Hip-hop duo Clipse has left Def Jam after refusing to remove a Kendrick Lamar verse from their forthcoming track “Chains & Whips,” according to comments made by group member Pusha T. The Virginia brothers say label executives balked at the lyric because it referenced former President Donald Trump, although Pusha contends the underlying concern was the optics of two well-known Drake adversaries collaborating while Drake pursues a defamation lawsuit against Def Jam’s parent, Universal Music Group. Pusha T said the stalemate led Clipse to buy themselves out of their Def Jam contract for a seven-figure sum. The Kendrick verse, which surfaced online on 24 June after being played during a rooftop listening session at Louis Vuitton’s Paris headquarters, contains no direct mention of Drake but features several aggressive lines that have already drawn extensive social-media scrutiny. Clipse has since signed with Roc Nation, which will release the brothers’ first joint album in 14 years, “Let God Sort ’Em Out,” on 11 July. Produced entirely by Pharrell Williams, the project has been previewed with the singles “Ace Trumpets” and “So Be It,” the latter including pointed bars aimed at Travis Scott. With the Kendrick Lamar collaboration now intact, the album is positioned as one of the most closely watched rap releases of the summer.