André 3000 Responds to LL Cool J's Criticism of His Solo Flute Album: Rapping Is 'Not Enough for Me'

• André 3000 released his instrumental debut album New Blue Sun in November, and the album lacked his signature raps.
• LL Cool J said, "I don't wanna hear him do the flute" in a May interview.
• André responded in a new interview, saying he only wants to rap if he can do it in a "fresh, innovative way."

When André 3000 released his debut album New Blue Sun in November, many fans were surprised. The rapper, known for his legendary raps on Outkast hits like “Hey Ya!,” had put out an instrumental record, inspired by his longtime interest in woodwinds.

Not everyone was thrilled — in a May interview, LL Cool J said he didn’t “wanna hear him do the flute,” and publicly called for the star to return to rapping. In a new interview, André, 49, responded to criticism, explaining that he’s committed to keeping his creativity fresh.

“If it’s in you, you should rap until you die. You should perform until you die,” André said in a recent appearance on The Shop video series. “But what I’m saying is, what it takes for me to do it, I’m always looking for the next. I’m not trying to uphold a thing that I’ve done before.”

He continued, “Of course, I have things to say now, but if I can’t say them in a fresh, innovative way, if I feel like I’m just hanging onto the same flow that I used to do, it’s not enough for me. So I can’t talk for another rapper about what [they’re] doing. I just say, ‘Man, go for you. If it’s in you.’”

André said upon announcing New Blue Sun that he has “been interested in winds for a long time, so it was just a natural progression for me to go into flutes.” The album contains eight tracks, including the 12-minute opener, “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a Rap Album But This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time.”

He said in a statement that there is a “misconception” among his fans that a solo rap album will never see the light of day, and said it “maybe” will happen one day.

Rapper LL Cool J appeared on the same video series in May, and said that while he thinks André is “one of the greatest rappers ever,” he’s not a fan of the flute.

“Let’s not lie to ourselves. I don’t wanna hear him do the flute,” LL Cool J said. "You wanna hear me do a violin album? I want him to get with Big Boi, I want them to make an OutKast [album] or to do a solo album. Every time he does a verse, it’s enough material for an album. He’s so gifted. So it’s like, ‘Come on, B. Not the flute.’ That man needs to know the truth!”

In November, André opened up to GQ about why rapping doesn’t feel natural to him at this point in his life, saying it sometimes feels “inauthentic” because he doesn’t “have anything to talk about in that way.”

“I’m 48 years old. And not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does,” he said. “And things that happen in my life, like, what are you talking about? ‘I got to go get a colonoscopy.’ What are you rapping about? ‘My eyesight is going bad.’ You can find cool ways to say it, but….”

The star is currently gearing up for his New Blue Sun — Live in Concert Tour, which will kick off in September in New Orleans.

The tour is set to wrap in Atlanta on Nov. 14 after more than two dozen shows.