Latest news with #Trill
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Clipse's ‘Let God Sort Em Out': All 13 Tracks Ranked
It may be hard to believe, but as Malice rapped on 'Trill,' 'It's me ma, you ain't dreaming.' After months of fashion shows, teasers, rumors, interviews and more, Clipse is really, truly, finally, back. The duo's new album Let God Sort Em Out is its first project since 2009's Til the Casket Drops, and it boasts plenty of coke-infused bars, subliminal digs, and a sleek array of beats courtesy of longtime artistic partner Pharrell to tie it all together. More from Billboard Watch Justin Bieber Have a 'Sweet Spot' Dance Party With Sexyy Red in New Video Kid Cudi Marries Longtime Partner Lola Abecassis Sartore: 'Next We Need This Baby' Here's Why Eminem Is Credited on Justin Bieber's 'SWAG' Album Let's back up: For the first half of the 2000s, Clipse was one of hip-hop's biggest disruptors. Drug-honed lyrical content had been a mainstay in rap for years, but Pusha T and Malice shook up that thematic snow globe from the jump. What followed were bars about coke, guns and seedy street tales that carried the refined elegance of Jean-Claude Killy skiing his way to Olympic gold. From 2002's 'Grindin'' to 2006's 'Mr. Me Too' and beyond, the pair used their run — aided by The Neptunes, who relentlessly battered away at them with their MPCs — to leave an indelible mark on hip-hop, before disbanding in 2010. So after more than a decade apart, how do two brothers reunite and take Clipse into the 2020s? They sprinkle in some rambunctious new talent, with guest verses from Stove God Cooks, Tyler, the Creator and Kendrick Lamar, but otherwise they keep it pushin' in more ways than one. With 13 new songs, and plenty of slick news bars to unpack, Billboard has dove in and ranked all the songs on Let God Sort 'Em Out. Check out our full ranking below. Hearing John Legend and the Voices of Fire soar over Pharrell's haunting keys is an exciting moment, especially because the listener knows even more grandiose moments are to come. Fans will also notice the brother's honoring their mother's memory after having apologized for their sinful mistakes on 2006's 'Momma I'm So Sorry.' This through line is exciting, and seeing Clipse tap into emotional catharsis is a fitting introduction to new, refined era for the group. But even better, grimier songs await. 'The Birds Don't Sing' just doesn't feel like a classic Clipse anthem because of its pop-leaning schematics, so it doesn't leave as much of a lasting impact as the album's other highlights. Similar to the album's intro, closer 'By The Grace of God' packs one last punch, and Pharrell's hook-game has never been stronger — but the grandiose nature of the album's final track doesn't leave as much residue as it should. For a track with a choir as potent as this, exploring themes of faith and 'empires' crumbling should leave a heavier impact. Instead it comes and goes almost like a gentle breeze. Truthfully, 'So Far Ahead' feels like 'By The Grace of God' part 1, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Letting 'God take the wheel like a Tesla' is sound advice, after all. Yet with an album stuffed with so much variety, it's noticeable when two songs feel inextricably tied together. But it's nice to hear Malice elaborate on his pull towards faith-based music over these gospel-heavy backdrops. Not to mention, the bar 'I've been both Mason Bethas' deserves to live in hip-hop infamy forever. Even though 'EBITDA' was over in the blink of an eye, I found myself humming Push's hook long after it ended. But that's thing: This song is too catchy to be this short. Offering a playful take on financial jargon, 'EBITDA' would be ranked higher if Pharrell and Clipse traded just a few more bars for a few more minutes. Doesn't mean I won't run it back a hundred times though. 'Mike Tyson Blow to the Face' is an unreal song title. 'Took chains and touched chains like King Midas' is just one of the few unreal bars packed in said song, all of which culminates in a motivational chest-beating. 'MTBTTF' is a boisterous track filled with far more swagger than its 2:30 runtime allows it to show off, and it feels like it ends before it truly begins. It's a shame Clipse didn't let this masterful concept breathe for a just little bit longer. It wouldn't be a Clipse album without a barrage of bars reminding the opps while they're still on top. 