Re: Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out (2025)
: 22 lip 2025, 19:29
Clipse dropped the video for “So Be It” on June 17. But the song didn’t hit DSPs until after they released their new album on 7/11. That was not their original plan. To get the backstory, I spoke with @Clipse’s manager @StevenVictor. It turns out Swizz Beatz saved the day
The original version of “So Be It” samples “Maza Akoulou” by Saudi legend Talal Madah. Pharrell first heard the song on Swizz Beatz’s Instagram, according to Pusha T in an interview with MSNBC’s @AriMelber.
The original plan was to release the video and the song to DSPs at the same time. But when the clearance process stalled, Clipse were forced to pivot, holding back the commercial release and only sharing the video on YouTube and social media. "We connected with @RocNation and we were like, ‘Hey, we have this issue because we don’t have this clearance. What do we do?’” Steven explained.
They considered changing up their rollout plan and releasing a different music video instead.
With the “Maza Akoulou” sample clearance in limbo, Pharrell produced an alternate version of the song — “So Be It Pt. II” — with different production and no sample, in the event the clearance never came.
On the day Let God Sort Em Out was due for release, Steven received a call from Swizz Beatz. “Swizz asked, ‘Why didn’t you call me about [“So Be It”]?’ I told him, ‘I did—I sent it to you.’ He said, ‘I didn’t realize it was that record. Let me handle it.’”
As fate would have it, Swizz was scheduled to fly to Saudi Arabia that day. He said, ‘I’ll connect with the right people in person and get it resolved.’ And that’s exactly what he did.”
Swizz isn’t just connected to a handful of people in Saudi Arabia; he’s embedded in the country. His creative agency, Good Intentions, is based in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and he even runs a camel racing team called @SaudiBronx.
It didn’t come through in time for the album’s midnight release on 7/11, but Swizz stepped in and helped secure the sample clearance. Once they received approval, Roc Nation issued a metadata update to all DSP partners, replacing the alternate version with the original.
Because the clearance came too late for production, the original “So Be It” (and Tyler’s verse on “P.O.V.”) didn’t make the first vinyl pressing. But they plan to fix that. “Yeah, we’ll probably do a round with those [included].” —@StevenVictor
Clearance issues can derail a rollout. But with “So Be It,” it worked to their advantage. Releasing it only on social and YouTube — where consumption and conversation feed each other — helped spark a groundswell of support for the album.
