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Sunday night kicked off Hip Hop Week in Milwaukee, and it brought the return of one of the most influential groups in recent hip hop history to Milwaukee. Reunited on the heels of July’s “Let God Sort Em Out,” Clipse made their return to the Eagles Ballroom with a set that felt larger than life.
With two giant video screens positioned behind them, the duo incorporated gritty, violent visuals into a 17-song set that ran through their classics, as well as more than half of the new album. Eight songs from the July release landed in Sunday night’s set, and both Pusha T and Malice had no qualms about their latest material.
“‘Let God Sort Em Out.’ Album of the Year. Easy” remarked Pusha T multiple times throughout the hour-long set. The duo rarely spoke to the crowd, but on a couple of occasions, paused to turn the house lights up so that Milwaukee could appreciate that they were back together, and they could take in the crowd. It was a way to say more with less.
In fairness, everything from the new album landed with the Eagles Ballroom crowd on Sunday night, from set opener “Chains & Whips” to album opener and main set-closer “The Birds Don’t Sing.” Never ones to lack confidence, the two remained on opposite sides of the stage for the most part, each working a different side of the packed ballroom. With Pusha T dressed in all white, and Malice in all black, both rapped with precision while photos of murder weapons, crime scenes, and videos of vintage step teams played behind them.
When they weren’t running through choice cuts from the new album, they got the crowd fired up with every throwback Pharrell Williams beat. That started early on, with “Popular Demand” blowing out as much bass as possible in the ballroom just three songs into the set. Just after, they delivered their verses from “What Happened To That Boy?,” a collaboration with Birdman from Big Tymerz. The song choice was particularly interesting, considering that the duo have a long-standing beef with Birdman, yet kept his vocals in the hook.
The formula was simple at first; two new songs, followed by two older tracks. Then, they slowly moved into more of their back catalogue, with an inspired angst on “Keys Open Doors” that had the ballroom bouncing. Then came their biggest hits, “Mr. Me Too” and “Grindin’” back to back, with time left in their main set. Sunday night’s set wasn’t so much about playing the hits, but rather the fact that the duo were reunited, and they were taking no prisoners now that they were back in business. It was like they had never left, and while Pusha T had gone on to plenty of solo success, it was a return to form for Malice, who was just as razor-sharp when it came time to lay down his verses.
Four songs from “Let God Sort Em Out” wrapped up the main portion of the set, with “F.I.C.O,” “So Be It,” “Ace Trumpets,” and “The Birds Don’t Sing” dropping one after another. The set closer felt like a poignant moment, with the otherwise grainy visuals fading out to pictures of Pusha and Malice’s parents, just before the set went black to end the set. The John Legend-assisted song rang out in the ballroom, and it felt like a fitting moment to take a pause before the duo would return for their three-song encore.
Once back on stage, it was all classic Clipse to finish the night, with “Cot Damn” getting the crowd to scream along to Pharrell’s hook over the PA, and “Virginia” and new cut “So Far Ahead” providing the climax to the night. The duo went out with a statement of a finish, dropping the song with their logo boldly displayed on the screens. It was once again the chance for Clipse to remind you what they’re capable of, and let you know that they’re back in a major way.
Sunday night’s show was a big start to Hip Hop Week in 2025. You can find the full schedule of events this week, including appearances from 9th Wonder, Benny The Butcher, and more, available here.
