Welcome to Rap Weekly 142: Let God Sort Em Out. Every Monday, we’ll take you into the world of rap and summarise the most exciting news, announcements and can’t-miss stories. Find out everything you need to know in one place. We only write about the best, so you get the best rap delicacies on a golden platter. We review the albums Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, Until Night Comes by Larry June & Cardo, Neighborhood Gods Unlimited by Open Mike Eagle, Late To My Own Funeral by Nicholas Craven & Boldy James, Journey Into Mystery by New Villain & FROwNS, and ENDOCRINE by GDP & Fatboi Sharif. Also look forward to great music videos from Sayzee, Strandz, 111SYRI, A$AP Twelvyy, Jay Worthy, A$AP NAST, Destroy Lonely, JACKBOYS, TRAVIS SCOTT, DRAKE, or MAXO KREAM. All this and much more in Rap Weekly.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
Sixteen years of waiting are over. The legendary duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice) has released their fourth studio album. The record, Let God Sort Em Out, was entirely produced by the one and only Pharrell Williams, and the duo—with a clear vision and monumental ambition—builds on the classics Lord Willin’ (2002), Hell Hath No Fury (2006), and Til the Casket Drops (2009). The entire rollout before the release was masterfully executed: Clipse stirred up the internet when Pusha T dissed Travis Scott, appealed to culture fans with a capsule collection in collaboration with Carhartt, and most importantly, announced to the world with two excellent singles that modern coke rap will forever be their domain.
Clipse are back — Let God Sort Em Out is a grand, nasty rap blockbuster. The album plays like a mafia-themed James Bond film, where both rappers return to their youth, confronting still-bleeding family wounds, dark and suspenseful drug tales, and triumphant celebrations of success towering across continents. Each track feels like a cinematic set piece, elevated by stellar production from Pharrell. While the beats may not push rap into unexplored territory, they stand out within the mainstream thanks to their distinct, commanding sound. A clear highlight is the track F.I.C.O. featuring Stove God Cook$ — this is the action sequence that follows the movie’s tensest moment, when the (anti)heroes regain their resolve and prepare to enter the final act. Pusha T and Malice confidently prove they have something to say, they love rap, and they belong among the best of the best.
NEWS
Raekwon The Chef is back!
Thanks to the Legend Has It series by Mass Appeal, we can look forward to seven new albums from legendary artists this year. This project allowed us to write The Ruler’s Back! just a few weeks ago, when we reviewed the new record by Slick Rick. Now, on Friday, July 18, Raekwon returns to the spotlight. Yessir, The Chef is back! His new album, The Emperor’s New Clothes, is set to mark a sharp return to his roots, highlighting Raekwon’s lyrical precision and timeless street wisdom — all built on tightly crafted, high-quality production. Expect seventeen tracks and guest appearances from none other than Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Nas, Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, and Conway the Machine. As The Chef himself revealed: „Emperors New Clothes “is my most polished statement to date . ..i’m very proud of this piece ! This cinematic piece i wrapped it in rich verlour with platinum threaded precision. ( i guess that’s how i look at my product when im serving shit ) lol.“
Special Herbs
MF DOOM sadly left us in 2020 (Rest in peace), yet his work and legacy continue to be treated with care and deep respect. Each year, fans are gifted with something new that allows them to dive further into the oeuvre of this rap genius. Just last week, the vinyl release of the Special Herbs series was officially announced. You can now pre-order one of the most extensive instrumental hip-hop collections ever, along with exclusive merch and even an action figure. „Special Herbs collection assembles a mountainous collection of his beats, ranging from series exclusives to slightly reworked favorites he produced for himself and others. Released under the alias Metal Fingers, Special Herbs succeeds at capturing DOOM’s highly influential sound which continually breaks and reinterprets the rules of the game in favor of The Super-Villain.“
BRAP 2
The long-awaited return of VDON and Estee Nack is here. Their project BRAP II follows the cult underground album BRAP! and once again delivers an intense experience at the intersection of hard-hitting rap and dark cinematic atmosphere. Across thirteen tracks, Nack’s signature lyricism meets VDON’s precise, often minimalist yet heavy production. While the first BRAP! quickly earned a highly regarded status among underground rap fans, the sequel pushes the collaboration further. BRAP II feels tighter, grittier, and darker in sound. VDON again works with carefully chosen samples, a suffocating atmosphere, and drums that carry the DNA of the East Coast while incorporating contemporary sonic nuances. Estee Nack showcases his trademark linguistic agility, shifting between English, Spanish, and street slang. His lyrics are loaded with meaning, metaphors, and references that demand attentive listening. Combined with his natural speech rhythm, each of his verses feels like a meticulously built monolith. Guest appearances from leading names in today’s underground scene — Al.Divino, Aldoe, BoriRock, Shaykh Hanif, and Ty Da Dale — enrich the album with additional vocal and thematic dimensions, reinforcing its raw, unrelenting character deeply rooted in independent hip-hop tradition. The release is accompanied by a music video for the track IL DUCE, in which Nack reaffirms his position as a standout rap storyteller and performer. BRAP II is currently available exclusively at serioussoundz.com.
