In a highly anticipated return to the spotlight, No Malice and Pusha T—better known as Clipse—are making waves with their first new album in 15 years, but their reunion doesn’t stop there. The duo will also hit the stage during Pepsi Dig In Day in Chicago, which is a celebration dedicated to supporting Black-owned restaurants throughout the country.
“It’s always great performing with my brother,” Pusha (born Terrence Thornton) tells ESSENCE. “I feel like I’ve been doing my solo thing for so long, and I could always feel I got fans from a new era, but I can always tell the fans that know me from Clipse and what they’re missing when I’m on stage by myself. So it’s always good to get back in front of those people with my brother and see the excitement and them just enjoying the discography. It’s awesome.”
Clipse’s reunion marks a significant moment in hip-hop history. After releasing their last album, Til the Casket Drops, in 2009, the duo took a hiatus when Malice (whose real name is Gene Thornton) left the group to focus on his religious commitments. Now, with their new project on the horizon, Clipse is reuniting to bring their distinct sound back to the forefront of the music industry. Their forthcoming LP, featuring Pharrell Williams’ signature production, promises to deliver a fresh yet nostalgic experience for fans.
Returning for its fourth year, Pepsi Dig In Day serves as the perfect backdrop for Clipse’s comeback. The initiative is dedicated to supporting Black-owned restaurants and is expanding its reach to more cities and establishments. Set for August 24, the event encourages food enthusiasts to dine at Black-owned eateries nationwide, with a special buy-one-get-one offer covering $100,000 in meals at over 30 participating restaurants. This year’s event will not only showcase the duo’s exclusive performance but also feature local streetwear designer Don C’s merchandise and a variety of local food vendors.
As Pusha T and No Malice prepare to take the stage once again, they’re ready to reignite their musical legacy and celebrate the community-focused spirit of Pepsi Dig In Day. Their reunion is set to be a highlight of the event, marking a triumphant return to the music scene, and an unforgettable day in Hip Hop’s history.
ESSENCE: How did y’all initially connect with Pepsi to collaborate with them for the Dig In Day concert?
Pusha T: Well, I actually did Pepsi Dig In Day DC in promotion of my solo project last year, and it was good. I mean super good. DC, it’s always a party there and just the idea of having food and community and music, everybody all coming together in the city, it was really good, so I’m guessing that with this new project, the new Clipse project, it only made sense. It all fell around the same time, so they were like, “Oh man, new music.” And Chicago’s an amazing market for us, so I think they reached out on behalf of that.
Now, Malice, I was actually at Something in the Water two years ago when y’all performed there, and it was a great show. How do you feel being able to perform with your brother in Chicago?
Malice: Oh, man, I just think it’s amazing. I think the time is right. I think especially for where Hip Hop is right now, I think our project definitely fills the void and just the energy and to be able to reconnect with the fans who have been there from the beginning of Clipse and to see that our music is timeless, and it still stands the test of time, and I feel like we could put it against anything that’s going on now, and it’s just really good to be back.
The new Clipse album, it’ll be the first since 2009. Why did you two feel that this moment was the right time to release your new body of work?
NM: I just feel that it all came together organically. Over the years, I really enjoyed watching my brother and just seeing the level that he took it to from where I left off with him to where he took it to, and the past 15 years for me have been a lot of reflection. And then I think it all came together when we worked on the Jesus is King album together. Then I did a record “Punch Bowl” on the Nigo album, and then I featured on my brother’s album on a song called “Pray,” and it just started to organically just take shape. It felt right, and we think it’s the right time.
PT: I think that’s about the right timeline. Speaking just to the fans, man, I feel like as soon as they saw us together, as soon as Jesus is King, as soon as they heard “Punch Bowl,” as soon as they heard “Pray” on the album, I felt their excitement. The internet talks, and it’s an immediate reaction, and I feel like that excitement was loud, and it spoke to both of us for real.
Malice, there was a point in time where you stepped away from rap for a little while. I wanted to ask you, how do you think that affected your music in the way that you create, if at all?
NM: I think it’s opened up way more content for me. I think people pretty much know me for really digging deep with my lyrics and kind of painting both sides of the picture, and I don’t know, just having time to think, reflect on my life, taking inventory of things. I think I got a lot more to talk about and still deliver the same energy and just the same subjects that Clipse fans love.
Clipse sometimes gets the stigma of pushing “cocaine rap.” I wanted to ask you—what can listeners expect from this new album though?
PT: Well, I think that the biggest goal, our biggest goal with this album is just showing that we are timeless and showing that lyric driven Hip Hop and the fundamentals don’t go out of style. I think you look at this, you look at the game, and you look at the climate of the game, and I feel like we’re definitely bringing something that’s missing because I don’t believe there are any duos in the rap game right now. Definitely not ones with the substance and the subject matter and the taste level that I think we have. I mean, you still get the street talk, you still get the voice of reason, you still get all sides, all perspectives, and I think that’s what Hip Hop is about, especially street Hip Hop. And so I don’t know if that’s a new thing, but I just know that that’s something that people don’t get these days and we’re bringing it.
NM: Yeah, I see Clipse as a novelty. I see us as really truly being a novelty that doesn’t come around often. It’s like a few errors where you may get this kind of uniqueness. I feel like what we bring is special. What you’re getting from the Clipse is real time evolution, real time experience, real time things that we have gone through in life and put it together. We’re never chasing a trend, we’re never trying to keep up what the so-called in thing is. I just think it is timeless, and it’s unique.
Pharrell’s going to be producing the entire album, correct?
NM: Correct.
PT: For sure.
So, I know it’s probably a lot different from when you guys first started. All of you have evolved so much since your first album, I wanted to ask—is the recording process more tedious with you three since you all have so many things going on?
PT: Yeah, man, I would definitely say it’s tedious. It’s tough. We definitely take our time, and sometimes we get in there, and we get nothing. Some days, we catch a vibe, and it could be two, three joints. Some days we argue about what’s needed sonically, what’s not needed. It is a process, but I mean at the same time it’s what comes with it. I think this is what comes in creating as a collective. You got a lot of different energies and opinions, and we all know, that’s the thing though, we all know when we stumble upon it, we all know it’s it, and it’s definitely a process to get to that point, but we get there every time, and it’s always been like that.
NM: I agree. Just like Push said, we work through it, and we get to it, and we know exactly what it is supposed to be. There’s always a standard that we will always adhere to, and we don’t always say how we never make a whole bunch of songs or have leftovers. We’re not just throwing things to the wall to see if it sticks. We know when it sticks, and we just nail it down.
