Andre 3000 GQ Video Interview: “sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way.”

[Sauce Dab]

Imma just die breh.......

 

[Pazzy]

His comment here alone tells you he is not as creative as even he thinks himself. Dude can write about anything, but got writers block because he been rich too long and can't talk about hood shyt anymore

You clearly dont listen to outkast or their music because andre 3000 rapped about way more than just "hood shyt" and we talking about since the first album too.

 

[Tribal Outkast]

You clearly dont listen to outkast or their music because andre 3000 rapped about way more than just hood shyt and we talking about since the first album too.

That’s the thing people don’t get. They grew when they were younger. It’s not like they stayed on that southernplayalistic shyt their whole career. I’d definitely see Dre not having anything more to rap about over his peers who can’t seem to let that street shyt go.

 

[KateFabersBoyfriend]

Crazy how Metallica, Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam and others are still releasing music and are respected across generations. No one in their respective genres call them

They're absolutely called flabby and washed up. The music they're putting out now is regularly called inferior to their earlier records.

 

[ThrobbingHood]

They're absolutely called flabby and washed up. The music they're putting out now is regularly called inferior to their earlier records.

According to who? I’m genuinely asking. Whilst no one is saying their new work is better than their peak eras, they’re all still touring with their day ones and new fans coming out to see them.

I rarely hear people telling them to hang it up. They’re all still respected with people wanting them to tour. From their own concerts to festivals.

Jay-Z and Nas are anomalies because they’ve still managed to be relevant in a “young man’s” genre. How many rappers who were ‘hot’ 20/30 years ago, can still generate the same attention as their contemporaries right now?

You could argue Beyonce has kept Jay relevant. Nas has put in so much work, his legacy keeps him up there. 50 Cent had to announce a farewell tour because he knows releasing new music would get him the

But Eminem is still releasing music to commercial and critical acclaim. It just proves my point. We don’t value our own pioneers and legends.

 

[TV]

The man literally has a song along with Big Boi called Growing Old which was made over 25 years ago. It's hard to believe that he couldn't have written a verse a year to eventually put a rap album together. He has been out of rap for 17 years! He just doesn't want to rap anymore which is fine.

 

[O.Red]

How can you participate in a project like Killer Mike did and say sum shyt like this is beyond me lol

Yea it's the only really annoying thing about 3K honestly. His decisions are his own but some of his projections send the wrong message

Nikkas lose their minds every time he breathes on the mic and still he goes out of his way to try to convince nikkas he's irrelevant

It's also worth noting that black folks, who have made an art out of throwing our art away, are typically the only people that do this age thing.

 

[Swirv]

Let’s talk about it. Tired of this ngga gettin a pass.

He deserves his accolades, just doesn’t feed the streets anymore.

Def a nice lane for this (Nas has shown this). And if the music is good, he'd def eat.

Of course, I’m surprised he’s not trying to carve out his piece of the pie.

I don't think "One Dimensional" is the word. I think when it comes to rap he's more creatively stunted.

I think he erroneously sees RAP as one dimensional, or rather he sees the fanbase as so. And maybe as a fanbase we've had something to do with that. It's been said several times by Andre himself and us as fans that Andre was only able to be the artist he became because Big Boi acted as the "grounding force" so that Outkast didn't become too weird or too abstract. Andre said he's heard all the criticism about him and I think he's been internalizing that criticism all of his career, and maybe perhaps holding onto it. First it was Southern Rap was wack and they were getting booed at the Source Awards, then it was they switched up their style too much, then it was "why the wigs and pink boots"? Then it was "Why all the singing"? The man has been doubted at every point in his career, even a close friend told him that Hey Ya was going to end his career. But through it all he's been, not just successful, but EXTREMELY successful. I can see how constantly proving everybody wrong could make someone a little jaded towards the genre. And how you could look at that genre and say "Ya'll need to grow up", and kind not fukk with it a little.

But thats Andre's mindstate and decision making, not every MC. Some MC's use doubt as fuel like Nas. Some choose to immerse themselves in the acclaim they get and double down on it like Jay-Z. Some do it because they feel DRIVEN to do it like KRS-One.

