Clipse Delivers Emotional Tribute To Late Parents With “The Birds Don’t Sing” Performance

Key Takeaways:

• Clipse’s reunion performance of “The Birds Don’t Sing” on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” marked a rare moment of vulnerability.
• The performance featured new vocals and personal lyrics reflecting grief and family loss.
• The track appears on their new album, ‘Let God Sort Em Out,’ produced entirely by Pharrell Williams.

We're not crying, you are. On Tuesday (July 15) night, Clipse pulled up to “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” to promote Let God Sort Em Out. However, instead of serving fans coke raps or one of the album’s more braggadocious cuts, they delivered a deeply personal tribute to their late parents with “The Birds Don’t Sing.”

“Lost in emotion, mama's youngest / Trynna navigate life without my compass / Some experience death and feel numbness / But not me, I felt it all and couldn't function,” Pusha T rapped, with throwback photos and family memories illuminating the backdrop. As the Virginia rapper previously revealed, his verse described the last conversation he had with his and Malice’s mother, Mildred Thornton.

In a slight departure from the original track featuring John Legend, a female vocalist stepped in for the hook. Malice then followed up with an equally moving verse about their father, Gene Elliott Thornton, who sadly passed just four months after their mother. See the emotional tribute below.

“Eyes get watery each time I hear this. So powerful,” someone wrote in the comments section. Another person said, “They could've performed one of their hit singles like ‘Ace Trumpets’ or ‘So Be It,’ but for live television, they chose to pay tribute to their parents. Clipse is something special.”

Let God Sort Em Out marked Clipse’s first full-length release in over 15 years, and it didn’t disappoint. Alongside the heartfelt “The Birds Don’t Sing,” the duo united with Kendrick Lamar on “Chains & Whips,” tapped their “No. 1 Clipster” Tyler, The Creator for “P.O.V.,” and brought in a handful of heavy hitters. Pharrell Williams produced the entire 13-track project, with additional contributions from The-Dream, Stove God Cooks and Nas.

Next up, Clipse is scheduled to perform at the 2025 ESPY Awards on Wednesday (July 16) night. After that, their "Let God Sort Em Out Tour” will begin its U.S. leg in August, with EARTHGANG joining them as a supporting act. After they wrap up Stateside, the artists will be heading overseas to Europe in November.