Clipse have spoken candidly about the fallout between
Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, which has prevented the full Neptunes reunion fans may have hoped for on their upcoming album, Let God Sort Em Out.
During an appearance on Popcast, No Malice expressed nothing but love for Hugo despite his absence from the project.
“Absolutely miss Chad,” he said. “As far as being on the album. But I’ll see Chad in the airport, in the street, at Buffalo Wild Wings in VA — it’s always still love.”
Pusha T, while equally respectful, was more pragmatic about the current dynamic:
“Chad’s my guy. I love Chad. Pharrell’s my guy, too. We’re brothers, we came up together. But when you say ‘missing’ in the music — there is no missing when it comes to Clipse. If it’s just P, it don’t matter — we find what we find.”
The longtime collaborators are pressing forward with Pharrell as sole producer on the project due to his ongoing legal dispute with Hugo, his former Neptunes partner. Hugo sued Pharrell in 2023 for allegedly attempting to take full control of The Neptunes trademark, despite a longstanding agreement to split rights equally.
Pharrell, for his part, has acknowledged the rift but said he still holds his childhood friend in high regard.
“I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m very grateful for our time together.”
While the legal battle has kept the Neptunes from fully reuniting, Clipse seem determined to honor their legacy — and push forward with or without both architects behind the boards.