When OutKast gained Greatest New Artist on the Supply Awards in 1995 for his or her debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuziktensions have been extraordinarily excessive between East Coast and West Coast rappers. Tensions would finally attain their breaking level two years later with the murders of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, a.ok.a. The Infamous B.I.G. However at that second throughout that awards ceremony, rappers from each coasts discovered themselves quickly united in expressing their contempt and dissatisfaction for the truth that two rappers from the South have been profitable an award, particularly when the South wasn’t taken very severely by both coast when it got here to their output within the rap recreation. The 2 members of OutKast, Antwan “Massive Boi” Patton and André “André 3000” Benjamin, have been conscious of this, and André had no real interest in staying quiet about it throughout his acceptance speech.
“The South bought one thing to say.” These phrases solely fueled the fireplace on the Supply Awards and left many of the viewers feeling unimpressed. However these phrases would proceed to ring out, and never too lengthy after that night time, OutKast would launch their basic albums Aquemini, Stankonia, Speakerboxxx/The Love Underand the soundtrack to their movie Idlewild. They not solely confirmed that Massive Boi and André 3000 have been two of one of the best rappers ever to choose up a mic but in addition helped paved the way for different Southern rappers like Nelly, Ludacris, and so on., to show that the South most positively needed to say and whether or not you preferred it or not, it wasn’t going to be ignored.
Fourteen years have handed since Idlewildand in that point, André and Massive Boi have gone their very own method with out hostility. Although every of them have made their very own visitor appearances on albums for different artists, rap followers have waited and questioned if and when there’ll ever be one other Outkast album.
However one thing unusual and pleasant occurred throughout that wait, beginning in 2019. André 3000 can be noticed in public going about his enterprise at airports, espresso outlets, and outside yoga courses. At every location, he can be seen carrying a Mayan double flute in hand, which he would normally play for anybody prepared to pay attention. Each time this occurred, it could convey pleasure to the individuals who crossed his path.
For everybody saying it’s not a flute- I particularly requested him and he mentioned it’s a double flute
— Antonia Cereijido (@antoniacere) June 15, 2019
Andre 3000 again at it once more together with his flute pic.twitter.com/vFWkcAI6Sq
— XXL Journal (@XXL) December 8, 2020
Earlier this week, it was all of a sudden introduced that André 3000 would launch a brand new solo album known as New Blue Solar. That was the excellent news. The information that had followers doing the Scooby-Doo Head Tilt of Confusion was that this album wouldn’t characteristic any raps by André however would as a substitute characteristic instrumental music by Andre performed on his flute.
From André 3000’s interview with GQ:
Ask him why a woodwind album — and folks do — and André 3000 will reply, characteristically, by asking, “Why something? Why did we document these albums earlier than in my profession? It’s simply sort of: These are the issues that got here.” He’s conscious that individuals count on one thing else from him. Or: don’t count on. They need. Tens of millions of individuals. They want to hear him rap…And he did attempt, he says. “I’ve labored with among the latest, freshest, youngest, and old-school producers. I get beats on a regular basis. I attempt to write on a regular basis.” However rap just isn’t what comes. “Even now folks suppose, Oh, man, he’s simply sitting on raps, or he’s simply holding these raps hostage. I ain’t bought no raps like that. It really feels…generally it feels inauthentic for me to rap as a result of I don’t have something to speak about in that method. I’m 48 years outdated. And to not say that age is a factor that dictates what you rap about, however in a method it does. And issues that occur in my life, like, what are you speaking about? ‘I bought to go get a colonoscopy.’ What are you rapping about? ‘My eyesight goes dangerous.’ You could find cool methods to say it, however….”
In his life, André 3000 has misplaced each dad and mom. He’s despatched a son off to varsity. He’s identified loss and love and fame. He has a companion in Massive Boi, who would get again onstage with him tomorrow to proceed the place OutKast left off, and day-after-day, André decides once more not to try this. “And people are actual topic issues. I jot down what’s happening in my life. However to make it into an entertaining music to the place it’s simply not self-serving or it’s not simply—like there’s part of entertaining another person too.” He tries, nevertheless it’s not there when he appears for it. “And what’s that saying with recovering addicts? They are saying, ‘The longer I’m out of it, the higher probabilities I’ve of staying out of it.’ ”
In principle, André says, sure, the style is sufficiently big to embody outdated age. To embody colonoscopies and eye exams and grief and all the pieces else. OutKast expanded the style’s prospects, speaking actually about all the pieces of their lives, good, dangerous, or detached. “However have a look at the best boxers now,” André says. “What do they do? They do exhibition fights from time to time, however they’re not stepping within the ring. what I imply?”
