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After weeks of anticipation and teasers, “New God Flow” is finally here. Kanye West and Pusha T’s new single off Cruel Summer starts off with a vocal sample of Ghostface Killah’s “Mighty Healthy” that sets up a wealth of quotable lines for rap fans to memorize. When something this big is actually worth the wait, the hype only makes it better.
‘Ye has cemented himself as a rap God for some time now, but Pusha has recently joined that pantheon as well. These two MCs have established a musical kinship over the years that dates way back to before the G.O.O.D. Music era. To make sure you understand why they are so on point, we’ve put together A History Of Pusha T And Kanye West’s Creative Connection. Read on to learn when the duo started collaborating and how they evolved into two of the most show-stealing rappers in the game.
Written By Eric Diep (@E_Diep)
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Kanye West Features Unreleased Clipse Track On Second Semester
Date: December 2005
The roots of Kanye West and Pusha T’s relationship run pretty deep. On the Mick Boogie-hosted mixtape, Second Semester, ‘Ye and Clipse are featured along with Aura on a song called “Crazy (Fuck The Money).” In an early sign of their mutual respect for each other, they trade bars about stacking paper.
The Clipse Jumps On “Flashing Lights”
Date: September 2007
“Flashing Lights” blends glitzy and futuristic sounds, serving as a perfect backdrop for Clipse’s sharp, coke-laced bars. While West didn’t add a new verse, this unofficial remix proves that Malice and Pusha have been admiring the Chi-Town MC for quite some time.
We Got It For Cheap Mixtape Trilogy Features Instrumentals By Kanye West
Date: October 2008
Clipse and their Virginia rap collective the Re-Up Gang gained a loyal following for their razor-sharp flows and caustic charisma. In the first and third volumes of their mixtape series, they decided to tackle West’s “The Whole City Behind Us” and “Good Morning.” Rapping with a chip on their shoulders, all four deliver detailed and unapologetic raps as they continue to express their respect for ‘Ye.
Kanye West Appears On “Kinda Like A Big Deal”
Date: April 2009
Kanye’s first guest appearance on a Clipse project came with their third album, ‘Till The Casket Drops. The self-produced hit single features slick talk about how Clipse is the best in the game. West follows suit with a witty verse marking his long-awaited return to rapping after 808s & Heartbreak.
Pusha T Raises Speculation of Signing with Kanye West
Date: September 2010
September 14, 2010 could have been just any regular day. But in hip-hop, it was dubbed G.O.O.D. Music Day. Just when three of Kanye West’s signees—Big Sean, Consequence, and Kid Cudi—were all going to drop albums on the same day, Pusha T announced that his first solo mixtape, Fear Of God, was going to be released on G.O.O.D. Music Day, raising speculation that Pusha had inked a deal with ‘Ye’s imprint.
Speculation grew stronger when he refused to confirm or deny joining the G.O.O.D. Music roster during a July 2010 interview with MTV News. “A great day for music, but it's a 'good' day,” he said. “I mean, you know. I been to Hawaii. Hawaii is a nice place. Good music is made down there, ya know. So, yeah, I was there. I can't say too much about that. I think everybody's gonna be in for a big surprise. A very big surprise." This was the start of ‘Ye and Pusha’s mysterious musical chemistry.
Kanye West Drops “G.O.O.D. Friday”
Date: September 2010
If the Pusha T/G.O.O.D. Music situation wasn’t clear enough, Kanye released the title track of his G.O.O.D. Friday movement. The song had the G.O.O.D. Music family going over a dusty hip-hop beat, complemented by Pusha’s sharp bars. He would later appear on other G.O.O.D. Friday releases—“Christian Dior Denim Flow,” “Take One for the Team,” and “Looking For Trouble.” Let’s just say he’s been good for a minute.
Kanye West Debuts New Song At 2010 VMAs, Brings Out Pusha T
Date: September 2010
Returning to the MTV VMAs after his now infamous interruption of Taylor Swift’s speech, West needed to leave a bigger and better impression. At the end of the show, he premiered a new song called “Runaway,” which became a huge success thanks in part to a certain MC who joined him on the mic. After Ye hit the stage in an all-red suit with gold chains, Pusha came out in a blush-color blazer to spit his rhymes. It was a major turning point for both of their careers.
Pusha T Officially Signs To G.O.O.D. Music
Date: November 2010
There were plenty of rumors going around that Pusha T was already on the G.O.O.D. Music roster, but no official statement about him signing. And it didn’t help clear things up when West brought out Pusha for his VMA performance.
