Pusha T and Pharrell Just Unveiled a Coffee For True Grinders

This is an edition of the weekly newsletter Tap In, GQ senior associate editor Frazier Tharpe’s final word on the most heated online discourse about music, movies, and TV. Sign up here to get it free.Lately, for Pusha T, it’s been all music, all the time. Since he and his brother Malice made their grand return as Clipse last summer with the release of their album Let God Sort Em Out, he’s been locked in on Rollout Mode: appearing in this magazine, twice (once to start the rollout, then as Men of the Year to reflect on it); embarking on an international tour that wrapped last month; and running an intense Grammy campaign that netted the duo their first statue earlier this year.And yes, he's also been making new music to keep the wave going. Pusha made headlines recently with an update that he’s back working on music for himself and with Malice; the next thing in the pipeline is a solo album produced entirely by Pharrell. But it’s not quite time for that just yet. When I caught up with Push on an overcast New York afternoon, he was using a rare moment of downtime to run a few errands (including a trip to Rolex’s Meatpacking District location, to see about repairs on a rare piece he figured was from around 2010—what else would you expect a Pusha T errand stop to consist of?) and wanted to shoot the shit about everything he was into at the moment except his new music—while promising the time to discuss that is coming soon.I can always tell when Pusha feels like he’s sitting on something crazy when he asks me if I’m listening to any new heat that I’m really into, almost as if he’s surveying the landscape. He’s done that twice this year, and both times, when I said it's been slim pickings, he got an evil glint in his eye, so read into that what you will.So enjoy Pusha (with occasional interjections from his friend, the impish purveyor of taste Upscale Vandal) just riffing on the highlights of his life at the moment, including his new coffee venture with Pharrell—and stay locked in to this space for when it’s go-time and the demon gets back in the booth.1. Grindin' CoffeeGrindin' Coffee is my baby. It is our pet project with Lavazza. And it is for the task-driven, for the get-up and go, the coffee drinker that has something to do, somewhere to be, and something to execute. I’m up at 5:00 AM every morning, even after a late night—still 5:00 AM. I wasn't always a big coffee drinker, but in the process of making It’s Almost Dry during COVID—that was the album that I split with Pharrell and Kanye. During Pharrell's portion, we would lock in in Miami, and we both wake up super early. And with that being the case, that'd be the first thing we'd do. We'd wake up, we'd run to the studio and throw on the black coffee or the strongest pod and really just go crazy with music for the next seven hours. We were on a health kick as well. We kept it strictly black coffee, and then we would go on a bike ride for 20 miles, but it was all centered around what we had to do.Fast-forward to Camp Flog Gnaw, where we set up [Grindin’ Coffee] pop-ups for the past two years at Camp inside and offsite. I wasn't even performing there. I was just selling the coffee. The lines were crazy. The Carhartt merch was going crazy. While we were doing that, Pharrell ran across a partner in Lavazza, which is of course, this 130-year-strong Italian coffee brand.When they heard the way in which we were attacking the coffee space, they were like, Man, we want a whole category of this. And Grindin' Coffee was born.There was one song we were stuck on for a couple days, where a coffee break helped—you’re gonna get it as soon as I say the song. We were stuck and one particular morning we said, You know what, we're going to leave, and we're going to go to Circle House Studios. We got up, went to Circle House, and made “Let the Smokers Shine The Coupes.” The energy of the song, the energy of the beat, the verses just tell you—come on, that was caffeinated.Paris [sessions] were the same thing: LV headquarters, 7:00 in the morning. Nobody's there for another two to three hours. Let God Sort Em Out was birthed just like that.