I enjoyed the unique styles he used in love below. Personally, I enjoy when artists take risk and bare their souls. He’s human at the end of the day, and if he doesn’t feel comfortable rapping that’s fine. It just seems like he doesn’t think the rap audience is sophisticated enough to appreciate his work.

Is it one dimensional or is it “realistically this music needs to sell and if I make this is there a legit market for it”.

I understand that from a business aspect, but will the flute tape crack numbers like that?

So you’ll cop his record about getting a colonoscopy and switching from term to whole life insurance? Or that he and his lady went and picked out drapes together? You’d bang those records?

If it’s funky and cleverly done, yes.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

He just scared. Lots of older dudes have found a lane and stuff to talk about other than getting a colonoscopy.

Most of his fans are older and would enjoy some old nikka raps.

He just don’t wanna rap and looking for excuses

 

[maxamusa]

This the same breh that said the south got something 2 say......guess not

 

[Hoodoo Child]

 

[frush11]

A wish guys like Andre could've gotten to know someone like a Pharoah Sanders before he past last year

 

[Ziggiy]

According to who? I’m genuinely asking. Whilst no one is saying their new work is better than their peak eras, they’re all still touring with their day ones and new fans coming out to see them.

I rarely hear people telling them to hang it up. They’re all still respected with people wanting them to tour. From their own concerts to festivals.

Jay-Z and Nas are anomalies because they’ve still managed to be relevant in a “young man’s” genre. How many rappers who were ‘hot’ 20/30 years ago, can still generate the same attention as their contemporaries right now?

You could argue Beyonce has kept Jay relevant. Nas has put in so much work, his legacy keeps him up there. 50 Cent had to announce a farewell tour because he knows releasing new music would get him the

But Eminem is still releasing music to commercial and critical acclaim. It just proves my point. We don’t value our own pioneers and legends.

I really don’t get where this “Beyonce keeps Jay-Z relevant” angle comes from. Jay-Z was the muthafukking PRESIDENT of Def Jam back when that actually meant something before him and Beyonce were married or even claiming each other. Jay-Z then went and did the deal with Live Nation. He didn’t need Beyonce for that. Beyonce isn’t signed to any of Jay’s labels or management companies. Jay’s biggest songs don’t include Beyonce (but some of Beyonce’s songs include Jay-Z) Jay’s most acclaimed work post the Black Album really only includes Beyonce on 4:44. The Carters was cool but didn’t set the world on fire and nobody talks about it nowadays.


Jay-Z was going to be Jay-Z with or without Beyonce. As long as he married anyone non-ratchet and knew how to carry themselves he was going to be good

 

[Henny and_ HotWings]

This is for all you goofies that tried to say this man is top 10 of all time. Sure he shines like a MF on those old Outkast albums but outside of those, he has minimal content and hasn’t given us anything new in at least 3 or4 eras now.

Plus his answer here is make makes him sound super “inauthentic” as an emcee…. Imagine, nas, Jay or Face saying some shyt like this

 

[Ziggiy]

He deserves his accolades, just doesn’t feed the streets anymore.

Of course, I’m surprised he’s not trying to carve out his piece of the pie.

I enjoyed the unique styles he used in love below. Personally, I enjoy when artists take risk and bare their souls. He’s human at the end of the day, and if he doesn’t feel comfortable rapping that’s fine. It just seems like he doesn’t think the rap audience is sophisticated enough to appreciate his work.

I understand that from a business aspect, but will the flute tape crack numbers like that?

If it’s funky and cleverly done, yes.

Regarding “Cracking Numbers” the Jazz, Orchestral, New Age music world is MUCH different from mainstream Pop, Rap, R&B, etc. if you can catch a wave in that space you can eat GOOD off performances, LICENSING, and things of that nature. All that “Elevator Music” we make fun of, its getting licensed from SOMEONE. Plus music like that with no vocals, again if it catches a wave, can be endlessly remixed, reprised, and interpolated by other artists the world over, which is all money in Andre’s pockets. I know Andre is usually performance shy but if he really tours with a full band and pushes the album then he could stand to make some serious money.


First week numbers aren’t the concern with that type of music. Its whether it can permeate and move people to the point where they want to something with it. Thats where the money is