BEST ALBUMS
Larry June & Cardo – Until Night Comes
Larry June and Cardo have once again joined forces on a new studio album titled Until Night Comes. This fourteen-track project offers a cohesive and thoughtful look at contemporary rap through the lens of a grown man who values stability, composure, and confident calm. Cardo, known for crafting atmospheric yet funk-infused beats, delivers organic and subtly layered production. Groovy drums, smooth basslines, and carefully selected samples create the perfect backdrop for Larry June’s introspective and composed delivery. The music isn’t designed to shock or dazzle but to serve as a medium for personal storytelling. Larry June, celebrated for his unique blend of West Coast sound and emphasis on healthy living and entrepreneurship, presents himself on Until Night Comes as a rapper with a clear message. His lyrics often reflect daily routines, personal growth, and the pursuit of financial independence. However, this isn’t classic motivational rap — his approach is grounded, assured, and unforced. This tone carries through to tracks like 7 Mile Bike Ride pt. 2, where June effortlessly discusses cycling, financial planning, and the realization that not every relationship is worth maintaining. The album features strong guest appearances from E-40, Don Toliver, Black C, Payroll Giovanni, and Richie Rich.
Open Mike Eagle – Neighborhood Gods Unlimited
American rapper and multifaceted author Open Mike Eagle returns with another studio album that reaffirms his exceptional standing in the realm of alternative and introspective hip-hop. His new project, Neighborhood Gods Unlimited, builds on his previous work and is rich with personal observations, humor, melancholy, and linguistic playfulness. Across fourteen tracks, everyday poetry intertwines with surreal reflections on the self and the surrounding world. Eagle once again balances autobiographical storytelling, cultural critique, and absurdist humor. His lyrics tackle sensitive topics without ever slipping into pathos, often resembling internal monologues of someone acutely aware of their own strangeness — and embracing it with calm and self-irony. The album’s production is handled by longtime collaborators including Kenny Segal, Child Actor, K-Nite 13, August Fanon, and others. The resulting sound drifts between lo-fi aesthetics, alternative boom-bap, and gently experimental textures. Each beat creates a distinct micro-universe tailored to the tone of the lyrics — sometimes nostalgic, sometimes tense, sometimes airy. One of the highlights is Wide-leg Michael Jordan Generation X Jeans, where Eagle, with his signature wit and verbal dexterity, unpacks the theme of baggy jeans as a generational symbol. Beneath the seemingly playful topic lies a meditation on personal identity, cultural memory, and what it means to be oneself in a constantly shifting world. Neighborhood Gods Unlimited is not a traditional rap album. It’s a personal collage of emotions, micro-stories, and cultural associations that demands an attentive listener — but in return, offers an extraordinary listening experience: deeply human, formally inventive, and stylistically unique.
Nicholas Craven & Boldy James – Late To My Own Funeral
When Canadian architect of melancholy Nicholas Craven joins forces with Detroit realist Boldy James, the result can only be a raw, meticulously constructed album that offers no escape—only confrontation. Late To My Own Funeral is a project that doesn’t demand your attention with force but quietly claims it—steadily, like an unspoken memory that surfaces just when you need strength the most. Boldy raps about the way he lives: with distance, composure, pain, and a cynicism not for effect, but for survival. Each verse sounds like it’s delivered with eyes fixed on the ground, where past selves and fallen friends are buried. Craven provides a backdrop that isn’t flashy but is strikingly cinematic. The samples flow like memories; the drums are solid yet never overwhelming. He gives Boldy space but also frames the narrative with a conceptual weight and beauty. Here, melancholy isn’t just an atmosphere—it’s the main character. The closing track, AT&T, brings the whole record to an end with a force that offers no redemption, only another angle on how hard it is to survive with dignity. While no official music video was released for the album, we’re including the video for No Pun Intended as a visual companion.
