Although André 3000 has always dismissed the idea of releasing a solo rap album, he has acknowledged that Kendrick Lamar and Drake are the only people who could motivate him to do it.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the OutKast legend discussed the possibility of recording a full-length rap album and how the rival Hip Hop artists may help make it happen.
He stated, “I believe that being around rappers will help me write a rap record.” I was not writing when I went to California. I spoke with Kendrick Lamar. We listened to beats and conversed. Drake is no different.
At one time, I thought, ‘Man, it would be good to just hang out with them to catch the spirit of rapping.’ As a rapper, they would be shocked to hear this. Because something had to leak out while they were doing it so frequently.
Every day, they perform four or five songs, and I am like, ‘What?’ That is not even how I visit the studio. My drum machine has not been touched in a very long time. I am only now returning to song production.
3 Later in the discussion, Stacks clarified his remarks by stating: “I did not say it. I had that concept in my mind. I thought, “Dude, just hanging around would be a terrific workout.” Sometimes that is how songs come to be.
“I never expressed this to them, but I was so inspired because of their output. Like, when you’re in a groove it can be infectious — as opposed to approaching it in a casual way, which, that’s where I am now.”
André 3000 appeared on Drake’s 2011 album Take Care and while he has yet to release a collaboration with Kendrick, he was filmed in the studio with the Compton native back in 2012 listening to what would become “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe.”
When his eagerly anticipated first solo album, New Blue Sun, came out last year as an ambient instrumental work with no words, the ATLien divided his fan base.
He has often talked about how penning rhymes no longer comes readily to him, but playing the flute was an organic pivot that feeds both his spirit and soul.
André said earlier this year that he would still like the challenge of creating a “fire-ass” rap album in an interview with Highsnobiety.
Asked if he misses rapping, 3 Stacks said: “I do,” before adding: “I would love to make a rap album. I just think it’d be an awesome challenge to do a fire-ass album at 48 years old.
“That’s probably one of the hardest things to do! I would love to do that. That’s the cool thing about my whole ride. It really is a ride.”
