From Yeezy to Lady Gaga: References from Clipse’s new song “Ace Trumpets” explored 

The hip-hop duo Clipse, consisting of brothers No Malice and Pusha T, recently released their new single, Ace Trumpets, ahead of their highly anticipated fifth album, Let God Sort 'Em Out.

The upcoming album includes 13 tracks, all produced by Pharrell Williams, and is scheduled for release via Roc Nation in July 2025. This will be Clipse's first project since their previous LP, Til the Casket Drops, came out in 2009.

Released on May 30, 2035, Ace Trumpets is filled with references, including name-dropping several artists ranging from Lady Gaga to A$AP Rocky and Rihanna and from Ye's Yeezy to rock band Nirvana. The two-verse track begins with Pusha T on the chorus, alluding to strippers and drugs while rapping:

"Ballerinas doin' pirouettes inside of my snow globe/ Shoppin' sprees in SoHo/ You had to see it, strippers shakin' a** and watchin' the dough blow/ Ace trumpets and rose mo's."

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Exploring all the references in the Clipse's Ace Trumpets

Rapper Pusha T, who held the first verse on Ace Trumpets, name-drops dancer and actor Fred Astaire, Luigi from the Super Mario Bros., magician Harry Houdini, celebrity power couple A$AP Rocky and Rihanna, Ye's Yeezy, and the musical trio Bee-Gees. Pusha T raps:

"Play musical chairs, Fred Astaire through these GTs/ Too much wear and tear on your b***h, she couldn't please me/ White glove service with the brick, I am Luigi/ Sold ecstasy and disappeared, I am Houdini/ Look at them, him and him, still waitin' on Yeezy/ I hope you got your squeegees/ At your interviews, I just ki-ki/ Life's peachy, A$AP with RiRi/ You rappers all beneath me, beloved like the Bee Gees."

In Ace Trumpets, Pusha makes a reference to Fred Astaire, known for his legendary dance prowess, implying that he was skillfully moving "through these GT" like Astaire. According to Genius lyrics, Pusha T then likens himself to Luigi, Mario's brother from the Super Mario Bros., who wears a white glove. The rapper implies that he uses the gloves to avoid getting his fingerprints on the "brick" of drugs.

Continuing with the drug-related lyrics, Pusha T raps that he "sold ecstasy and disappeared like Houdini," name-dropping the skilled magician Harry Houdini, who is famously known for his escape tricks and disappearing acts. Pusha T then mentions Kanye West's brand Yeezy, making a possible reference to the criticism the brand faced over shipping delays, leading to a civil lawsuit in 2021.

Pusha T also name-drops A$AP Rocky and Rihanna, adding that his life was "peachy" like the couple's, who are currently expecting their third child months after Rocky was found not guilty in his gun assault trial. This line is followed by a reference to the musical trio Bee-Gees, with Pusha T suggesting that while other rappers were "beneath" him, they were still beloved like the music group.

There is also a possible reference to Demetrius "Lil Meech" Flenory Jr., the son of Big Meech, who founded the drug-trafficking organization Black Mafia Family (BMF). Lil Meech, an actor, portrayed his father in the Starz show BMF, which explores the drug peddling syndicate.

"Three-peat, n***as is my sons and that's on repeat/ Sins of the father, so I call you little Meechies."

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No Malice references Lady Gaga, Nirvana, and much more in his Ace Trumpets verse

In his verse on Ace Trumpets, rapper No Malice makes references to Lady Gaga, Nirvana, Mahatma Gandhi, The Lion King, NASA, the Oscars, and the Fugees. In the first half of his verse, he raps about his fellow rappers being "imposters" and "Ferrari window shoppers," possibly claiming that the Ferrari he ordered looked like it was "built by NASA."

He also references the Indian social activist Mahatma Gandhi, who spearheaded the country's independence from the British in 1947 through his strategy of nonviolence. No Malice makes a double entendre of "peace/piece" as he raps, "Never leavin' home without my piece like I'm Mahatma."

In Ace Trumpets, No Malice also makes two references to The Lion King, dubbing himself Mufasa, the paternal figure of Simba in the Disney flick. Elsewhere in his verse, he also mentions "Hakuna Matata," the iconic catchphrase from the movie, which roughly translates to “no worries” in Swahili.

The Oscars line about never turning the other cheek is a possible reference to actor Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars for making a joke about his wife.

"All of you imposter/ Simply just Ferrari window shoppers/ The one that I just ordered look like it was built by NASA/ Over half a mill' we call focaccia, reachin' for acacia/ Never leavin' home without my piece like I'm Mahatma/ From the tribe of Judah, I'm Mufasa/ Never turn the other cheek, you'll die at the Oscars," No Malice raps in Ace Trumpets.

In the second part of his verse in Ace Trumpets, No Malice raps:

"Drugs killed my teen spirit, welcome to Nirvana/ You was Fu-Gee-La-La, I was Alibaba/ Dressed in House of Gucci, made from sellin' Lady Gaga/ Hakuna Matata, island wearing tie-dye."

The Nirvana line references the band's most popular song, Smells Like Teen Spirit. According to Genius lyrics, the next line reportedly contains a Fugees reference, with the rapper possibly mentioning the group's 1996 song Fu-Gee-La while suggesting that he deviated from other rappers by operating like the online marketplace Alibaba.

The Lady Gaga line in Ace Trumpets possibly contains multiple references. No Malice seemingly brags about his Gucci collection, claiming he was "dressed in House of Gucci." Lady Gaga was also part of the cast of the 2021 movie House of Gucci. Genius lyrics also noted that No Malice's line about "sellin' Lady Gaga" could be a possible reference to selling drugs like cocaine.

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The Clipse's Let God Sort 'Em Out is scheduled for release on July 11, 2025.