Pusha T Bio: The Making of a Hip Hop Legend

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Colin Mahar

Colin is a content creator based out of New York City. Colin loves rap music because it brings together various things that he enjoys, like art, fashion, and film. He spends his time writing and producing music when he's not working. He's eager to share with you his first hand experiences in the industry.

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Pusha-T is one of the most respected lyricists in rap and has had a long career spanning over two decades. He came into the game as one half of the group Clipse, alongside his brother Malice (now known as No Malice), and went on to have a massively successful solo career. Later on, he teamed up with Kanye West‘s Good Music and has continued to be a significant force in rap well into his 40s.

I’ve been following Pusha T’s career for many years, and watching him progress as an artist has been fascinating. My favorite Pusha T album has to be 2018’s Daytona, but he’s a rare artist who doesn’t have a bad project and consistently delivers what fans want to hear. Here is a closer look at the life and career of Pusha T.

Pusha T Quick Facts

Pusha-T Birthplace

Pusha-T was born on May 13, 1977, in the Bronx, New York. Soon after he was born, his family moved to Virginia Beach, VA, where he grew up and got his start as a rapper.

Pusha-T Parents

Pusha T is the son of Mildred Thornton and Gene Elliot Thornton Sr. Mildred was born in Virginia but later relocated to the Bronx, New York, where she attended Bronx Community College. She worked for Harris Publishing and later Allied Professional Pharmacy as a technician.

She passed away in November 2021, and Pusha opened up about her earlier this year in an interview with Charlemagne the God.

Gene Thornton Sr. was born and raised in Chattanooga, TN. He served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War and later worked as a fireman in New York City, where he met Mildred. After he retired, Gene relocated the family to Virginia Beach, where he worked for the post office. Gene passed away not long after his wife in March 2022.

Pusha-T Early Life

Pusha T was born in the Bronx but moved to Virginia Beach when he was only three years old. He and his brother grew up in a stable, happy home with both parents. But as teenagers, they started to gravitate toward the street lifestyle and began selling drugs to support themselves. 

At one point, Pusha got into an altercation with another man who owed him money. After the fight, the guy returned to find him and let off shots in front of his parents’ home. Someone called the police, resulting in his older brother Gene, aka Malice, getting kicked out of the house after his parents realized what had happened.

Malice was the first to get into music because he was five years older than Pusha. He was the one who encouraged his brother to start freestyling and taking music seriously as a career path.

In 1992, they formed their own group called Clipse, and not long after, were introduced to Pharrell Williams, who was building a name for himself in the industry. Over the next few years, he would help them develop their sound and network with labels.

Pusha-T Professional Career

The Clipse

Pharrell helped them secure a deal with Electra Records in 1997 when they began working on the debut album as The Clipse. At the time, Pusha was rapping under the name Terrar.

They finished their debut project Exclusive Audio Footage in 1999 and dropped a single and video called the Funeral. However, the song failed to gain traction and was a commercial flop, leading the label to shelve the album and eventually drop the group not long after.

After leaving Electra, Thornton rebranded as Pusha T and continued working closely with Pharrell. Despite the failure of their debut, Pusha continued to work with major artists, appearing on tracks like Good Stuff by Kelis and Run Away (I Wanna Be with You) by Nivea, both produced by Pharrell.

Lord Willin

In 2001, Pharrell helped them get another record deal, this time with Arista through his own imprint Star Trek. After that, they began work on their major label debut, Lord Willin.

They released their debut single, Grindin’, on May 14, 2002, which became their breakout hit. It reached number 30 on Billboard Hot 100 and 8 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. Grindin is one of my all-time favorite Clipse songs because it showcases their lyrical ability. The beat is so sparse and spacious that their rhymes feel even more raw and cold-blooded, and it’s a great example of how Pharrell helped to shape and elevate their talent.

The success of Grindin’ helped their next single, When Was the Last Time, also blow up, peaking at number 19 on Billboard. Lord Willin was released on August 20, 2002, and was an immediate critical and commercial success. It debuted at number 4 on Billboard and sold 122,000 units in the first week. While not my favorite Clipse project, it’s a solid debut and an important album in rap history.

