Clipse

Clipse formed after Pharrell Williams, a fellow Virginia Beach native, heard the Thornton brothers separately and convinced them to work as a duo. They first signed to Elektra Records, recording an album called Exclusive Audio Footage that the label shelved before dropping the group when an early single failed to catch on.

Pharrell then brought Clipse to Arista as the first act on his new Star Trak imprint. Lord Willin', released in 2002, reached number four on the Billboard 200 and went gold, built on the Neptunes' spare, percussive production and the brothers' tightly interlocked verses about the drug trade.

Hell Hath No Fury followed in 2006 after years of delay caused by label reshuffling, and Til the Casket Drops arrived in 2009. Both were praised by critics despite modest sales, while the We Got It 4 Cheap mixtape series helped cement the duo's standing among rap listeners during the gap.

The group went on hiatus in 2010, after which each brother pursued solo work, before reuniting in 2019 to guest on Kanye West's 'Use This Gospel' alongside Kenny G. Their fourth album, Let God Sort Em Out, arrived in 2025, self-released and produced entirely by Pharrell.