André 3000 explains why listening to old OutKast songs gave him an ‘out-of-body experience’

As a longtime fan who has grown up with OutKast and André 3000’s unique blend of southern charm and lyrical genius, it’s bittersweet to hear that he’s moved on from rapping. I can still remember the first time I heard “Ms. Jackson” or “Hey Ya!” and how they became the soundtrack of my teenage years.


André 3000 has repeatedly expressed in multiple conversations that he is not interested in rapping further and prefers not to rejoin the iconic group OutKast.

From what he said, it appears that the 49-year-old feels he’s past his prime for rapping and has faced criticism from other artists and supporters. However, André eventually took up playing the flute and released an album titled “New Blue Sun” last year, which is entirely instrumental flute pieces.

At this moment, one might ponder if he still enjoys listening to OutKast music. However, the truth lies in his continued appreciation for their songs, though the frequency is unclear. Nonetheless, André himself shared an instance where he played some OutKast tracks, which took him on a sort of mental voyage.

More recently, a friend shared a video with me of an interview where I was discussing a particular song I hadn’t heard in a while. This sparked my curiosity, causing me to revisit that song. Subsequently, I delved deeper into all the songs featuring me as a guest artist and OutKast material. One day, engrossed in my hotel room, I spent hours listening to albums and guest appearances totaling approximately five hours of music.

However, strolling down memory lane might have sparked André to compose verses once more, but it was far from that. In fact, it had the reverse effect since it brought back memories of how much he’s changed compared to his OutKast era.

He clarified that it was astonishing because at the moment you’re hearing as a fan, not recalling where you were when you performed those actions. It seems like you’re experiencing an out-of-body situation while listening to yourself. Then, you suddenly become aware of how much time has passed and how much you’ve changed, which makes it even more mind-boggling.

It’s almost like you’re having an out-of-body experience listening to yourself.

André 3000

As a gamer, I’ve made it no secret that I’ve transitioned from my days as a rapper and being part of OutKast. One of the earliest indications of this change was back in 2014, when our group reunited for a show at Coachella. It seemed quite evident that I wasn’t fully invested in the performance, a sentiment I later confirmed in an interview with The Fader that year.

Andre confessed that he found it uncomfortable to perform on stage once more and expressed concern that the audience might perceive them as participating in numerous festivals solely for financial gain. In truth, he felt like he was selling out.

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2024-09-26 22:23