Hell Hath No Fury

They began work on their sophomore album in 2003, but a dispute with their label delayed the release. After several delays, they requested to be removed from their contract with Jive Records (which had absorbed Arista the previous year) and set up their own imprint, Re-Up Records.

Finally, after years of negotiations, they released Hell Hath No Fury on November 28, 2006, on both Jive and Re-Up Records. The album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 200 and spawned two singles, Mr. Me Two and Wamp Wamp (What It Do). But even though it was critically acclaimed and now hailed as a classic hip-hop album, the sales numbers weren’t as strong as their debut project.

Hell Hath No Fury is my favorite Clipse album because it’s their most polished and focused. The production from the Neptunes gives the project a unique quality that sets it apart from other street raps of the time, and Pusha and Malice sound like a well-oiled machine over Pharrell’s beats.

Til the Casket Drops

Despite dropping a modern rap classic, they were released from their contract with Jive in 2007, and they quickly signed a new deal with Columbia Records later that year. The Clipse released their third and final project, Til the Casket Drops, on December 8, 2009. The album featured production from The Neptunes, producers Sean C and LV, DJ Khalil, and Chin Injeti.

The project also featured appearances from Cam’ron, Yo Gotti, Keri Hilson, and Kanye West, with whom Pusha would collaborate for many years. But despite the star-studded feature list, the album did worse commercially than their other two albums and debuted at number 46 on Billboard.

Not long after that project dropped, the Clipse announced they were taking a break from the group to focus on their solo careers.

Good Music

Soon after leaving the Clipse, Pusha signed to Kanye West’s Good Music label and worked closely with Ye while recording My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. He was featured on the track Runaway, a classic song and one of my all-time favorite Pusha T verses. His harsh yet potent verse perfectly contrasts Kanye’s emotive auto-tuned laced melodies. It shows the natural chemistry between the two artists that would spark a long-lasting creative partnership.

Pusha released his debut solo mixtape Fear of God on March 21, 2011. The project was well received and showed that Pusha could stand alone as a rapper.

The tape was so successful that he decided to rerelease some of the songs and a collection of new tracks as his debut EP Fear of God II: Let Us Pray. The project features production from The Neptune, Rico Beats, Hit-Boy, and Bangladesh, among others, and features from Kanye, Jeezy, Tyler the Creator, Meek Mill, Juicy J, Rick Ross, 50 Cent, and more.

In 2012, Pusha appeared on several songs on the Good Music compilation album Cruel Summer, including New God Flow with Kanye, Ghostface Killa, and Mercy with Kanye, Big Sean, and 2chainz. Both tracks ended up being singles for the album and did well commercially.

My Name is My Name

In January 2013, Pusha dropped the mixtape Wrath of Caine, which had appearances from Rick Ross, Travis Scott, Popcaan, and French Montana. The mixtape was meant to build hype for his debut full-length studio album, My Name is My Name, which came out on October 8, 2013.

The album debuted at number 4 on Billboard and produced five singles, including the classic Numbers on the Boards. My Name is My Name is a classic Pusha T project and truly helped cement him as a successful solo artist in his own right. Numbers on the Boards is one of my all-time favorite Pusha T songs because it has such a raw beat and some of the best verses of his career.

Pusha would return in 2015 with another project called King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude, which featured the lead single Untouchable, produced by Timbaland. It also featured appearances from A$AP Rocky, Kanye, Jill Scott, Beanie Sigel, and Kehlani and received widespread critical acclaim. It was a prelude to his next album, which was initially titled King Push but later renamed Daytona.

After that, Pusha took a little break to work on his next album but also collaborated with Jay-Z on the track Drug Dealers anonymous in 2016.

Daytona

He finally returned with a full-length project in 2018, his third studio album Daytona. Daytona was part of the series of 7 song albums produced by Kanye West in the summer of 2018, including Ye, Kids See Ghosts, NASIR, and KTSE by Teyana Taylor.

Daytona was one of that run’s most critically acclaimed albums and debuted at number 3 on Billboard. Daytona is my personal favorite Pusha T album because it’s so refined and hard-hitting from start to finish. Even though it’s just over 20 minutes long, it’s a perfect representation of Pusha’s talent, and no bar feels extraneous or out of place.

