Pusha T on Drink Champs 2022
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Pusha T April 2022 Drink Champs interview with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN provided insights into his artistic evolution, coinciding with the release of his critically acclaimed fourth studio album "It's Almost Dry," which became his first #1 on the Billboard 200. Throughout the three-hour conversation, Pusha articulated his creative philosophy—"I only know lyric-driven, metaphors, rap street rap"—while comparing himself to "the Martin Scorsese of street rap". The interview explored the album's unique dual production approach featuring equal contributions from Pharrell Williams and Kanye West, with Pusha revealing their distinctive collaborative styles and notable techniques, such as playing "The Joker every day on mute" during sessions with Pharrell. Pusha also addressed his Drake feud, claiming "I'm banned from Canada" and maintaining "There's nothing for me to squash"; discussed the potential for a Clipse reunion with his brother No Malice; detailed his business ventures including Airwave Music Group and an Arby's campaign that rectified his earlier McDonald's jingle publishing rights error; and offered insights into Virginia's hip-hop legacy, stating, "Virginia was winning the war" during The Neptunes' peak production era.
In April 2022, Grammy-nominated rapper Pusha T appeared on Drink Champs with hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN. The three-hour conversation coincided with the release of Pusha T's his fourth studio album "It's Almost Dry." Throughout the interview, Pusha T demonstrated how he has sustained his relevance from the early Clipse era through his current status as one of rap's most respected lyricists.
N.O.R.E. began the interview with effusive praise for Pusha T's remarkable longevity: "He has been sipping from the Fountain of Youth for about 20-something years. He's not aged at all, looks the same. His bar level has increased and increased and increased." This observation highlighted a central theme of the interview: how Pusha T has maintained artistic relevance across multiple eras of hip-hop's evolution while continually refining his craft.
When questioned about maintaining his hunger despite his success, Pusha T offered insight into his creative philosophy. "I've made it my business to first of all, I only know how to rap one way. I only know lyric-driven, metaphors, rap street rap. That's it, and I'm comfortable with that. I know if I step outside of that I'm going look like a clown."
Pusha T elaborated on his methodology for staying current without compromising his signature style: "I listen to all the young music...while I'm writing I'm definitely thinking like, how can these flows, how can these bounces, how can the things that I'm saying still relate to them." This balance between maintaining his core identity and adapting to contemporary sounds has helped Pusha T avoid the creative stagnation that often affects artists with multi-decade careers.
When discussing his approach to content, Pusha T made a comparison to a legendary filmmaker: "I'm trying to be the Martin Scorsese of street rap...y'all don't ask Martin Scorsese to make Gone with the Wind. You want him to make a gangster flick with guns, mobsters, killers." This cinematic analogy illustrates Pusha T's commitment to perfecting his particular lane rather than chasing trends.
"It's Almost Dry," released on April 22, 2022, represented a unique creative achievement for Pusha T, featuring equal production contributions from two hip-hop production legends: Pharrell Williams and Kanye West. This dual approach resulted in what many critics and fans consider Pusha T's most sonically comprehensive work to date.
Describing his creative process with Pharrell Williams, Pusha T revealed an unusual technique they employed: "We would play The Joker every day on mute." This approach helped Pusha develop the character-driven performances Pharrell demanded, moving beyond simply delivering strong verses to embodying a more fully realized artistic persona.
Pusha recounted a conversation with Pharrell that shaped the album's direction: "He like 'man, like you know, for you to go to the next level, you got to become a character out here. Bro, how many hot 16s? Bro, I'm tired of the hot 16'."
For the Kanye West-produced half of "It's Almost Dry," including tracks like "Dreaming of the Past," "Rock N Roll," and "Diet Coke," Pusha described a different but equally effective collaborative process. Speaking about their workflow, Pusha explained: "I stayed in there with Ye so I could get the hardest beats," noting this approach differed from their process on his previous album "Daytona" (2018), where Kanye was simultaneously producing multiple projects.