'Finally got the courage but you still a whole b—h/ The rest of y'all on my six-year-ago s—t,' are just a few of the great braggadocious rhymes on here. When Nas comes in, it adds yet another layer of mafioso sophistication to the track — just would have been nice if he stuck around for more bars, but those bars sure are swanky. 'Single-handedly boosted rap to its truest place/ F—k speaking candidly, I alone did rejuvenate/ Hip-hop into its newest place.' 'Ace Trumpets' was a perfect choice for this album's lead single. The song seamlessly picks up right where Clipse left off, announcing the duo's return with a new sheen but the same old polished wordplay. There are so many bars to pick out and adore here ('Drugs killed my teen spirit/ Welcome to Nirvana' will undeniably be a crowd favorite during Clipse's next shows). As Pharrell's claustrophobic synths suck the air out of the room, its Clipse's flawless return to form that creates the goosebumps. OG Clipse fans will likely get misty-eyed once they hear 'Inglorious Bastards.' The song evokes the duo's immaculate early-2000s run, with DJ Clue popping in for some signature ad-libs, and Ab-Liva closing out the track with some scathing bars. 'Inglorious Bastards' feels like a homecoming, with Clipse using the track to dap up its day ones. After a promising teaser, It was admittedly a little disappointing that Stove God Cooks only appeared on the hook to 'FICO' — but this is one hell of a hook. As the brothers reflect on their tumultuous come-up, Stove God Cooks adds a shot of adrenaline to Clipse's motivational bars. 'You don't know what I know/You ain't see what I saw,' Cooks cries out, as if he's standing right in front of you. Altogether, it amounts to an inspiring track about grinding through the mud, and proves it's almost impossible to have too much Stove God on a track. Even though he's just on the hook, it feels like Clipse are fighting for their life amidst the God. Once The-Dream came in and started whispering I knew 'All Things Considered' was something special. While Pharrell's 808s threaten to shatter speakers, the brothers use the backdrop to instead offer up frank and unguarded verses about their subsequent struggles. Push speaks on his wife's miscarriage, with a quick jab at J-Prince, while Malice reminisces on the events that led to Clipse's demise 15 years ago. Meanwhile, Pharrell flexes his wealth and The-Dream coos his way through a verse about how 'Life or death are simple formalities.' It's a song that has a surprising amount of whiplash too it, like a great rollercoaster that leaves your joints sore but the rest of you aching to get back on. The incendiary Travis Scott bars sucked all the air out of the room when 'So Be It' dropped a few weeks ago, but this song is bursting at the seams with unbelievable bars. 'Your soul don't like your body, we helped you free it/ Then we wait for TMZ to leak it,' 'Wish upon the stars on my roof, they all scattered/ Ain't no more Neptunes, so P's Saturn,' 'She leanin' on Celine 'cause she ain't steppin' in Giuseppe.' Too many vibes to count, this song is high art. This whole song feels like one long exhale, as Push and Malice spit venom within a stream of consciousness flow, only to be disrupted by Tyler's fantastic wordplay. 'When you become the Devil or the tap dancing negro/I came to terms that I'ma probably outgrow my heroes,' he raps, perhaps referencing a mutual friend-turned-foe within the group. It's great having Tyler, The Creator slink back into his sly and mischievous Goblin bag. Still, Clipse fire off plenty of bars to remind Tyler they're the real kings of being diabolical. ' Ghostface with the wrist, bird falconaire/ Willy Falcon, trunk full of talcum here/ Shotgun wit' ya ex, feels like Malcolm's near,' Push growls before Malice struts in to remind hip-hop he was, 'the only one to walk away and really be free' after taking his religious path. But then the artist formerly known as No Malice then circles back moments later: 'I done sung along with rappers I never believed/Came back for the money, that's the Devil in me.' 'P.O.V.' felt like a perfect introduction to this new era of Clipse, one where Pusha T is no longer the only proud supervillain — Malice is just a little more pious about it. 'I don't f—k with the kumbaya s—t' is really the only moment where Clipse gets the wind sucked out of their sails. 'Chains & Whips' feels like a pass-the-torch moment in many respects. Sure, there's the mutual loathing of a certain Canadian crooner bubbling just beneath the surface, but K-Dot's animated delivery feels like when Doctor Doom and Magneto linked up. While the duo's diablerie across the record keep their guests from overshadowing their own menace, it feels like Push and Malice genuinely stepped out of the way for Kendrick. 'The things I've seen under my eyelids/ Kaleidoscope dreams, murder, and sirens/ Let's be clear, hip-hop died again,' Kendrick announces, almost like a religious diatribe. 'Chains & Whips' is a disorienting track in many ways, especially considering the song cost Clipse their deal with Def Jam. But most importantly: It just sounds really, really good. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Geek Girl Authority
