” (25:44)
    • Pusha T: “I have a lot to rap about. I got a lot… it don’t ever have to be about an individual.” (26:08)
  • Tacit admission of connection with Kendrick Lamar during his recent battle (“Euphoria”):
    • Charlamagne: “You could get an accessory to murder charge, though. ’Cause when you listen to Euphoria...”
    • Pusha T: “Great lyricists just, you know, tune into the obvious.” (26:38)

• Travis Scott Dispute

  • Pusha T explains mention of Travis on record—stemming from a perceived lack of loyalty when Travis allowed a Drake verse targeting Pusha to appear after a positive in-person interaction:
    • Pusha T: “How you leave here... when the album drops, you got a verse going at him. So I just thought it was corny… That's the type of thing that happens over in that Ye world.” (47:55)
    • On etiquette: “Just stay the hell away from me. I'm not into you anyway… I'm only dealing with the real.” (49:12)

6. Lyrical Content & Group Dynamic

• Coke Rap Label, Authenticity, Growth
  • Pusha T: “People give you the coke rap moniker... it's so much deeper than that... It's just, you know, right now what we're making is for those who know and for those who understand.” (19:28)
  • Pusha says he no longer feels the need to prove his past.
    • Malice: “My revelation was when I would hear narratives of ‘they weren't into that’... and I'm like, I know what we've been through.” (20:58)
• Mutual Inspiration and Competition
  • Open admiration for each other's lines; sometimes wishing they’d written one another’s verses.
    • Pusha T: “I wish I said that. I wish I said that. That's one. I wish I could have said the mace line, and I wish I said that line.” (54:25)
  • Fans and hosts debate who has the best verse—Pusha jokes about being "0-2." (55:11)

7. Handling Leaks and Nostalgia

• On Music Leaks
  • Malice: “What else can you do other than that? I stand on our product, and I love it. It's good for fans to get things sometimes.” (40:11)
• Fan Growth & Maturing
  • Pusha T: “I'd like to think that they [fans] grown with us... maturing in hip hop and just culturally just showing you how to navigate and grow in this game.” (52:24)

8. Personal Evolution, Safety, and Identity

• Staying Grounded
  • Both still live in Virginia; enjoy hometown relationships and comfort.
    • Malice: “We go out...Every time I'm in a grocery store... they catch me anywhere… Virginia don't be tripping.” (59:19)
    • Pusha T: “I think Virginia... gives a different perspective... Clips is different because of Virginia.” (57:43)
  • Acknowledges safer, more comfortable space now:
    • Charlamagne: “When the last time you felt this safe, Push?... It feels like a homecoming.”
    • Pusha T: “It’s not about feeling safe. It’s just about, you know, this is part of the game for us... when you got the music to back it up, you gotta be, must see TV.” (53:04, 53:25)

9. Cousinz Fest & Live Shows

• Cousinz Festival
  • Annual festival in Virginia Beach, mixing DJs and big name artists; organized around community.
    • Pusha T: “Cousins Festival is August 30th... It is the best one day festival time of Labor Day weekend in Virginia.” (65:18)
    • Not always the headliner; lineup depends on fan polling.

10. Looking Ahead & Closing Thoughts

• No Extended Wait
  • Charlamagne: "Are we gonna have to wait another 15 years...?"
    • Pusha T: “Nah, nah, nah. I don't think so.” (69:24)
• Clipse’s Bond
  • The duo remains closely knit — creatively, personally, and spiritually.
    • Malice: “I'm making music with my brother, and I'm glorifying my God. That's what I'm doing. And when you're in your purpose, if anything fall on you, then it fall on you. At least you know you were where you were supposed to be.” (50:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Malice, on the power of family and faith:
  “If you're out here and you have, like, a dysfunction or a lot of disdain between family members, you should really try to fix that...” (16:56)

• Pusha T, on not needing to prove himself:
  “I've been who I've been 23 years. Like, I don't feel like I gotta prove anything to anybody. And I feel like I'm the best at what it is I'm doing.” (19:28)

• Malice, on being authentic and artistic liberty:
  “For anyone who has any questions about me, I'm Jesus inside out... But I just took some artistic liberty, you know, with that line.” (31:22)

• Pusha T, on creative collaboration with Pharrell:
  “There's so much that's centered around the word... you have to let that breathe. And I think he takes that direction.” (62:47)

• Pusha T, on industry drama:
  “They wouldn't text or email... only talk on the phone. I can only assume that it was just the optics with everything they got going on...” (28:45)

• On camaraderie and musical growth:
  “I'd like to think that they grown with us... maturing in hip hop and just culturally just showing you how to navigate and grow in this game.” (52:24)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:08] — Origin of the name Clipse
• [05:09] — How Clipse was formed, first raps, Pharrell’s involvement
• [07:31] — Breaking out of Virginia, Philly roots
• [09:36] — Malice on spiritual evolution and comparison with Mase
• [11:37] — Returning to rap, father’s blessing
• [13:44] — Family reactions, mother’s wish for brothers to reunite
• [14:10] — Emotional studio recording, parental dedication track
• [19:28] — Pusha T on evolving lyrical themes and dismissing “coke rap” stereotype
• [28:45] — Def Jam split and complicated label dynamics
• [30:06] — Jay-Z’s role in getting Clipse off Def Jam
• [47:55] — Explanation of Travis Scott conflict
• [53:25] — Pusha T on authenticity in interviews and creative transparency
• [56:05] — Song selection process for the new album
• [62:47] — Pharrell’s production style and approach
• [65:18] — Cousinz Fest overview

Tone & Style

• The episode is conversational, honest, and sprinkled with brotherly banter and occasional deeper moments about faith, family, artistry, and legacy.
• Pusha T is direct, confident, but reflective; Malice is thoughtful, spiritual, and supportive.

Final Thoughts

Clipse’s reunion is more than nostalgia—it’s about maturity, faith, authenticity, and setting a high bar for hip hop legacy. The duo candidly tackles past and present, sharing laughter, vulnerability, and insight for fans old and new. The episode showcases why their story and music remain impactful, and why their bond is the heart of their art.