Pusha T offered insights into the strategy behind "It's Almost Dry's" tracklist sequencing and individual song development. The album's opening track "Brambleton" was specifically placed to set the tone: "Biggie started Life After Death with a story and I always felt like, man, I've never done many stories and then I was like, man, I actually got one."
"Brambleton" addressed Pusha T's former manager who had appeared on Vlad TV discussing their relationship, with Pusha explaining: "After seeing the interview I was like damn...I never would see somebody that I've been so down with or whatever entrenched in like all type of shit never down talk or try to downplay me."
Another track discussed was "Neck & Wrist" featuring Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams. Pusha revealed his strategic approach to collaborations: "I only reach out to him [Jay-Z] musically when I feel like the song needs a uptick, like take it to the next level. And we at Jupiter, let's go to Mars."
For "Diet Coke," produced by Kanye West and 88-Keys, Pusha revealed Kanye's influence on the track: "Ye produced, but Ye was like 'nah, you got to put Joe Crack [Fat Joe] on the front of that though, yesterday's price is not today's price.' That's where his genius comes from, his instincts."
The most headline-generating segment of the Drink Champs interview concerned Pusha T's notorious feud with Drake, which reached its peak with Pusha's 2018 diss track "The Story of Adidon." Several previously unrevealed details emerged during this segment, such as "I'm banned from Canada. I can't get back over there."
When asked about the possibility of reconciliation with Drake, particularly given Kanye West's and Drake's Free Larry Hoover Concert, Pusha T was unequivocal: "There's nothing for me to squash. I've done it all. It's done. I'm finished. I'm cool. There's nothing for me to do." He further emphasized his perspective on conflict: "There is no too far. I don't play like that. That's why you don't play with me."
Pusha T maintained his stance even when N.O.R.E. suggested that hip-hop reconciliations like Jay-Z and Nas had benefited the culture. Regarding Kanye's peace with Drake, Pusha established his independence: "I feel like that was good for them...they playing a industry game. I think Kanye said he's on a professional level...but I'm cool. I'm just over here. I know exactly where my lane is."
When asked if J Prince had reached out to mediate the situation (just like J. Prince reached out to Kanye and Drake), Pusha responded emphatically: "Hell no, can nobody talk to me about him." He maintained that he has no interest in collaborating with Drake, stating, "I don't want no ad libs, none, no photo, I'm cool."
A substantial portion of the interview examined The Neptunes' (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) transformative influence on Pusha T's career, providing crucial context for understanding Virginia's outsized impact on hip-hop production in the early 2000s and beyond.
Pusha offered rare insights into The Neptunes' working dynamic, particularly Chad Hugo's specific contributions: "Chad would do the keys and the chords and he would play...and add those keyboard sonics." He noted that by the time of Clipse's acclaimed 2006 album "Hell Hath No Fury," Pharrell had assumed a more dominant production role.
N.O.R.E., who collaborated with The Neptunes on his 1998 hit "Superthug," emphasized their historical impact: "Pharrell is one of the greatest producers of all time without a doubt." Building on this, Pusha revealed: "There was one time I believe the Neptunes own 43% of the charts and Timbaland own the 40-50%...Virginia was winning the war."
Interestingly, Pusha expressed frustration with Pharrell's characteristic humility: "I hate it. I absolutely hate it that he's humble. I hate it." This comment reflected Pusha's appreciation for the hip-hop tradition of confident self-promotion, contrasting with Pharrell's more understated approach despite his revolutionary contributions to music production.
Fans of Clipse, the duo Pusha T formed with his brother Gene "No Malice" Thornton (formerly Malice), received encouraging insights about a potential reunion. Their collaboration on "I Pray For You," the closing track of "It's Almost Dry," sparked speculation about future Clipse projects.
"I think that record let everybody know that the possibility of doing a Clipse record would make a lot of people happy." He added the caveat that "it would just be up to him [No Malice]. It's just up to him. It ain't even me."
Addressing the apparent contradiction of his religious brother appearing on his drug-themed album, Pusha provided insight into No Malice's perspective: "My brother's really self-aware. He knows he's the realest so he can put him in any situation, and he just going to be him, do him." He elaborated that No Malice "doesn't necessarily think that because he's on a record that has whatever type of content...if you let him tell it, he getting his message across."
