Pusha T & Travis Scott Beef, Unpacked

Fri, June 20, 2025 at 7:06 PM

Hip-hop's always in need of conflict to some degree-at least, when it comes to the headline-grabbing acts who only benefit from bad press as much as the good press. However, the fact is that there's been a distinct line between rappers who have beef and take it to wax and those who are only good for throwing shade in an Instagram Story. Pusha T falls in the category of the former. The rapper has targeted Lil Wayne and Drake successfully, and the recent ramp-up for the upcoming Clipse album, Let God Sort Em Out, appears to be hinged on Push's grievances with the music industry-and there are plenty of grievances that he seems to be airing out. With the release of the single, "So Be It," it's very apparent that his issues with G.O.O.D Music extended beyond Kanye and to one of his most successful prodigies: Travis Scott.

The Roots Of The Beef

The tension between Pusha T and Travis Scott stems from a 2023 incident in Paris, where Clipse was recording their upcoming album, Let God Sort Em Out, at Pharrell Williams' Louis Vuitton headquarters studio. Travis Scott, eager to share his then-unreleased album Utopia, amid its imminent rollout, interrupted the session to play tracks for Pharrell and Clipse, which include Pusha T and his brother Malice. According to Pusha, Scott was enthusiastic, "smiling, laughing, jumping around, doing his f**king monkey dance," and even filmed the trio listening to the music. However, one critical detail was omitted: Scott played the track "Meltdown" but excluded Drake's verse, which contained a diss aimed at Pharrell, referencing melting down jewelry purchased from Pharrell's Joopiter auction.

This omission struck a nerve with Pusha T, who saw it as a deliberate act of disloyalty. Pharrell contributed production and vocals to Utopia, making Scott's failure to disclose the diss particularly egregious. Pusha T explained in a GQ interview, "He don't have no picks, no loyalty to nobody. He'll jump around whatever he feels is hot or cling onto whatever he feels is hot." This incident set the stage for Pusha's lyrical retaliation, in combination with Scott's perceived pattern of neutrality in other high-profile rap conflicts (i.e. the "Like That" incident at Rolling Loud).

Read More: What We Learned From Clipse's GQ Interview: Kendrick Lamar Feature, "Story Of Adidon" Politics & More

Travis Scott's Pattern Of "Playing Both Sides"

Pusha T's frustration with Scott isn't isolated to the Paris incident. He points to a broader pattern of what he calls Scott's "lack of loyalty." For instance, Pusha referenced Scott's 2018 track "Sicko Mode," where Drake appeared to diss Kanye West, despite Scott's close ties to Ye through their shared history at GOOD Music. Similarly, in 2024, Scott joined Future and Metro Boomin on stage at Rolling Loud, enthusiastically encouraging them to play "Like That," the song featuring Kendrick Lamar's explosive verse that reignited Lamar's feud with Drake. Pusha told GQ, "He was on the [Rolling Loud] stage like, 'Play that, play that!' He don't have no picks, no loyalty to nobody."

This perceived fence-sitting has fueled Pusha's disdain. He views Scott as someone who "clings to whatever's hot" without standing firm in alliances, a quality Pusha finds incompatible with his own principles. Having distanced himself from Kanye West's GOOD Music circle, Pusha emphasized, "I personally have been removed from that crew and those people for a minute. So, don't even come over here with that."

Read More: A$AP Rocky, Tyler The Creator, & MIKE DEAN React To Pusha T's Destructive Verse On "So Be It"

"So Be It": A Lyrical Takedown

Clipse's "So Be It," the second single from their forthcoming album Let God Sort Em Out (set for release on July 11, 2025), is a Pharrell-produced track featuring the duo's signature streetwise lyricism over a sinister, Middle Eastern-inspired beat. While the song initially focuses on Clipse's tales of wealth and dominance, Pusha's closing verse shifts gears, delivering pointed bars aimed at Scott. He raps, "You cried in front of me, you died in front of me / Calabasas took your b*tch and your pride in front of me / Heard Utopia had moved right up the street / And her lip gloss was poppin', she ain't need you to eat." These lines reference Scott's 2023 album Utopia and his ex-girlfriend Kylie Jenner, whose cosmetics empire and high-profile relationship with Timothée Chalamet are alluded to with "lip gloss was poppin'." Pusha also teases possessing a video, stating, "I got the video, I can share and A.E. it," referencing Alexander "A.E." Edwards, a friend of Tyga, who previously dated Jenner. The line suggests Pusha has compromising footage of Scott, presumably from he fight he had at a festival, saying, "Lucky I ain't TMZ it." Initially, fans speculated the verse targeted Kanye West due to references to Calabasas, where Ye once lived. However, Pusha clarified in his GQ interview that Scott was the intended recipient, dispelling any confusion. The verse's personal jabs and the threat of unreleased footage have amplified the beef's intensity, leaving fans eager to see if Scott will respond.

Why Pusha T Is Coming for Travis Scott

Pusha T's attack on Travis Scott is less about personal animosity and more about principle. He views Scott's actions-particularly the Utopia studio incident-as a betrayal of trust and a violation of hip-hop's unwritten code of loyalty. Pusha's history of high-profile feuds, most notably with Drake, shows his willingness to confront those he perceives as crossing him or his allies. In this case, Scott's failure to disclose Drake's diss against Pharrell, a figure central to Clipse's career, was a step too far. Pusha's blunt assessment of Scott as a "whore" reflects his disdain for what he sees as opportunistic behavior.

Moreover, Pusha's lyrical approach on "So Be It" aligns with his reputation as a surgical lyricist who doesn't shy away from confrontation. As Bun B noted in a recent interview, "Pusha's a dangerous man... He's willing to throw caution to the wind." With Let God Sort Em Out poised to be a contender for Rap Album of the Year, Pusha is signaling that he and Clipse are back to settle scores and reassert their dominance.

What's Next for the Beef?

As of June 19, 2025, Travis Scott has not publicly responded to Pusha T's diss. Bun B predicted that Scott, a Houston native, "ain't 'bout to back down" and may retaliate soon, but cautioned that he must tread carefully against a formidable opponent like Pusha. Social media reactions are mixed, with some fans siding with Pusha's callout of Scott's "snake behavior," while others, like DJ Akademiks, argue that Pusha may have misinterpreted the Utopia incident, claiming Drake's verse wasn't recorded at the time of the Paris session.

But let's be honest here: as Bun B explained, Pusha T has very little to lose, and that's quite frankly his strength in this situation. For Travis to engage with Pusha T, it could come at the cost of some major brand deals and reshape a narrative surrounding his name, in the same way Push did Drake in 2018. However, Travis Scott doesn't have the lyrical tenacity to keep up with Pusha T, so responding could undoubtedly become a lose-lose situation in his case. However, for Pusha T, this is an excellent carrying of momentum into the upcoming Clipse album, and if he has this much smoke on a single, we could only imagine what's in store on Let God Sort Em Out.

The post Pusha T & Travis Scott Beef, Unpacked appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

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