Clipse Talk About Explaining Their Parents’ Death in the “The Birds Don’t Sing” Video
“I believe I check out daily. I’m like, “Damn,” when I realize that. My folks aren’t present.”
Clipse spoke candidly to VIBE earlier this month at Pepsi’s Philly Eats Fest about the incredibly intimate music video for “The Birds Don’t Sing,” which is a moving ode to their departed parents.
The brothers revisit their Virginia Beach childhood home in the Brendan O’Connor-directed video, which is taken from their highly regarded album Let God Sort Em Out. They use song to express their pain.
” Pusha T and No Malice didn’t hold back when asked about their experiences of being back in their childhood home, surrounded by pictures and memories of their parents. Pusha told VIBE, “I didn’t think I could do it.” The brothers also admitted to occasionally mentally disengaging when they considered the fact that their parents were no longer physically there.
“I believe I check out daily. The realization hits me like, “Damn.” My folks aren’t present. It’s something I consider every day. It’s something you have to cope with,” Pusha said openly. “I’m not sure if it becomes simpler. It’s simply difficult. For many people, the song “The Birds Don’t Sing” is both a reality and a very genuine tune. Being able to express it through video was fantastic.
Malice brought in a spiritual viewpoint. Christ’s resurrection is the message and the gospel. Therefore, you had better bring the grave robber along as we prepare to visit the burial. My fate is forever. “This isn’t the end,” he acknowledged.
He went on to say, “We do mourn … but we don’t mourn as those who have no hope,” referring to how they have been surviving the difficult period for the past four years. I’m really grateful for my parents and the legacy they left us, which we can now pass on to our kids. Therefore, we must celebrate our current state of life.
Taking a humorous turn, the “Grindin” duo discussed their relationship outside of the stage and studio and some of the things they still do together as brothers. “We discuss who is bad at rapping, how awful they are, and how much better we are than them,” Malice joked. “That is what we do. In addition to discussing current events with his son Nigel, my brother [Pusha] always engages me in brotherly conversation.
The unadulterated vulnerability at the core of the “The Birds Don’t Sing” video is a result of that common connection and shared suffering. From family portraits to home videos, fans are given a close-up look at their history, which ends with Pusha T’s son laying flowers at his grandparents’ grave. Even if Voices of Fire and John Legend provide vocals for the song, Clipse is still the main focus of the clip.
Mama’s youngest, overcome with emotion, attempting to navigate life without my compass In the opening stanza, which is devoted to their mother, Pusha T raps, “Some people die and become numb, but not me, I felt it all and couldn’t function.” Malice then pays homage to their father, saying, “I can feel your presence, I can hear your voice now, Askin’ There’s a L in every lesson, and you gave me your blessing when you asked, “Should I rap again?” “Boy, you owe it to the world, let your mess become your message.”
In an interview with Interview Mag earlier this summer, the brothers discussed the emotional toll of writing the song. “Man, ‘Birds Don’t Sing’ had to be the hardest verse I’ve ever written,” Pusha T clarified. Additionally, he revealed that the song was the result of four days of “gut-wrenching reminiscing” and that “putting it all on paper was such a heavy task.”
“It was undoubtedly one of those verses that will live on in my memory, simply because I was able to fully express the emotion and be as open and vulnerable as I have ever been on a song,” he said.
In the interview, Malice repeated his brother’s words, saying, “Yeah, I agree. Coming up with verses was very challenging for me as well. It’s our parents, and you want to honor them by telling the world about their true selves and the significance they held for us. While attempting to convey your own personal grief to the audience, you are simultaneously reminded of it with each phrase.
After the declarative “So Be It” and the Kendrick Lamar-featured “Chains & Whips,” “The Birds Don’t Sing” is the third visual from Let God Sort Em Out.