Pusha also revealed an interesting post-release interaction regarding his brother's artistic identity: "He hit me the other day like 'Oh I see what they saying' and he was like 'Yo I want you to change on the credits make sure it says Malice not No Malice'." This suggests a potential willingness to reconnect with his original rap persona in certain contexts.
Discussing their complementary styles, Pusha acknowledged what he misses as a solo artist: "In my solo career I still know the difference, I still know what I'm missing...the fact of me being solo and not being able to really channel and tap in, I know what the fan is missing when they just hear me and don't hear him."
Beyond his artistic career, Pusha T discussed his entrepreneurial initiatives, particularly his newly launched record label Airwave Music Group. This venture represents his commitment to developing Virginia's hip-hop infrastructure, addressing a longstanding gap he identified in the region's music ecosystem.
"Airwave Music Group is basically me building the infrastructure for people from the Virginia area to be noticed." He elaborated on the historical context that motivated this business move: "When you think about all of us who came into the game—Tim, Missy, Pharrell, Clipse, whatever—we all had to leave and go get hot."
Unlike regions such as Houston, Memphis, Atlanta, or the Bay Area that developed self-sufficient music scenes, Pusha noted that Virginia "never took the time that a Houston did to build out theirs or Memphis did or Atlanta did or Bay Area to make it self-sufficient." Through Airwave, Pusha T aims to create an ecosystem that cultivates Virginia artists and builds local fanbases that can translate to national attention.
The label currently features R&B artist Shaolinn, while Pusha also manages rising Virginia rapper Young Crazy (signed to Columbia Records) alongside his associate Dre. This business initiative aligns with Pusha T's broader legacy-building approach, ensuring Virginia's hip-hop contributions continue beyond the first generation of successful artists from the region.
One of the interview's most revealing business discussions concerned Pusha T's 2022 Arby's advertising campaign, which many viewed as a response to his earlier experience writing McDonald's iconic "I'm Lovin' It" jingle without securing proper publishing rights—a decision he described as his "biggest regret" in music business.
Pusha confirmed this connection, explaining: "They reached out to me and was like 'man, we heard about what you said...we got this fish sandwich that we bringing to market, let's do something'." The resulting advertisement, which featured Pusha rapping about Arby's fish sandwich while subtly dissing McDonald's, generated substantial industry buzz.
"It really tuned everybody from our culture totally into Arby's even more," Pusha noted that even Bloomberg covered the marketing strategy. This collaboration represented a full-circle moment for Pusha, allowing him to leverage his previous industry misstep into a profitable new venture.
The rapper also revealed his existing business relationship with Arby's before this campaign through his work with electronic producer Skrillex: "I've been in business with Arby's for a minute because me and Skrillex did a song together called 'Burial' and the 'We got the meats' at the end of the Arby's commercial," Pusha owns 40% of that record.
Pusha T talks about luxury watches, particularly Rolex Daytonas. When asked about his favorite Daytona model, Pusha specified: "The green anniversary green face...all gold. I bought that for my wife." He also discussed his watch purchasing philosophy, noting he typically acquires timepieces at retail prices through authorized dealers, though he paid approximately 20% over retail for the coveted green face Daytona model.
Pusha distanced himself from certain jewelry trends popular in hip-hop, particularly diamond-encrusted Cartier bracelets: "I traded it. I got rid of my Cartiers soon as I said 'get the fuck...get rid of [them]'." This comment aligned with his preference for more understated luxury timepieces like the Batman GMT and Submariner watches mentioned during the interview.
Pusha answered on who has the best watch collection in hip-hop, acknowledging Jay-Z's impressive collection while giving special recognition to Pharrell Williams: "When I'm considering the game...I feel like Pharrell put a lot of people on." He explained that Pharrell was an early adopter of Richard Mille watches, showcasing the producer's trendsetting influence beyond music.
