Andre 3000 is living my creative dream
Outkast's elusive rapper returns with a flute album
There’s a running joke in the music industry: Where have you spotted Andre 3000 in the wild? The Outkast rapper-turned-fashionista-turned-sex symbol has been largely quiet since the group’s last album, Idlewild, in 2006. His mystique has only been magnified with random sightings—a friend saw him walking in SoHo, someone caught him at the airport— while playing the flute.
Today, Andre 3000 returns with his new album New Blue Sun which features nearly 90 minutes of instrumentals. No raps. No beats. Nothing. The rapper trades the microphone for a variety of instrumentals including: digital wind instruments, contrabass flute, wood and bamboo flutes, Maya flute, pedals and panther toning. Sorry, there’s no “Hey Ya!” or “Elevators” here.
In a rare profile on GQ, the elusive rapper admitted that he isn’t sure what to rap about at the old head age of 48.
The album has tracks with names like "I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A 'Rap' Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time” and the music is better suited for napping, meditation or some form of psychedelics.
What this really is, is a soundtrack to my creative dream. As an artistic person, it can get downright exhausting having to constantly sing for your proverbial supper. I remember that moment when writing articles just to pay the bills became something I dreaded. How many stories do I need to post in order to pay this month’s rent? Now, in all fairness, a freelance rapper and a freelance writer get compensated very differently. Throw me that rapper money and we’ll talk. But Andre still has to technically play the industry politics and schmooze in order to garner the accolades and cool kid invites. 3000 doesn’t care. He makes the music he wants, on his own terms, and would rather hang out in the laundromat than deal with the hip-hop industry.
Personally, I hate doing laundry. But I’m willing to learn how to do a spin cycle if it enables me to be as free.