André 3000 Says It Can Feel 'Inauthentic' to Rap 'Sometimes': 'I'm 48 Years Old'

The opening track of André 3000’s upcoming album of woodwind music cheekily answers fans’ question as to why he decided to make a record of flute music, instead of rap — considering it’s called “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time.” 

Although the member of the beloved hip-hop duo Outkast, 48, was rather to-the-point with the album opener, he explained in one of the cover stories for GQ’s Man of the Year series why spitting rhymes isn’t what feels natural to him right now.

The hip-hop icon told the outlet that it’s not for lack of trying that he hasn’t released solo raps since Outkast disbanded. It's because he’s been around the block — having debuted with his collaborator Big Boi in Atlanta back in the ‘90s. “It actually feels … sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way. I’m 48 years old,” he revealed.  

The “Roses” rapper continued, “And not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does.”

The recording artist (whose real name is André Lauren Benjamin) even playfully teased what his bars nowadays might sound like. “And things that happen in my life, like, what are you talking about? ‘I got to go get a colonoscopy,’” he joked. “What are you rapping about? ‘My eyesight is going bad.’ You can find cool ways to say it, but….”

The hitmaker, who last released a full-length album with Outkast in 2006, also clarified just how much he's tried to release rap music. “I’ve worked with some of the newest, freshest, youngest, and old-school producers. I get beats all the time. I try to write all the time,” the “Hey Ya!” artist shared. 

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He added, “Even now people think, Oh, man, he’s just sitting on raps, or he’s just holding these raps hostage. I ain’t got no raps like that.”

What did come to him recently was a collection of flute arrangements that make up his upcoming debut solo album, New Blue Sun. The music legend announced the eight-track, instrumental project on Tuesday, just days before the surprise release is set to drop this Friday. 

Each track on the album features a tongue-in-cheek title, from “Ninety Three ’Til Infinity And Beyoncé” to “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned Into a Panther and Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control ... Sh¥t Was Wild.”

While his Outkast partner Big Boi has released three solo albums and toured extensively since Outkast went on hiatus after the release of Idlewild 17 years ago, André 3000 has kept a lower profile. He’s joined other artists on their songs, including Beyoncé, John Legend and Kanye West, among others. And billed as André Benjamin, the performer also explored his acting chops by appearing in Claire Denis’ 2018 sci-fi drama starring Robert Pattinson, High Life. 

Upon the announcement of New Blue Sun, the “Ms. Jackson” rapper opened up to NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast about his decision to release an instrumental project. “I've been interested in winds for a long time, so it was just a natural progression for me to go into flutes," said the musician, who previously recorded flute on Outkast’s 2003 track “She Lives in My Lap” and James Blake’s 2019 song “Where’s the Catch?."

"This is the realest thing that's coming right now,” the recording artist continued. “Not to say that I would never do [rap] again, but those are not the things that are coming right now. And I have to present what's given to me at the time."

He admitted, "In my mind, I really would like to make a rap album. So maybe that happens one day, but I got to find a way to say what I want to say in an interesting way that's appealing to me at this age."