Clipse looked back on their groundbreaking performance at the Vatican, calling it a powerful moment that showed how far hip-hop has come.
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Clipse, who became the first rap artist to perform at the Vatican during the “Grace for the World” concert in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 13, reflected on his experience making hip-hop history.
Pusha T and Malice performed in front of over 253,000 people, taking the stage with a live gospel choir to perform “The Birds Don’t Sing” by John Legend, a reflective song from their latest album, Let God Sort Em Out.
The song pays tribute to their late parents and marks a deeply personal moment for the duo at one of the most sacred sites on earth.
“This is definitely a moment for us,” Malice told VIBE. “I think we’ve really made a breakthrough. It’s long past time for people to understand that hip-hop belongs everywhere. It’s expression, it’s communication, it’s teaching our culture to the world.”
He continued, “This is an art form that is celebrated in all walks of life. There’s nothing surprising about that – we should be celebrated everywhere.”
Pharrell Williams, a long-time collaborator and friend of Clipse, curated the Vatican event.
Pusha T reflects on the progress the genre has made since its early days, when it was often overlooked by mainstream institutions.
“I’ve been around hip-hop for a long time and I remember it wasn’t viewed as an art and it wasn’t televised,” he said. “Like you said, now in the Vatican – we’re doing this so everyone can see how far it can go.”
Released in July, “Let God Sort Em Out” is Clipse’s first album in 14 years and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The Vatican Concert on September 13 is now available to watch on Disney+.
