Def Jam Cuts Ties with Clipse Over Kendrick Lamar Verse, Pointing to Trump Reference
Def Jam split with Clipse when the rap pair stood firm on keeping a Kendrick Lamar verse in their new album, Let God Sort Em Out, set to release on July…
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 09: Kendrick Lamar accepts Album of the Year for “GNX” onstage during the 2025 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Def Jam split with Clipse when the rap pair stood firm on keeping a Kendrick Lamar verse in their new album, Let God Sort Em Out, set to release on July 11.
"They wanted me to ask Kendrick to censor his verse, which of course I was never doing," said Pusha T in an interview with GQ Magazine. "And then they wanted me to take the record off. And so, after a month of not doing it, Steve Gawley, the lawyer over there, was like, 'We'll just drop the Clipse.'"
Their track "Chains & Whips" featuring Lamar sparked tension over a line with the words "trump card." The label cited fears of pushback from Donald Trump as their main worry, but Pusha T wasn't buying it. In a sit-down with the New York Times, he shared his belief: "In my opinion, they just didn't like the optics."
"They pinpointed a line where the phrase 'trump card' was used. So stupid. The phrase 'trump card' was used and they said that they didn't want any problems with [Donald] Trump or something like that," said the Virginia rapper, as reported by Hot New Hip Hop.
He claims they were only searching for something to pick on to stop the song from happening because of the Drake beef with Lamar.
The split cost the artists big. Their manager, Steven Victor, stated that they paid a "seven-figure sum" to terminate the contract. Now they've found a new home at Jay-Z's Roc Nation.
Fans got a sneak peek of Lamar's work on June 23. Clipse and Pharrell Williams shared bits through Instagram stories. The preview showed, "I'm not the candidate to vibe with / I don't f**k with the kumbaya s**t / All that talent must be God-sent / I sent your a** back to the cosmics," as noted in Rap Up.
This clash comes as Universal Music Group, which owns Def Jam, faces legal heat from Drake. He's suing UMG for defamation over another Kendrick Lamar song, "Not Like Us."
The new album marks a fresh start for the reunited duo. With Pharrell Williams at the helm of production, Let God Sort Em Out will now be available on streaming platforms through Roc Nation on July 11.
