Pusha T

Pusha T first built widespread recognition as half of Clipse, although his independent path unfolded only after prolonged sharpening of his lyricism and sustained industry labor. Once he secured legendary standing through an extended Clipse run, the rapper joined G.O.O.D. Music in 2010, transferring his layered wordplay and formidable stature to projects such as the 2018 release Daytona, which drew extensive critical praise.

Born Terrence Thornton in the Bronx, he was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia, beside his brother Gene Thornton. Gene adopted the name Malice, and the siblings launched Clipse in the early '90s, forging an immediate alliance with Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes and launching a trajectory that featured major-label contracts and albums widely respected by critics. In 2010 the duo declared an indefinite pause to concentrate on solo work. Pusha affixed himself to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music roster and appeared on the label head's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy the same year.

During 2011 he released the street-level mixtape Fear of God and its officially issued sequel, Fear of God II: Let Us Pray, via G.O.O.D. The imprint delivered his first proper studio album, My Name Is My Name, in 2013, featuring guest spots from Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar, and additional artists. The single "Untouchable" surfaced in 2015 alongside the album King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude. King Push reached number 20 on the Billboard 200 and climbed to number three on the R&B/hip-hop chart. In 2017 the rapper appeared on tracks by Linkin Park ("Good Goodbye") and Gorillaz ("Let Me Out"). He resumed his own output in 2018, creating a follow-up to King Push with Kanye West titled Daytona that arrived in May. His highest-charting project to date, Daytona earned both critical and commercial success for Pusha T, placing on numerous year-end Best Albums lists and securing a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. A long-simmering rivalry with Drake, expressed through restrained lyrical jabs and diss records, reached a climax in 2018. Escalation occurred on tracks in which Drake questioned Pusha T's drug-dealing past while Pusha T accused Drake of not writing his own rhymes. In May 2018 Pusha T issued the self-released standalone track "The Story of Adidon," a scathing record aimed squarely at Drake that referenced his illegitimate child, producer 40's health struggles, and further pointed attacks. The song received overwhelming critical acclaim, prompting many observers to declare Pusha T the victor in the ongoing rap battle. Moving forward, he continued releasing new music, including the 2019 tracks "Sociopath" with Kash Doll and "Coming Home" featuring Lauryn Hill. "Diet Coke," produced by Kanye West and 88-Keys, arrived in 2022 as the lead single for Pusha T's fourth solo album, It's Almost Dry. Released in April 2022, It's Almost Dry was produced entirely by Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, both of whom also appeared on separate tracks. In addition to those prominent producers, It's Almost Dry contained guest contributions from Kid Cudi, Jay-Z, Don Toliver, Lil Uzi Vert, and others.