Ace Trumpets by Clipse | Song Review

The rap duo returns with a new single for their first album in 16 years.

Clipse is officially back. The rap duo of brothers Pusha T and No Malice are gearing up to drop their first album since 2009’s Till The Casket Drops. They made appearances together on 2022’s I Know NIGO! from longtime friend and streetwear trailblazer NIGO and had another reunion on the closing track on Pusha T’s album, It’s Almost Dry, from the same year. But this is something truly special. After multiple teases in interviews, vague answers, a collaboration with Carhartt for an album that hadn’t dropped and confirmation that the album was “done” — we finally have a release date of July 11, 2025.

Today, we’ve got our first taste of the album, titled Let God Sort Em Out with this new single, titled “Ace Trumpets.” It should also be known that Pharrell executive produced the album and if you don’t know their history…just know they’re the definition of being locked in since day 1. The album cover comes from one of their earliest collaborators too, artist KAWS.

“Ace Trumpets” is a lyrical showcase from Clipse with Pharrell crafting a uniquely fuzzy beat for them. The bass in it punches through headphones and the drums crack and snap as the slightly distorted melody rises up and down. There’s a switch up from this when the hook comes in as grandiose ominous choir-like vocals are paired with what sounds like a guitar. I like the beat — I don’t love it. I appreciate how it has those two sections though.

Pusha T offers up some unique wordplay with his trademark sinister yet confident delivery. His punchlines hit hard as they combine flexes with creativity and lines like “White glove service with the brick, I am Luigi” being the type we expect and know him for. No Malice has some fun with his inflections in the opening moments of his verse before diving into clever and witty lyricism of his own that references the Tribe of Judah, The Lion King and Lady Gaga. You can probably guess what he was referring to with the latter. The most impressive aspect of both verses is how they both only used a monorhyme scheme — with internal rhyme weaved in flawlessly too.

This was a solid single to get listeners ready for Let God Sort Em Out. While I don’t love the production, I still think the duo sounded good on it. I imagine with more listens, I’ll catch even more references in their verses. This is a good intro to get listeners ready for what’s coming and the day 1 fans are sure to appreciate the return of Clipse.

Rating: 8/10