Pusha T

Born Terrence LeVarr Thornton, Pusha T is a rapper who first found fame in Clipse, a hip-hop duo he formed with his older brother Gene aka Malice in 1994. The brothers were born in the Bronx borough of New York City but soon found their home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where they dabbled in drug dealing as teenagers. Their illicit career became the subject of many of their songs, including their 2022 hit "Grindin'." In 2010, the duo split to pursue solo careers, with Pusha T signing with Kanye West's Def Jam imprint, GOOD Music. His 2013 debut studio album, My Name Is My Name, which spawned the singles "Pain," "Nosetalgia" and "Sweet Serenade," debuted at #4 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart and was named one of the best albums of the year by several major publications.

Pusha T won his first Grammy Award when Clipse reunited for the 2025 album Let God Sort Em Out. The track "Chains & Whips," featuring Kendrick Lamar, was named Best Rap Performance at the 2026 ceremony.

Kanye West appointed Pusha T as president of GOOD Music in 2015, but the rapper cut ties with the label in 2022 after West came under scrutiny for supporting White Lives Matter and making antisemetic remarks. He started his own label, Heir Wave Music Group, and worked out a 50/50 deal with Def Jam, which fell apart a few years later over a creative dispute. Pusha claimed the label wanted Clipse to cut Kendrick Lamar's searing verse on "Chains & Whips," fearing backlash over his digs at Drake and Donald Trump. The brothers decided to bail instead and took the album, along with its controversial song, to Roc Nation. They reportedly spent a seven-figure sum to get released from their Def Jam contract.