Clipse Reflects On Historic Vatican Performance: “Hip-Hop Should Be Celebrated Everywhere”

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The brother rap duo spoke on their responsibility to fans to show Hip-Hop has no limitations to where it can go.

Alessandra Benedetti-Corbis/Getty Images

In a moment that felt both divine and defiant, The Clipse did something no other Hip-Hop act has ever done — they performed at The Vatican. Yes, that sacred place obtaining St. Peter’s Square.

Last month, Pusha T and No Malice turned one of the holiest sites on Earth into a sanctuary for Hip-Hop, delivering a soul-stirring performance of their reflective single “The Birds Don’t Sing.”

The Virginia-bred brothers took the stage during the Grace for the World concert, with John Legend joining them for a powerful live rendition that felt transcendent. Through the song’s lyrics, they channeled the pain and healing that followed their parents’ passing, creating a moment that resonated deeply with both the faithful and Hip-Hop heads alike.

For Clipse, though, the Vatican performance hit different. It came on the heels of their long-awaited reunion album Let God Sort ’Em Out after a 15-year hiatus. While speaking with them at the Pepsi Philly Eats Fest on Saturday (Oct. 4), the magnitude of their achievement and the history they’d just made was not lost on either brother.

“It was definitely a moment for us,” Malice told VIBE. “I think we definitely broke ground. It’s overdue and past time that people understand that Hip-Hop belongs everywhere. It’s expression, it’s communication, it teaches the world about our culture. It’s an art form that’s celebrated in every walk of life. It’s nothing that should be surprising — we should be celebrated everywhere.”

It’s not the first time Hip-Hop has been elevated to spaces once deemed “too highbrow” for the culture. Just last month, Future saw his DS2 album reimagined as a ballet, fusing trap music with classical dance. The latter is part of the movement of rappers expanding the genre’s reach beyond stadiums, Super Bowls, and red carpets and into the world’s most prestigious art institutions.

But this moment at The Vatican was undeniably defining.

Pusha echoed Malice’s sentiment, reflecting on Hip-Hop’s long road to becoming a respected artform. “I think we have a responsibility to our fans specifically to showcase our talent and showcase the things that they fell in love with on all of the biggest platforms,” he said. “I think it’s good for fans of Hip-Hop and the culture to see how far this thing can go.”

“I’ve been here for a long time with Hip-Hop, and I remember it not being seen as an art, and it not being televised,” he continued. “And like you said, now being at The Vatican — we do this so everyone can see how far it can go.”

Alessandra Benedetti-Corbis/Getty Images

Pharrell Williams co-produced the Grace for the World concert that took place on Sept. 13, alongside Nova Sky Stories and the legendary Andrea Bocelli, calling it “a rare cultural moment where the world stops and collectively tunes in.” And he wasn’t exaggerating.

The Clipse performance was less about creating a “contradictory” spectacle and more about the symbolism and proof that Hip-Hop now commands reverence even in the holiest of places.

A long ways from grinding in Virginia Beach to now performing in Vatican City, The Clipse’s journey is a testament to Hip-Hop’s limitless boundaries.

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