Clipse Make History With First Hip Hop Performance at the Vatican

On September 13, 2025, hip hop history was made in the heart of Vatican City. Virginia rap duo Clipse, brothers Pusha T and Malice, became the first hip hop act to ever perform in St. Peter’s Square, marking a moment that blended culture, faith, and music on one of the world’s most sacred stages.

The performance was part of Grace for the World, a free concert closing out the World Meeting on Human Fraternity. With an audience of more than 250,000 filling the square and millions more watching via ABC News Live, Hulu, and Disney+, the duo’s set stood as a powerful testament to the global reach of hip hop.

Clipse opened with “The Birds Don’t Sing,” the emotional first track from their new album Let God Sort Em Out. Joined by John Legend and the Voices of Fire Choir, the brothers delivered a deeply personal tribute to their late parents, weaving themes of loss, love, and spiritual reckoning into the performance. The orchestral backing elevated the moment even further, reminding the world that hip hop’s storytelling can be as moving and transcendent as any art form.

The concert was co-directed by Pharrell Williams and Andrea Bocelli, bringing together a lineup that spanned genres and cultures. Alongside Clipse, artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Karol G, Teddy Swims, and Jelly Roll graced the stage, all united under the event’s message of fraternity and peace. Pharrell described the night as “a message of unity and grace for all of humanity,” a sentiment that resonated in every performance.

For Clipse, this moment carried an extra layer of significance. Malice has long spoken openly about his faith, releasing Christian hip hop during a break from the duo, while Pusha T has continued to push the boundaries of lyrical expression in mainstream rap. Their reunion in such a spiritual setting reflects not only their growth as artists but also the evolution of hip hop itself, a genre once seen as defiant, now embraced as a vessel of healing and unity on a world stage.

From the streets of Virginia to St. Peter’s Square, Clipse’s Vatican debut was more than a concert. It was a cultural shift, a reminder that hip hop belongs everywhere, even in the most hallowed halls.