The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards, and many other rappers and critics have called it a hip-hop classic. Shortly after the album’s release, he made headlines after dropping the Drake diss track Story of Adidon, which revealed that Drake had a child he hadn’t announced to the world.

It’s Almost Dry

Pusha took another few years off to work on his next album, returning in 2022 with Its Almost Dry. The album featured guest appearances from legends like Jay-Z and Pharrell to younger stars like Lil Uzi Vert and Don Tolliver.

The album debuted at number one on Billboard selling 55,000 album-equivalent units in the first week. It also features universal critical acclaim, with many saying it was just as strong as Daytona. While I think Daytona is slightly better, It’s Almost Dry is another solid addition to Pusha T’s catalog of classics.

Pusha-T Video

Pusha-T Family

Pusha T has an older brother named Gene Elliot Thornton, formerly Malice, now known as No Malice. No Malice was previously a member of the Clipse with Pusha, but he left the group in 2010 after converting to Christianity and deciding to focus on a solo career.

He announced that he changed his name to No Malice in 2012 and has released two Christian hip-hop albums. He is also married to Virginia Williams, and they have a son named Nigel Brixx Thornton.

Pusha-T Dating and Relationship History

Pusha and his wife Virginia Williams dated for 11 years before marrying in 2018. They were married in his hometown of Virginia, and in attendance were Pharrell (who served as his best man), Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Grimes, and many other celebrities.

Pusha-T Controversies and Scandals

In 2016, music executive Steve Stoute claimed that Pusha-T wrote the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle, which the rapper confirmed on Twitter.

However, this was disputed by executives at Mcdonald’s and the ad agency that wrote the campaign. Push didn’t respond then, but in 2021, he appeared in an Arby’s commercial with a diss track called Spicy Fish Diss, where he takes shots at McDonald’s.

Pusha faced backlash for the cover of his 2018 album Daytona, which depicted Whitney Houston’s bathroom on the night she died. Kanye allegedly paid $85,000 for the rights to license the image, but it still angered her family.  

In May 2018, Pusha-T released the Drake diss track, the Story of Adidon, where he took shots at not only the artist but also his producer, 40, and revealed that Drake had an illegitimate son that he kept secret from the world. The cover art also showed a picture of the Canadian MC wearing blackface during a modeling campaign in his career as a child actor.

Pusha T had been trading shots back and forth with the Young Money camp since Birdman refused to pay Pharrell for a beat. Push sent a shot at them on the track Infrared from his album Daytona and Drake responded with a diss track called Duppy Freestyle.

The Story of Adidon was Pusha’s response to Duppy Freestyle. Many saw the track as over the line because he involved Drake’s family and made fun of 40’s struggles with multiple sclerosis. But others have viewed it as one of the greatest diss tracks of all time for its ruthlessness and technical brilliance.

Pusha-T Net Worth

Pusha-T’s net worth is estimated to be around $14 million. His money primarily comes from streaming, touring, and merchandise. He also owns his own record label, Re-Up Records, along with his brother Malice. Plus, he was also named the president of GOOD Music in 2015, a position he still holds.

Pusha-T Real Estate & Residence History

In 2019, Pusha T paid $600,000 for a 4400 square foot 4-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom property on the waterfront in Norfolk, Virginia. Located on the Lafayette River, the home features large glass windows with a picturesque view and high-ceiling rooms with tons of natural sunlight.

Pusha-T Famous Quotes

“A good villain exudes charisma and power. He has principles, though; that just gives him a level of dimension. It makes him seem to be a bit unpredictable because he’s usually deemed as some type of evil, ruthless person, and then he shows you his principles, and you don’t know what to think of it.” – Pusha T 

Pusha-T Discography and Full Credits

With the Clipse:

• 2002 – Lord Willin’
• 2006 – Hell Hath No Fury
• 2009 – Til the Casket Drops

Pusha-T

• 2011 – Fear of God
• 2011 – Fear of God II: Let Us Pray
• 2013 – Wrath of Caine
• 2013 – My Name Is My Name
• 2015 – King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude
• 2018 – Daytona
• 2022 – It’s Almost Dry

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