Pusha T

Pusha T rose to prominence as one half of Clipse, the Virginia-based hip-hop duo he formed with his older brother Malice. Born Terrence LeVarr Thornton on May 13, 1977, he and Malice established Clipse in 1994, later catching the attention of Pharrell Williams and signing to Star Trak Entertainment, an Arista Records imprint, in 2001. The pair's first three albums, Lord Willin' (2002), Hell Hath No Fury (2006) and Til the Casket Drops (2009), achieved mild commercial success. Lord Willin' produced the Billboard Hot 100 top-40 singles “Grindin'” and “When the Last Time,” songs that became Clipse's best-known records.

After Clipse disbanded in 2010, Pusha T moved into a solo career. His appearance on Kanye West's 2010 single “Runaway,” which reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, preceded his signing to West's GOOD Music, then an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. He released the solo projects Fear of God and Fear of God II: Let Us Pray in 2011, followed by his debut studio album, My Name Is My Name, in 2013. The album was both a critical and commercial success, reaching number four on the Billboard 200.

His subsequent albums extended that run: King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude arrived in 2015 and peaked at number 20, while Daytona reached number three in 2018. His fourth solo album, It's Almost Dry, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 2022, his first release to top the chart. West appointed Thornton president of GOOD Music in 2015. He remained one of the label's flagship artists until leaving in 2022, and parted ways with Def Jam Recordings three years later over creative disagreements.

In 2020, Pusha T launched Heir Wave Music Group as a platform for Virginia-based artists. Clipse later reunited briefly to self-release its fourth album, Let God Sort Em Out, in 2025; it peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. Across his work with Clipse and as a solo artist, Pusha T has received 11 Grammy nominations and won one Grammy Award.