But moments after introducing “Runaway,” Pusha revealed to Sway of MTV News that he was going solo and had already signed on the dotted line. “I'm definitely signed with G.O.O.D. Music. I'm definitely doing my solo project through G.O.O.D. Music," he said. "The Clipse is definitely coming with a new Clipse project. We're definitely coming with the Re-Up Game project. The family is still here, man. It's just all about G.O.O.D. Music, straight up."
Pusha T And Kanye West Freestyle On Hot 97
“I’m sitting here with Kanye West—the best rapper in the world," Pusha said while stopping by Hot 97's Funkmaster Flex show during West’s promotional run of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Introductions aside, Pusha T and Kanye West were ready to rap, and they proceeded to go back and forth with some freestyle rhymes. Pusha’s bars went extra hard, while ‘Ye followed up with a magnetic verse of his own.
Pusha T Is Featured On My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Date: November 2010
Kanye West’s latest masterpiece repositioned himself back in hip-hop’s good graces. Two tracks—“Runaway” and “So Appalled”—finds Pusha rapping some of his best verses. “Runaway” was the album's emotional centerpiece, which found a perfect balance with Pusha’s sneering vocals. On “So Appalled,” hip-hop heads were rewarded with an all-star cypher that included some of ‘Ye’s closest friends. Of course, this only motivated P to spit his edgiest verse yet.
Pusha T Drops Fear Of God Mixtape
Date: March 2011
Pusha T’s Fear Of God was a mixtape that every hip-hop fan anticipated. Could West’s latest signee bring his sophisticated coke raps to the mainstream? Our first glimpse of Pusha on the G.O.O.D. Music squad was a promising one. “My God” showed that his worldview had barely changed as he laid tight rhymes over a warm brass-laced backdrop courtesy of Hit-Boy. Pusha’s tape also had freestyles over well-known instrumentals from Lil’ Wayne and Bun B, as well as an original collaboration with West on “Touch It.”
Pusha T Releases “Amen”
Date: August 2011
One more major look came from Pusha's Fear of God II: Let Us Pray last August. “Amen” had West and Young Jeezy pulling off raw rhymes over dramatic synths and a slow-rolling bass. Leaning towards a grittier sound on the production tip, “Amen” merged Pusha’s street smarts with ‘Ye’s couture swagger.
Kanye West Announces Cruel Summer
Date: October 2011
Kanye West didn’t want Maybach Music and Young Money to have all the fun releasing crew compilations. Expectations were raised when West announced that G.O.O.D. Music was working on a joint album together. First scheduled for spring and now pushed to August 7, the album remains shrouded in mystery. One thing is for sure, though—Pusha T will have plenty of space to show off his luxurious raps and drug-dealing narratives alongside his G.O.O.D. Music crew.
G.O.O.D. Music Releases “Mercy”
Date: April 2012
You can’t announce a compilation album without a single to back it up. So ‘Ye made sure to build anticipation further by releasing “Mercy” earlier this year. Featuring labelmates Big Sean, Pusha T and G.O.O.D. Music affiliate 2 Chainz, the ominous and catchy banger has dominated the streets and the airwaves. A sign of things to come, “Mercy” showed the collective's creative chemistry with plenty of quotable bars.
G.O.O.D. Music Remixes Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like”
Date: May 2012
In this reworking of Keef’s fiery viral hit, Kanye West and friends gave the Chi-town banger a radio-friendly face-lift and created a smash. Pusha T kicks off the remix with a loud statement. West shouts out underground talents King L and L.E.P. Bogus Boys—another sign of his hometown love. Despite some initial complaints from original producer Young Chop after the remix's release, G.O.O.D. Music took Keef's street heat to the next level.
Kanye West Debuts New Acapella Verse At BET Awards
Date: July 2012
Sunday night’s BET Awards was full of wins and fails. Probably one of the biggest wins of the night was Kanye West's first live performance of “New God Flow.” ‘Ye and his crew opened up the show with “Mercy” in all-white everything before he previewed his verse. For long-standing fans, it was everything you could ask for: a hungry and boastful ‘Ye reminiscent of his College Dropout days. Yeah, we all knew he can rap, but did you think it could still feel like this?
Kanye West And Pusha T Release “New God Flow”
Date: July 2012
On a day of big releases from Nas, Rick Ross, and Young Money, the Twitter streets were all talking about the Internet debut of “New God Flow.” When Pusha was asked about the musical direction of the song in a recent interview, he simply said, "It's just upper level hip-hop. It's just my way of saying that my level of hip-hop and level of lyricism is just Godly."
Well, Pusha is definitely onto something with the new single off Cruel Summer. The label boss gave us a preview earlier this week, and he comes through in all his glory here. They go bar for bar in a test of lyrical one-upmanship (“Well if you go coupe/I’m going four door”) and showcase the fact that their flows are simply a cut above. If this is any indication, this might be a very cruel summer indeed. Ye’s got it on lock.