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
STAR TREK: The Trans Trill, Explained
For decades, many Trekkies have considered the Trill alien species on Star Trek to be a trans allegory. How long has this interpretation been popular? And how has the Franchise leaned into this trans representation? For this week's second Pride Month Trek Tuesday, we're examining the read that connects the trill with trans representation. Star Trek: The Next Generation The Trill were originally introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation. In The Next Generation Season 4's 'The Host,' a Trill ambassador visits the U.S.S. Enterprise-D in order to take part in some sensitive negotiations on Peliar Zel II. This Trill symbiont, 'Odan,' was originally joined to a male host (Franc Luz). The Trill species is comprised of two kinds of life forms. There is the symbiont, a worm-like entity. These long-lived symbionts can inhabit a humanoid 'host' body. Once this has transpired, the 'joined Trill' will possess a new personality. This is the synthesis of the personalities of the symbiont and the host. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Beverly Crusher In 'The Host,' Odan's male host and Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) became romantically entangled. However, Odan's earlier host was subsequently killed. In order to preserve the life of the symbiont, Dr. Crusher performed a procedure that transferred Odan from the original host into the body of William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes). This complicated the romantic relationship between Odan and Crusher. This was because she considered Riker to be akin to a brother to her. At the conclusion of the episode, the Odan symbiont is transferred to a new host: a woman, Kareel (Nicole Orth-Pallavicini). There is a taboo among the Trill regarding continuing a romantic relationship across different hosts. Nevertheless, Odan was willing to disregard this and continue the romance with Crusher. However, Crusher felt that the repeated changes in hosts were too much, and declined to continue the relationship. This parallels the way that a relationship will sometimes conclude when one partner transitions. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine After being introduced in The Next Generation's 'The Host,' the Trill played a major part in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This was thanks to the fact that one of the command crew members was a Trill: Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell). Sporting a new design (for both the host and the Trill), Jadzia introduced viewers to many facets of the Trill that were not explored in 'The Host.' Among other details, this included the fact that unjoined Trill symbionts swim in cave pools on the planet Trill. However, one aspect of the Trill that was introduced in The Next Generation was obviously and immediately continued in Deep Space Nine. This was the idea of a Trill symbiont moving from a male host to a female host. This was because Jadzia was a new host for the Dax symbiont. However, the previous host for the Dax symbiont was the late Curzon, a male who was the friend of Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). RELATED: Star Trek: Tracing the Holodeck's History In an early Season 1 episode of Deep Space Nine, 'A Man Alone,' Sisko and Jadzia discuss Dax's 'transition.' In that scene, Jadzia notes that sometimes Trill friendships with other species 'don't survive the change.' Sisko says that it will be different for them, but that things are 'uncomfortable' at the moment. Jadzia suggests to Sisko that he learn to 'comfortable with his discomfort.' She continues that 'Time will do the rest.' Ultimately, Sisko's friendship with Jadzia does survive 'the change.' However, Sisko does continue to use the nickname 'Old