Drawing from his extensive industry experience across multiple record labels—including Star Trak, Jive Records, G.O.O.D. Music, and Def Jam—Pusha T talked about navigating the music business while maintaining artistic integrity throughout his career.
Pusha discussed early career mistakes regarding publishing rights: "I sold my publishing. I didn't know...I got it back the very next album." When asked whether this was his fault or the label's, he took responsibility: "That was clearly my fault."
The interview included discussion of The Neptunes' historic business conflict with Jive Records over Clipse's contract. Pusha explained how this situation impacted Pharrell's relationship with Justin Timberlake: "As far as I knew, Pharrell, The Neptunes did not work on that album and Justin had to go work with Tim on that album because Jive would not let the Clipse out of their deal."
Regarding the debate between major label support versus independence, Pusha took a pragmatic stance: "I don't have a problem with a label as a partner." He explained that especially for artists lacking independent infrastructure, "it's give and take—remember it's ownership versus the machine and it's both. There's no wrong or right."
The rapper also discussed his relationship with Def Jam and their then-newly appointed president Tunji Balogun: "Tan is dope...young energy. He know what you talking about." Pusha revealed that Tunji, who had a background as a rapper himself, was one of the first industry executives to hear "It's Almost Dry" in its completed form.
Addressing broader concerns about hip-hop's direction, Pusha T offered an optimistic perspective on the future of lyricism in the genre, countering narratives that wordplay-focused rap is declining in cultural relevance.
"As long as there's somebody who has the passion for finding that lyric-driven hip-hop, whether they be in these labels or whether they're a fan, I think lyricism is going to be here forever." "I don't think the fundamentals of hip-hop die. I think that is what is always going to be the cornerstone and driving force of anybody who we say is nice out here."
He challenged the notion that only traditional lyricists value wordplay, noting: "When you think about it, all the biggest in the game, they all are respected for their pen or respected for their lyricism." As an example, he pointed to Future, who despite being known for a different style than Pusha's, has earned respect because "people can hear and understand and relate to what he's talking about."
Pusha also reflected on hip-hop's generational evolution, commenting on how artists from the 1980s and early 1990s often struggled to embrace newer styles: "When everything that came after them, versus embracing it, I feel like they were more like, 'Yeah, but it ain't like what we did'." He cited Jay-Z as an exception who consistently reached out to younger artists, helping him maintain relevance across multiple eras.
Throughout the interview, Pusha T provided insights into his longstanding relationship with Kanye West, spanning their work together on albums from "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (2010) through "Daytona" (2018) and "It's Almost Dry" (2022).
Discussing their collaborative process on "It's Almost Dry," Pusha revealed how he acquired the beat for "Dreaming of the Past" from Kanye: "He accidentally I think played that beat and I was like, 'Oh that's crazy, let me get that,' and he was like, 'Nah, I love it, it's mine'." Eventually, Kanye agreed to let Pusha use it if he could add a verse, resulting in their collaboration on the track.
When asked about Kanye's controversial comment that Big Sean was "the worst thing he's ever done," Pusha maintained his characteristic neutrality: "They be having their issues...he probably was just getting whatever he felt off his chest, but they be having their little back and forths."
As N.O.R.E. concluded near the end of the interview: "You're definitely a legend...you're one of the Last of a Dying Breed, one of the last people that I know...where it's like 60 to 70% of your lyrics first because your lyrics is just something that we want to hear what you're going to say first, then we say 'oh okay, the beat is dope too'."
Pusha T's response encapsulated his artistic philosophy and ongoing mission in hip-hop: "I'm still competing right now...I'm working on the next album now like right this second...I'm trying to see how far this really go and I ain't trying to reminisce about nothing."
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Youtube embed about Pusha T on Drink Champs 2022
Pusha T On "It's Almost Dry," Drake, Working W/ JAY-Z, Ye, Pharrell & More | Drink Champs - YouTube
N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the #DrinkChamps. In this episode we chop it up with the legendary #PushaT!Our fellow Drink Champs Alumni joins us once again. Pusha T ...