[Coffee] just feels synonymous with my brand. I only want to do and partake in businesses that I don't have to sell. It's just genuine. It's just something I do. People see through when you're selling them something versus this is just your thing. I think the success that we've had with it, just in our core fan base and the success we've had at festivals and the pop-ups and at the Louis Vuitton shows is all leading up to the true unveiling. You got to remember, a lot of those guys were involved in other exports, too.2. Working OutPusha: Truthfully, man—look at how long we've been on tour. The lifespan of a Clipse album really lasts a year. It wouldn't be possible if we weren't taking care of ourselves, if we weren't working out, if we weren't focused and disciplined on health and wellness, man. I'm a 6:00 AM, one hour in the gym guy. Half an hour doing cardio after weights. Later on in the day, another half an hour doing cardio. I'm in the gym five times a week. Dieting. No liquor. I don't drink anymore. Fully cut off. I don't want it.GQ: Do you do that method that’s really in right now where, instead of doing progressive sets, your first set is max weight and you try to get eight to 10 reps, then you do a longer rest and then a second set that's your lightest weight, and then you do 12 reps? Supposedly it helps with mass.Upscale Vandal: So you know how progressive overload is working the muscle from the inside out in secondary movements? This is supposed to work from the exterior, bulk you up.Pusha: One thing I never want to be is bulky. And I don't want to walk around like I have my hanger on my shirt.Like Johnny Bravo?Pusha: Yeah. I hate that.3. HomeschoolingMy son is five years old. He's homeschooled. He's writing with clarity. He's articulating himself. He's very emotionally in tune. He's expressive. And the whole homeschooling method, man, with discipline and structure, I'm just saying it works wonders for kids. Honestly, I used to drop my son off at school, and everyone in the class would be sick. And I would feel so bad because I knew my son was coming home sick, and I just stopped doing it. People were like, "Yeah, that's what happens. Kids get sick." I'm not dropping my son in a cesspool. I'm done.You'd be surprised how many people are homeschooling. There's a whole community of people who homeschool near us. Then they have field trips with all the homeschool kids. Recess on the block. Listen, my neighborhood park, at a certain time, it's a block party.I mean, we're going to eventually ease him into a school setting, but I think the head start that he's getting in homeschooling now is definitely going to prep him for what's to come in a private or public school setting.4. South Beverly GrillPusha: I'm a gentleman. They played us, but it’s been all good since.[Ed Note: Last spring, I wrote about myself and the Clipse being brusquely turned away by the hostess at Hillstone’s New York location, who said the restaurant had no space to accommodate us at 5PM on a random Tuesday. Since then, Pusha says, he’s—coincidentally or not—had no problems getting the best of service at any of their locations.)Pusha: Rest in peace to Woodmont Grill, because they closed their doors. But the Hawaiian ribeye, by the Hillstone Group? The Hawaiian ribeye by Hillstone is by far the most consistent meal I've had by any major food hospitality group, by far.Upscale Vandal: It's the pinnacle of culinary consistency.Pusha: The pinnacle. State to state. The traditional salad. Spinach dip. Listen, 10 out of 10 every time, flawless.I'm going to have to go to the maître d' next time and pull up with the profile in hand and be like, "That was me. I need the same treatment.”Pusha: Order exactly that. Dip the dip first. And then let your steak and salad come. You can have the fries or you can have broccoli with your steak.Upscale Vandal: Glory.5. 90s R&BPusha: '90s R&B gets me through workouts. It gets me through the treadmill. SWV, Mary J. Blige. Brandy, for sure.I've been into Jade lately.Pusha: For me, it's all about the writing. The writing of these songs is so good. It lets me know what I miss in songwriting today. These songs are based in so much pain and in so much reality. And I don't hear that same pain in today's music. These are real instances. I listened to Faith Evans's album. “Don't Be Afraid” and “Reasons”—the writing is so surgical. Like, this is painful. I think that that's why a lot of these R&B shows and tours are successful.Upscale: Somebody online said they don't make music like 90s R&B no more because ain't nobody trying to yearn for OnlyFans. I can see you for $7.90 a month now. Why am I yearning?Do you think that would make you want to try your hand at another R&B track again? As in you having a R&B feature? Try again at “Ma I Don’t Love Her”?Pusha: Maybe not “Ma, I Don’t Love Her,” but man, I went to Breezy Bowl and I was inspired. I ain't seen that type of fandom in so long. Just to ever be on a record with Chris and be able to tap into his fan base, man, that's just always another level.