Man' when speaking to Jadzia. While misgendering a trans person is not recommended, it's clear that this nickname is a sign of Sisko's affection for Jadzia. A Trans Allegory? There are many other scenes featuring Jadzia that are held in high regard by those Trekkies who perceive the character as a trans allegory. To cite just one more out of many examples, we can turn to the Deep Space Nine Season 2 episode 'Blood Oath.' In that episode, Jadzia reunites with a friend, Kor the Klingon (John Colicos), whom she knew decades earlier as Curzon. Initially, Kor refers to Jadzia as 'Curzon, [his] beloved old friend.' However, she corrects him by stating, 'I'm Jadzia now.' Kor immediately amends his statement: 'Jadzia, [his] beloved old friend.' For the rest of the episode, Kor refers to her as 'Jadzia' and uses her correct pronouns. These days, the scene has become something of a popular meme. It is frequently posted as evidence that even Klingons can adapt to a trans person's changing names and pronouns. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: T'Pol Furthermore, interpreting Jadzia as trans is not something that is a recent development. For proof, check out the Summer 1997 issue of Transgender Tapestry magazine. Jadzia is the featured model for the cover of Transgender Tapestry #76. The cover states: 'Star Trek, Transgender & the Final Frontier: Gene Roddenberry's Bold Journey Where No Trans Had Gone Before.' While the issue was released 28 years ago, the discussion around Jadzia remains unchanged. Sadly, and in one of the most controversial plot beats of the series, Jadzia is killed in the penultimate season of Deep Space Nine. The Dax symbiont is subsequently transferred to a new host, Ezri (Nicole de Boer). However, it is easy to speculate how any aspect of this transition might have been handled differently, especially if the series were released today. Trans Like Me Photo Cr: Paramount+ © 2021 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved. When it comes to the Trill on The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, we have a trans allegory. While certain elements of the Trill stories align with the contemporary trans experience, other elements do not. However, the Franchise eventually bridged this gap thanks to Star Trek: Discovery. In the Discovery Season 3 episode 'Forget Me Not,' we're introduced to Gray Tal (Ian Alexander). Like the other joined Trill in this article, Gray has both a host and a symbiont. However, his story is somewhat complicated. When we first meet Gray, his host body is dead. The Tal symbiont has been transferred to a human, Gray's partner, human Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio). Because Adira is human, they do not join with the symbiont in the same way a Trill host would. However, Adira does continue to see visions of Gray. RELATED: 5 Star Trek Meme Source Episodes Eventually, the problem is solved by removing the Tal symbiont from Adira and transferring it to a synthetic 'golem' using the Soong method. This can easily be seen as an allegory for contemporary gender affirming procedures. However, unlike previous Trill, Gray is also textually trans. This is thanks to the fact that the humanoid Trill host is a trans man. Before joining with the Tal symbiont (and before his death), Gray had already transitioned. While trans allegory is good, making Gray textually trans (while maintaining allegorical elements) allows us to have our replicated cake and eat it too. We Get to the Future Together Hopefully, the Star Trek Franchise will continue to offer textual trans representation moving forward. As Great Bird of the Galaxy Gene Roddenberry said: 'Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms.' RELATED: Star Trek Episode Trilogy: Revisiting 'Unification' Roddenberry continued, 'If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.' These episodes of Star Trek are currently available for streaming on Paramount+. The Premise and How STAR TREK Fans Created Fanfic as We Know It Avery Kaplan is the author of several books and the Features Editor at Comics Beat. She was honored to serve as a judge for the 2021 Cartoonist Studio Prize Award and the 2021 Prism Awards. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her partner and a pile of cats, and her favorite place to visit is the cemetery. You can also find her writing on Comics Bookcase, NeoText, Shelfdust, the Mary Sue, in many issues of PanelxPanel, and in the margins of the books in her personal library.