This wasn’t the primary time Andre alluded to the truth that his nicely had run dry when it got here to spitting lyrics on the mic and that he discovered better pleasure taking part in his flute. And this additionally wasn’t the primary time that Andre’s instrumentals had appeared on an album, as 4 tracks he had composed and carried out have been included on the soundtrack album for All the things All over the place All At As soon as.
Some folks on social media have been upset and disillusioned with André 3000’s resolution to drop an instrumental album and not proceed rapping. They felt that all the pieces he’s seen and accomplished since parting methods with Massive Boi, in addition to his struggles with getting older and wiser, can be wonderful materials for him to rap about and that there are different fortysomething rappers like Nas and Jay-Z who’re nonetheless able to making tracks that their followers love and luxuriate in. (I assume they hoped André 3000 would drop one thing that might give Dave Chappelle-as-The Actual Black Sheep a run for his cash.) A few of them have been even cynical sufficient to consider that this interview was simply 3000 mendacity to the general public about his causes for not rapping and that he was paralyzed by author’s block and the belief that he’s inferior to he as soon as was, which triggered those self same followers to state that this was additional proof of Massive Boi being the superior rapper in OutKast. (If you happen to’re ever bored and must kill a while, ask some rap followers who in OutKast is the higher rapper, Massive Boi or 3 Stacks, and see how nicely that dialog goes.)
Others on social media have been way more understanding of André’s resolution to stroll away from OutKast and not fake he’s the identical particular person we all know and love who did “Rosa Parks” and “Hey Ya!” Even earlier than he sat down with G.Q. it’s been clear that his coronary heart is not into rapping like he was. And even when he does have an entire bunch of Composition books crammed with lyrics that he may simply spit within the lab by himself or with Massive Boi, he doesn’t wish to try this anymore. We could not like or perceive what André 3000 has been doing to attain peace of thoughts, however our satisfaction and understanding aren’t wanted or required. After six albums and quite a few visitor appearances on songs by different artists, what extra does he must do to attain legendary standing and go down within the historical past books as among the finest and most influential rappers ever? Not a rattling factor as a result of it’s already been accomplished.
The truth that Black Twitter virtually did cartwheels after listening to information of a brand new André 3000 album is proof of that, and the belief that mentioned album can be comprised completely of flute music did little or no to dim that pleasure.
Me and the homies listening to that new Andre 3000 pic.twitter.com/ezwYyUsJTf
— springwaterpapi (@toneyjetson) November 16, 2023
Andre 3000 bought the tradition up this morning like pic.twitter.com/Lb4cnb6rTw
— Caleb Dume (@ThaCalebDume) November 17, 2023
My neighbors gonna be mad at me as soon as that new André 3000 drops tonight as a result of imma be taking part in together with him pic.twitter.com/RxuUqAL1Vd
— Smitty Werbenjagermanjenson (@ChiddenxNuddet) November 16, 2023
Andre 3000 went and made a breath of the wild soundtrack pic.twitter.com/Gv3J7qwhze
— Casey Johnston (@caseyjohnston) November 17, 2023
It’s been 17 years since André 3000 launched new music. Now, he’s unveiling his first-ever solo undertaking.
Within the inaugural G.Q. Video Cowl Story, the rap legend spoke candidly about how he’s modified and why he made a document that no one may have anticipated. Dive into the complete… pic.twitter.com/bXJBgQrat6
— GQ Journal (@GQMagazine) November 16, 2023
I assumed 3k was consuming some peanut brittle pic.twitter.com/rKnDRAhBES
— 🐶WOOF CLITZER🐶 (@ESPNFrankie) November 16, 2023
New Blue Solar is now accessible for streaming. The opening monitor on that album is titled, “I swear, I Actually Wished to Make a “Rap” Album however This Is Actually the Approach the Wind Blew Me This Time,” adopted by “The Slang Phrase P-ssy Rolls Off the Tongue with Far Higher Ease Than the Correct Phrase Vagina. Do You Agree?,” “That Evening in Hawaii Once I Changed into a Panther and Began Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Management … Sh-t Was Wild,” and 5 different instrumental tracks. It ought to assist his followers, outdated and new, understand that even when they don’t totally acknowledge the André 3000 he’s now, he’s nonetheless André 3000, conserving his coronary heart and taking part in his half.