So Be It (Clipse Song)
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"So Be It" is a song by American hip-hop duo
Clipse Clipse, also known as the Clipse, is an American hip-hop, hip hop duo from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Formed in 1994, it consists of brothers No Malice, Gene "Malice" and Pusha T, Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during t ...
, released exclusively as a music video on
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and
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on June 17, 2025, as a promotional single for their fourth studio album ''
Let God Sort Em Out ''Let God Sort Em Out'' is the upcoming fourth studio album by American hip-hop duo Clipse, consisting of brothers Malice and Pusha T. Set to be released by Roc Nation on July 11, 2025, it marks the duo's first album since '' Til the Casket Dr ...
'' (2025). On the album's launch day, a remix with a different instrumental, "So Be It Pt. II", was temporarily on streaming services before being replaced with the original. Neither version appeared on the physical editions of the album. The song, produced by
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
, gained significant attention over a diss directed at rapper
Travis Scott Jacques Bermon Webster III (born April 30, 1991), known professionally as Travis Scott (formerly stylized as Travi$ Scott), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Scott has had five number-one hits on the U.S. ''Bil ...
.


Background

In an interview with '' GQ'' following the song's release,
Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...
explained his animosity toward Travis Scott, first citing his 2023 song " Meltdown", in which featured artist
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
(who has a feud with Pusha T) took aim at Pusha T and Pharrell (despite Scott having a friendly relationship with the latter). Furthermore, Pusha revealed that Scott interrupted one of Clipse's sessions at Pharrell's studio at the
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
headquarters in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
(where they recorded most of ''Let God Sort Em Out'') to promote his album ''
Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...
''. Clipse was not interested in his music, but Scott filmed a teaser of himself playing it for Pharrell. Scott played "Meltdown", but without Drake's verse. Pusha T was especially disgusted with Scott remaining neutral in the affairs of his associates—such as Drake's feuds with rappers
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
and
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
—which he perceived as a lack of loyalty. Referring to himself cutting ties with West and
GOOD Music GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...
, Pusha said "I personally have been removed from that crew and those people for a minute. So, that's where my issue comes in—like, dawg, don't even come over here with that, because at the end of the day, I don't play how y'all play. To me, that really was just like…he's a whore. He's a whore." On June 17, 2025, Clipse premiered "So Be It" with
Funkmaster Flex Aston George Taylor Jr. (born August 5, 1967), professionally known as Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer, and host on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. In 1992, he became host of the first hip hop radio show on Ho ...
and DJ Hed, who played it on
Hot 97 WQHT (97.1 FM, ''Hot 97'') is a commercial radio station, licensed to New York, New York, which broadcasts an urban contemporary music format. The station is owned by Mediaco Holding, a subsidiary of the Standard General hedge fund. WQHT's st ...
and
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respectively.


Composition and lyrics

The production is composed of a sample of the song "Maza Akoulo Wa Qad Himto" by Saudi Arabian musician
Talal Maddah Talal Maddah (5 August 1940 – 11 August 2000; ) was a Saudis, Saudi Arabian musician and composer . He was named Maddah after his mother's family and was commonly nicknamed as "The Earth's Voice" (). He had a substantial influence over 20th ...
and "sparse, thumping" drums and "backwards"
808s ''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Studio ...
. Lyrically, Clipse raps about drug dealing and boasts their wealth. Pusha T disses Kanye West and threatens his enemies ("Fuckin' with P, get somethin' immediate / Your soul don’t like your body, we helped you free it / Then we wait for
TMZ ''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...
to leak it / It ain't no secrets, so be it, so be it") in the opening verse. In the third verse,
No Malice Gene Elliott Thornton Jr. (born August 18, 1972), better known by his stage name Malice (formerly Malicious and later No Malice), is an American rapper from Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is best known for being one half of hip hop duo Clipse, a ...
also acknowledges Pharrell being a solo producer, alluding to his and
Chad Hugo Charles Edward Hugo (born February 24, 1974) is an American musician and record producer. Alongside childhood friend Pharrell Williams, he formed the production duo the Neptunes in 1992, with whom he has produced numerous hit records for variou ...
's legal dispute over rights to the name of their group,
The Neptunes The Neptunes were an American record production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provided backing vocals and music video appearances on the duo's productions, while H ...
. Pusha targets Travis Scott in the fourth and final verse, referencing his breakup with media personality
Kylie Jenner Kylie Kristen Jenner (born August 10, 1997) is an American media personality, socialite and businesswoman. She starred in the E! reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' from 2007 to 2021 and then the Hulu reality televisi ...
: "You cried in front of me, you died in front of me /
Calabasas Calabasas may refer to: * Calabasas, Arizona, former populated place in what is now Rio Rico, Arizona * Calabasas, California, city in Los Angeles County, California See also * Calabaza Calabaza is the generic name in the Spanish langua ...
took your bitch and your pride in front of me / Her ''Utopia'' had moved right up the street / And her lip gloss was poppin', she ain't need you to eat". He also mentions Alexander "A.E." Edwards, the Vice President of A&R at
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...
, who is the best friend and right-hand man of Jenner's ex-boyfriend and rapper
Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson
: "The 'net gon' call it the way that they see it / But I got the video, I can share and A.E. it / They wouldn't believe it, but I can't unsee it / Lucky I ain't TMZ it, so be it, so be it".


Critical reception

Zachary Horvath of ''
HotNewHipHop ''HotNewHipHop'' (HNHH) is an online publication that covers daily news about hip hop and pop culture, including streetwear, sports, and Sneaker collecting, sneakers. In addition to its editorial content, HotNewHipHop also produces the video seri ...
'' wrote "But potential dissing aside, the music is great on its own. Pharrell remains in tip-top shape here, with a head-bopping beat and a haunting sample to kick off the track. The verses from the Clipse stars are also sharp again and this is shaping up to be the rap AOTY." Preezy Brown of ''
Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...
'' called the song a "triumphant return to form—sharp, stylish, and unapologetically elite", commenting that Pusha T "sounds as focused as ever" and No Malice "delivers with cryptic flair". Brown also remarked, "Pharrell's production is masterful—strings and Arabian flourishes swirl into a backdrop that feels celebratory and menacing all at once."


Music video

The music video was released alongside the single. Directed by Hannan Hussain and filmed in
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
, it sees Clipse wearing jewelry and rapping at a mansion, with classic luxury cars scattered around them.


Charts


References

{{Clipse 2025 singles 2025 songs Clipse songs Song recordings produced by Pharrell Williams Songs written by Pusha T Songs written by Pharrell Williams Roc Nation singles Diss tracks