ANDRÉ 3000 SAYS HIS PIVOT FROM RAP WASN'T PLANNED: 'IT JUST KINDA HAPPENED'

By Marisa Mendez

LOS ANGELES, CA - André 3000 surprised the Hip Hop community with his New Blue Sun album as it is nothing like he’s ever released before, and he has now revealed that the switch in his style was never part of a grand plan.

Earlier this week, on the evenings of Monday (March 18) and Tuesday (March 19), Three Stacks performed his latest material at the Luna Luna art exhibition in Los Angeles. In video captured by an attendee, the Outkast legend took a moment to explain his recent transition.

“‘How you just gon’ be rapping and then just get on stage playing fucking flutes? Like, I didn’t plan to be the flute n-gga,” he joked. “I didn’t plan to be that. It just kinda, like, it happened. When I started rapping, I didn’t know what it would be. It was just me and Big Boi at the crib watching rap videos.”

He continued: “Then we was like, ‘Let’s try it.’ I know we have plans. I know we go to school. We have intentions, we plan for things – but we all freestyling. We all making this shit up as we go along. We have intentions but we don’t really know.”

In a recent interview with High Snobiety, André 3000 recalled Big Boi’s reaction to his new music was and how it led to the latter playing the album for his other friends.

“He was smiling,” Dre remembered. “He was like, ‘Man … I played it for a lot of buddies, even my son. They were like, “It’s the real thing. It’s not a mimic.” You really did this.’”

The 48-year-old also revealed that he played the project for Tyler, The Creator, adding: “I was in Tyler’s living room listening to it, and then Frank [Ocean] just shows up. And so we’re all sitting there listening to it. I’m wondering what the young people’s opinions would be. And I’m so happy that what I’m hearing is really good feedback.”

Back in December, André 3000 was asked if Big Boi has ever pushed him to get OutKast back together in all the years since their last effort.

“No, to be honest,” he said in response. “No but I think because he knows who I am and knows what gets me going, knows what inspires me, knows when I’m excited about something. So I think in that sense, he’s never pushed that issue.

“But I’m sure like, I want another OutKast album. Yeah, like in my mind – but see, that’s the thing. That’s the human side. I want an OutKast album a long time ago.”

He continued: “And honestly for me as an individual, it would be gratifying to me to put out a solo rap situation. But not for nobody else at this point.

“It’s for me because I actually like the challenge of, ‘How could I make this part of my life interesting and rhyme in words?’ You know what I mean? Like how can I do that? So yeah, it’s still a challenge. So I think hopefully with will and intent, something will happen.”