Pusha T Artistfacts

May 13, 1977
Born Terrence LeVarr Thornton, Pusha T is a rapper who first found fame in Clipse, a hip-hop duo he formed with his older brother Gene aka Malice in 1994. The brothers were born in the Bronx borough of New York City but soon found their home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where they dabbled in drug dealing as teenagers. Their illicit career became the subject of many of their songs, including their 2022 hit "Grindin'."

In 2010, the duo split to pursue solo careers, with Pusha T signing with Kanye West's Def Jam imprint, GOOD Music. His 2013 debut studio album, My Name Is My Name, which spawned the singles "Pain," "Nosetalgia" and "Sweet Serenade," debuted at #4 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart and was named one of the best albums of the year by several major publications.
Pusha T won his first Grammy Award when Clipse reunited for the 2025 album Let God Sort Em Out. The track "Chains & Whips," featuring Kendrick Lamar, was named Best Rap Performance at the 2026 ceremony.
Kanye West appointed Pusha T as president of GOOD Music in 2015, but the rapper cut ties with the label in 2022 after West came under scrutiny for supporting White Lives Matter and making antisemetic remarks. He started his own label, Heir Wave Music Group, and worked out a 50/50 deal with Def Jam, which fell apart a few years later over a creative dispute.

Pusha claimed the label wanted Clipse to cut Kendrick Lamar's searing verse on "Chains & Whips," fearing backlash over his digs at Drake and Donald Trump. The brothers decided to bail instead and took the album, along with its controversial song, to Roc Nation. They reportedly spent a seven-figure sum to get released from their Def Jam contract.
The cover art for Pusha T's 2018 Daytona album is a photo of Whitney Houston's bathroom taken in the midst of the late singer's drug addiction. The bleak image, which is laden with drug paraphernalia, originally appeared in the National Enquirer in 2006. Producer Kanye West paid $85,000 to use the photo for the album. Pusha T didn't approve of the hefty price tag, but he told Entertainment Weekly the cover "represents an organized chaos" that matches the energy of the album.
Pusha T married his longtime girlfriend, Virginia Williams, in 2016. His brother Malice, who changed his stage name to No Malice after converting to Christianity, officiated the ceremony, where Pharrell Williams stood as Pusha's best man.
The rapper found himself embroiled a Big Mac-sized beef with McDonald's in 2016 when he claimed he wrote the fast-food giant's famous "I'm Lovin' It" jingle. Justin Timberlake was the voice of the ad when it premiered in 2003, and he even expanded the slogan into a full-fledged song called "I'm Lovin' It" that same year. But he didn't write the tagline. According to Pusha T, he and his brother wrote the tune during the lean years of their music career and struck an unfair deal that didn't include publishing rights. McDonald's denied the rapper's involvement, as did the German ad agency Heye & Partner, which came up with the campaign.

Pusha T retaliated in 2022 by teaming up with rival fast-food chain Arby's on a commercial slamming McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich with the freestyle "Spicy Fish Diss."
Pusha T reworked the 1983 Grand Master Flash and Melle Mel hit "White Lines" for the 2023 black comedy horror film Cocaine Bear. The rapper kept the original chorus but wrote new verses teasing the plot of the movie, which involves a coke-intoxicated black bear.
He developed aquaphobia after nearly drowning as a child - he was rescued by his brother - but it eased up once he learned how to swim.
Pusha T appreciates music outside of the rap genre, including a bit of Irish rock. He admitted he could often be heard singing the 1994 hit "Zombie" by The Cranberries.
The rapper reached the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time with the release of his fourth album, It's Almost Dry. The album, featuring the Jay-Z collab "Neck & Wrist," earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap album in 2023 but lost to Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

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