Clipse paid a seven-figure sum to end their contract with Def Jam. Pusha T previously said they parted ways due to disputes over their new album, Let God Sort Em Out.
Steven Victor, Pusha’s manager, told Billboard that Def Jam required a large payment to release the duo from their deal. He said the amount was much higher than $200,000 and described it as “an insane amount of money” for artists to pay. Victor confirmed the payment was in the seven-figure range.
Pusha explained to GQ that the conflict began when Def Jam asked Kendrick Lamar to censor his guest verse on the album. Pusha refused, and the label then wanted to remove the song. After a month, Def Jam considered dropping Clipse, but that could not happen while Pusha was still signed as a solo artist.
Def Jam was reportedly worried about the public perception of Kendrick Lamar and Pusha T collaborating while Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) was ongoing.
Following these issues, Clipse left Def Jam and signed with Roc Nation to release their reunion album. Neither Def Jam nor UMG has responded to the claims about the deal.
Last week, Clipse announced that Let God Sort Em Out will be released on July 11, sharing a cinematic trailer and social media post with fans.