New Villain & FROwNS – Journey Into Mystery
„Inspired by the legends, the unknown, and the power of mystery— just like the comic series that gave birth to gods. In 1962, Journey into Mystery issue #83 Gave us the first appearance of Thor which eventually became a Marvel staple.” With these words, rapper New Villain introduces his album Journey Into Mystery, fully produced by FROwNS. Together, the artists unravel a hypnotic narrative filled with the supernatural and the unknown. Hip-hop has intersected with comic books since its earliest days, and today New Villain stands out as one of the genre’s most compelling artists in channeling comic book aesthetics into music. As he states on the album’s title track: “a villain you know nothing about as you listen.” The comic book influence adds both entertaining tropes and narrative suspense, while also offering a form of emotional detachment—a chance to escape harsh realities into a world fully controlled by the artist.
GDP & Fatboi Sharif – ENDOCRINE
We strive to study rap music thoroughly and diligently, so we could say we never even dreamed of the return of legendary rapper GDP. The truth is, however, we only discovered his music thanks to the album ENDOCRINE, created together with the one and only Fatboi Sharif. Two lifelong students of hip-hop intertwine their unique creative palettes: GDP & Fatboi Sharif paint with yet undiscovered colors on ENDOCRINE. It’s truly impossible to capture or present the nuances or essence of any Fatboi project in such a short paragraph. We devoted an entire article to his album Decay (w/ steel tipped dove) for that very reason — but today, unfortunately, we don’t have that much space. We’ll repeat ourselves, but you’ve never heard anything like ENDOCRINE. GDP and Fatboi rap in very different styles, yet their singular vision, passion, and love for the genre make them a perfect match. Their chemistry shifts the pace of the album with every track, and you get the feeling you’re watching a long-lost psychedelic film that constantly surprises you. Nothing more needs to be said — see for yourself.
DOPE ALBUMS
The five albums above aren’t the only ones you need to hear. We’ve handpicked ten more dope records that no one should sleep on. Give every one of these projects a shot — they all deserve your time.
Tha God Fahim – Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 15 (Final Explosion)
SOO DO KOO – HAROLD
John Dutch – King Dutch
Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire – Vol. 2: The Y.O.Uprint
TOBi – ELEMENTS Vol. 2
Rich Jones & Good Food – Comemos
Hank Dope & Work Scorsese – Dopedemik
P-Ro X ladonik – Hypersonic
Ja’king the Divine & Javi Darko – Paradoxical Yet It Works
Dee-1 – Hipocritical Hop
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
Mean Gene Machin by Sayzee is a self-produced heat from Toronto. Educate yourself.
Looking for a tasteful banger to ignite your summer? Mile High Club by Strandz & 111SYRI is the answer.
A$AP Twelvyy takes you through his city in the immersive music video for A1.
Looking for a new West Coast hit? You won’t find anything better than Reckless by Jay Worthy.
A bone-chilling night ride: A$AP NAST and Destroy Lonely will hypnotize you with the music video for AMG MUSIC.
DOPE VIDEOS
Our list of must-see music videos doesn’t stop at the top five. We’ve selected ten more fire clips you need to check out. Show some love to all the artists below — they truly deserve the spotlight.
JACKBOYS & TRAVIS SCOTT – 2000 EXCURSION
MAXO KREAM – CRACC AT 15 (PROD. TYLER, THE CREATOR)
Verbz & Mr Slipz – Switch Lanes
Shottie x TeV95 x Grafh – Air Penny
Jimmie D & Nicholas Craven – Notre Dame
That’s a wrap on today’s news roundup. What caught your attention the most? Hit us up on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TikTok or Bluesky We’ll be back next Monday with another dose of the Rap Weekly and fresh heat from the scene — don’t miss it!
