In the annals of hip-hop history, the Clipse have solidified themselves as one of the best rap duos of all time. Natives of Virginia Beach, Virginia, brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton came together after meeting future superproducers The Neptunes, (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo), who insisted that they form a group. They debuted in 1999 with Exclusive Audio Footage which didn’t receive much notice. But they had their breakthrough success with their sophomore LP Lord Willin' in 2002. Regarded as one of the best rap albums of the 2000s, the project featured hit singles, "Grindin'", "When the Last Time". It was a showcase of their otherworldly street lyricism and The Neptune's innovative production.

The duo went on to release the acclaimed Hell Hath No Fury in 2006 followed by Til the Casket Drops in 2009 before pursuing individual endeavors.

After a 15-year hiatus, the Clipse are back together and putting the finishing touches on their forthcoming, highly anticipated new project Let God Sort Em Out.

BET.com caught up with the Clipse who spoke about performing at their first official show, their chemistry with Pharrell, and why the timing was perfect for a reunion.

“We've come full circle. We've always been true to lyric-driven hip-hop, and I believe it's coming back around. We've never chased any trends or fads while we were absent from each other musically,” No Malice said. “We still just held to the rudiment of hip-hop and we would never depart from that. For us to reunite now, it seems like it's the perfect timing because I think people are starting to identify with real lyrics again.”

On Saturday, August 24, the Clipse will be reuniting for their first official performance at the Pepsi Dig In Day Block Party in Chicago. Pusha shared how the event is the perfect way to reintroduce themselves to the world and how it aligns with their vision as a group.

“I think Pepsi Dig-in Day is the perfect platform for us to step out and get back into the game. It speaks to the community. It's a block party. What's better than the Clipse at a block party,” Pusha laughed. “It's centered around Black entrepreneurship, around cooking, and that sounds like the Clipse. This is built for us and a lot of synergy around the event that is synonymous with our brand.”

Along with the Clipse and The Neptunes, several other Virginians have made their mark in the music industry. Missy Elliot, DeVante Swing, Dalvin Bink!, Nottz, Skillz, and many more hail from the state. No Malice spoke about how so many creatives come to the area.

“I don't leave anything to happenstance or chance. But when I think about it myself, it’s definitely something to marvel at. I went to school with Timbaland who was going by DJ Timmy Tim at the time. Pharrell and I had a mutual friend growing up by the name of Cam who just kind of put us together. Then Chad lived right around the corner from my parent's house and where we grew up. We were just talking about this the other day how everybody was in a five-mile radius of each other,” No Malice explained.

“How that happened, I have no idea, but I think, Virginia has always had a bunch of creatives. It's the base for creativity with a big naval base and people from everywhere come here. So you get all kinds of different influences in music and other talents. Maybe that has a part to play in it, but it's definitely something in the water,” he continued.

When the news of the Clipse reunion was discovered to be true, no one was more excited than Pharrell who executive produced all of their previous albums.

“He (Pharrell) had been pressing it for so long. He was super excited when we told him the news. I think Pharrell knows that collectively there's a comfort in making music when all are together. There's a team-oriented vibe and everybody is in their freest state of mind. I think he was looking for that," Pusha said. 

“With him being a producer, he works with a lot of people, but, you know, there are special synergies and I do believe we're one of them,” Pusha shared. “And he was definitely looking to get back to that.”

If there is one thing that the Clipse want listeners to take away from the new project is that they still take their lyrical content seriously which is why they are coming back to the forefront of rap music.

“The fundamentals of hip-hop stand the test of time. The fundamentals can compete with any trend or any fad,” Pusha said. “We can do all of that but everybody can’t do what we do. That has to be shown and that's what we are showing here.”