The Clipse are taking us back to the blog era of the aughts during the rollout for their Let God Sort Em Out project. Today, the Virginia duo dropped the video for “So Be It,” the second single from their upcoming album, dropping July 11. The black-and-white, Hannan Hussain-directed video showcases the brothers rapping on the site of a mansion, with classic luxury cars strewn about in lieu of the modern vehicles that artists typically boast alongside.
The sleek visual aesthetic fits their slick bars and the beguiling violin sample Pharrell employs alongside sparse, thumping drums. Yes, he threw shots at Travis Scott on the record (because of Drake’s Pharrell diss on Scott’s “Meltdown”), but that’s not what makes “So Be It” special. From the music video’s cinematic visuals to the sound design, the moment exemplifies the intentionality that makes the Clipse so respected and beloved.
Of course, fans are only just now getting to appreciate the latter aspect. Clipse debuted the song last night with DJs Funkmaster Flex and DJ Hed, who played it on Hot 97 and Instagram Live, respectively. As of press time, it’s still not available via digital service providers (DSP).
Last night, fans clamored to hear a clear, studio-quality version of the track. Some older fans even referenced wanting a “CDQ,” a.k.a. CD quality, version of the song last night. That phrase is a holdover from the blog era, when an artist would send a song to a radio DJ, and fans would listen to a low-quality rip on the radio airing while indefinitely waiting for the pristine version to drop on a blog. X user @Raw_SPK spoke for a generation of fans when he posted, “If this was back in the day, that new Clipse CDQ would be on InFlexWeTrust and 2DopeBoyz within the hour,” referring to two blog era mainstays that posted new music on the daily.
The Clipse, more than many acts, are intent on creative choices that appeal specifically to their fans, even if it alienates others. Layered drug references are a key part of their artistry, often translated from those who get their insular references to the rest of the masses. Pusha T made “IYKYK” a go-to slogan for people only talking to others of a certain cloth. “Ace Trumpets,” the title of the first Let God Sort Em Out single, is a term you’d probably only know if you identified with the flashy lifestyle the song depicts. And it feels like the rollout for “So Be It,” with a radio premiere and no immediate DSP release, was a gift for the blog-era fans who grew up with them and weathered MP3s that were staticky and DJ-tagged to death just to listen to their favorites.
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Their decision to delay a DSP release and house “So Be It” on Instagram stirs that much more anticipation among new-age rap fans accustomed to being spoon-fed everything immediately. In tandem with their recent editorial profiles, Clipse are giving us an intentional, music-focused album rollout that feels like yesteryear, before Instagram Live sessions, tweetstorms, and interviews with streamers became the promotional norm.
