Clipse Perform With Drummer Travis Barker

Toward the end of Clipse’s hour-long set on the Outdoor Theatre stage at Coachella, the duo broke into “The Birds Don’t Sing,” a standout track from their Grammy-nominated album Let God Sort Em Out. The song is about the deaths of rapper Malice’s parents; it’s heartfelt, warm, and loving, with lyrics like “You told me that you loved me/It was all in your tone/“I love my two sons” was the code to your phone/Now you’re gone.” There’s no apologies or cynicism or irony: this is earnest, heartfelt hip-hop, here abetted and made even more emotional via family portraits. At the end of the song, Malice and his partner-in-rhyme Pusha T looked back in silence at the final photo, paying homage to the family love and support that allowed them to pursue their dreams.

It’s a far cry from “Grindin’,” the Neptunes-produced cocaine-slanging smash that put them on the map in the 2000s, and it’s proof positive of their longevity: They’ve matured expertly without losing their edge along the way. The story of Clipse is also the story of one of hip-hop’s most unlikely reunions: Let God… is their first album in 15 years, and many fans never thought they’d see the duo perform together again.

So it’s a neat miracle that, despite some mic problems that found Pusha T constantly just a bit too low in the speakers, Clipse kept their easy confidence throughout. They came out strong, opening with a shortened version of the Grammy-winning “Chains & Whips,” expertly assisted by Blink-182’s drummer Travis Barker, who remained onstage for the first four songs of the set (it’s a shame he wasn’t there for the whole thing, his snare snaps were the perfect accent to Clipse’s sometimes-minimalist beats, and his energy was clearly contagious to the two rappers.)

High-drama scenes from boxing matches, ballet recitals, stripper-po;e dances, and revival services appeared onscreen throughout the show, enunciating the words and messages of songs like “Keys Open Doors” and “F.I.C.O,” the latter inspiring mass sing-alongs to the duo’s flow-centric verses. Their charisma was infectious and real, and their set served as another chapter in what will hopefully be a lengthy return to form.