Two lyrical giants, Kendrick Lamar and Pusha T, are reportedly teaming up for new music, sending waves of excitement through the rap community. Though neither artist has confirmed the rumors yet, the hints are piling up—and they’re tough to dismiss. From a mysterious TikTok snippet to whispers about a Clipse album feature, here’s everything we know so far about this potential blockbuster collaboration.
Kendrick Lamar and Pusha T aren’t strangers to sharing a mic. Back in 2013, they dropped “Nosetalgia,” a gritty standout from Pusha T’s My Name Is My Name album. The track was a showcase of their razor-sharp bars and seamless chemistry, earning praise from fans and critics alike. Since then, Kendrick has cemented his legacy with projects like the Pulitzer-winning DAMN., while Pusha T has kept his edge with hits like DAYTONA. Their mutual admiration is clear—Pusha T even dubbed Kendrick the “lyric king” in a September 2024 REVOLT interview—making a reunion feel almost inevitable.
The latest chatter kicked off in January 2025 when a TikTok user uploaded a preview of a track rumored to be called “Chains & Whips” (or possibly “Whips & Chains”). The clip vanished almost as fast as it appeared, yanked offline by a copyright claim from Universal Music Group (UMG). That detail raised eyebrows—Kendrick (via Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath) and Pusha T (via G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam) are tied to UMG, hinting that this could be an official release.
Speculation points to the track being part of Let God Sort ‘Em Out, the upcoming album from Clipse—Pusha T’s duo with his brother No Malice. In an August 2024 Rolling Stone interview, Pusha T shared that the project, fully produced by Pharrell Williams, was nearly done, with just one guest feature left to lock in. Given Pharrell’s history with both rappers—he’s behind Kendrick’s “Alright” and Pusha’s DAYTONA—fans are betting Kendrick might be that final piece.
The rumor took off on X, where hip-hop heads have been piecing together the puzzle. On January 13, 2025, user @hiiipowers
tweeted,
“According to UMG copyright, Clipse (Pusha T & No Malice) and Kendrick Lamar have an upcoming collaboration titled ‘Whips & Chains’ .”
More recently, on March 5, 2025, @lasssky posted,
“Kendrick will be on the upcoming album of Clipse on the track named Chains and Whips. You’re welcome .”
If this collab is real, it’s more than just a track—it’s a cultural moment. Kendrick and Pusha T are lyrical heavyweights with a knack for throwing punches at rivals. Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” took aim at Drake in 2024, while Pusha’s “The Story of Adidon” left scars in 2018. Together, with Pharrell’s slick production, they could deliver a knockout blow to the game. Fans are already buzzing—one X user declared,
“Kendrick and Pusha T on the same track? That’s a wrap for the competition,”
while another called it
“the collab of the decade.”
For now, the story’s stuck in limbo. The UMG copyright claim, Pusha T’s Clipse tease, and their shared history keep the rumor alive, but we’re still short of a smoking gun. Until then, fans can only speculate—and keep an eye on Kendrick Lamar’s official site for updates.
