Kendrick Lamar’s Feature on Clipse’s New Album Nearly Pulled Due to Drake Beef Fallout

Kendrick Lamar’s name has dominated headlines this year, and not just for his lyrical takedowns. The hip-hop heavyweight, still riding the aftershocks of his explosive feud with Drake, has reportedly stirred tensions behind the scenes of another major release—Clipse’s upcoming album Let God Sort Em Out.

According to a new GQ interview, Pusha T and No Malice revealed that Def Jam and its parent company Universal Music Group (UMG) raised concerns about Kendrick’s appearance on the album, especially in light of his ongoing war of words with Drake. The record labels feared that having two of Drizzy’s fiercest rivals collaborating might fan the flames even further—or, perhaps more cynically, alienate Drake’s commercial influence.

“They wanted me to ask Kendrick to censor his verse, which of course I was never doing,” Pusha T shared bluntly, calling the request “stupid.” But the pushback didn’t stop there. “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.’”

That threat didn’t work, largely because Pusha T remains under contract as a solo act. He continued, “But [if] you let us all go…” implying there was no real leverage to force their hand. In the end, Let God Sort Em Out escaped label purgatory and found a new home with Roc Nation—an interesting move that’s only added fuel to the speculation that JAY-Z might appear as a guest on the album.

Originally slated for release last summer, the album’s delay reportedly stemmed from the Kendrick feature controversy. The track in question, believed to be “Chains & Whips,” was first heard in an early form at Pharrell Williams’ debut Louis Vuitton show. Despite the concern from execs, Pusha T insists Kendrick’s verse doesn’t contain any Drake disses, direct or subliminal. “I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about,” he said.

Kendrick Lamar and Pusha T linking up again was always going to raise eyebrows, especially after Kendrick’s fiery diss tracks “Euphoria” and “Not Like Us” shook up the rap world and sent shockwaves across the industry. Their shared history of lyrical warfare against the OVO frontman made them a powerful—and potentially controversial—combination.

While the public has yet to hear the full track, the label’s attempts to stifle the collaboration hint at how tense things have gotten in the post-Drake/Kendrick beef era. Major labels are now walking a fine line, trying to balance creative freedom with corporate risk management, and it seems Kendrick’s name alone is enough to spark panic behind the scenes.

As for whether JAY-Z will indeed lend a verse to Let God Sort Em Out, fans will have to wait until the album drops on July 11. The mystery feature has been teased for months, with many initially believing it might be Kendrick. Now that the truth is out, all eyes are on Hov.

Despite the label drama, Clipse appears undeterred. This latest saga only underscores their long-standing resilience in the face of industry pressure. And with Kendrick Lamar still at the heart of the most talked-about rap moments of 2025, his involvement is bound to make waves—whether labels like it or not.