Pusha T believes his solo albums haven’t quite met fan expectations when it comes to recreating the magic of Clipse‘s acclaimed catalog.
Sitting down with GQ in a new interview, the Virginia rapper offered a candid assessment of his output as a solo artist following his musical separation from his brother No Malice.
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Pusha admitted that he’s “taken an L” in trying to recreate the introspection that his former partner in rhyme brought to the table, claiming his efforts are “never enough” — particularly to fans and critics.
“Just to be all the way honest, ever since I went solo, I heard the cries from the fans of what they were missing from the Clipse in my solo albums,” he said. “And I’ve tried to mimic and infuse, and tried to cater at some points, but it’s never enough. And I had to come to terms with that.
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“He actually brings a level of introspection that’s like, man, I can’t dial into it and do it the way the people and the fans want to hear it. And I’ve taken that L.”
He continued: “I’m just saying it’s an L because I’ve tried, because I know the issue and know that I couldn’t honestly check that box off. The people have already sipped the Kool-Aid, right? They already know how it’s made.
“They already understand the amount of sugar that’s in it. It doesn’t taste the same when I make it, and they know that. So I couldn’t necessarily always check that box off and I was trying to, no lie.”
Pusha T was also asked if he and No Malice have been back in the studio making music together, to which he replied: “I wouldn’t say consistently, but we definitely have been messing around with a few ideas.
“I’ve been working on a couple different projects at one time, in between touring, and he’s definitely been around and been there to be a part of it. So I think he has been finding the fun in it as well. I don’t be pressing it, but it is always fun to watch him have that fun again.”
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He continued: “It has been a problem with me finishing my verse and then him finishing after me and me feeling like, ‘Hey man, this is not fair. Something has to give.’ I guess I haven’t heard that level of intellect and common sense in rap in a minute. So it’s a breath of fresh air.”
Pusha T’s comments have rekindled speculation that a new Clipse album is in the works, with FakeShoreDrive‘s Andrew Barber suggesting on Twitter that a project is “imminent” if one reads between the lines.
The duo’s last full-length release, Til the Casket Drops, arrived in 2009, after which No Malice became a newborn Christian and retired from the group.
Despite his harsh self-criticism, Pusha T’s solo career hasn’t been without merit. Since going it alone in 2010, the 46-year-old lyricist has dropped multiple critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums, earning multiple Grammy nominations in the process.
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He even scored his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 last year with It’s Almost Dry, which boasted heavyweight collaborations with JAY-Z, Kanye West, Pharrell, Lil Uzi Vert and Kid Cudi.
King Push is currently working on his first-ever Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama, which he’s hailed as “special.”
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“What I’m trying to do is restore the feeling in every aspect of this subgenre of music. And just of this cloth, of this taste level,” he told XXL last year.
“I’m just trying to make people realize how viable this is. To show people that I can’t do what you do, but you definitely can’t do what I do. I have to show those differences. That’s the whole premise behind the mixtape.”
