Current:Home > MarketsAndré 3000's new instrumental album marks departure from OutKast rap roots: "Life changes, life moves on"-LoTradeCoin
André 3000's new instrumental album marks departure from OutKast rap roots: "Life changes, life moves on"
View Date:2025-01-14 12:11:20
André Benjamin,ésnewinstrumentalalbummarksdeparturefromOutKast better known as André 3000, said he sees a "completely different person" when he looks back at his early career, when he rose to fame in the 1990s as half of the best-selling hip-hop group OutKast.
"Like I'm 48 now," he said in an interview with CBS News. "I think like the older you get, you kind of get this skin or this...protective layer that's like...things kind of roll off or you better because you have a better understanding of the rollercoaster in a way."
That rollercoaster has included a pivot from hip-hop to a passion for playing the flute.
"I don't sit and try to rap every day like when I was younger, and that's all I did when I was younger," he said. "I miss those times a lot, but it's like: life changes, life moves on."
André 3000 now has a collection of some 30 woodwinds. And at record producer Rick Rubin's Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, he recorded his new instrumental album, "New Blue Sun," which was released in November.
The album marks a divergence from his rap roots, with its first song humorously titled, "I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A 'Rap' Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time."
André 3000 said he understands the disappointment some fans might feel after 17 years of waiting for a new album. It is not what they are used to, or expected.
"When people ask me about a rap album, 'Man, I would love a rap album, I'm with you,'" he said. "But it's like, I want to be with you when I'm really on it."
He said he has "no idea" why he's "not on it," given that he writes down ideas and lyrics all the time.
"Maybe I haven't found a music that's inspiring enough for me to want to write raps to. Maybe I gotta find a new way to rap," he said.
"Maybe I exhausted a thing," he continued. "And sometimes you have to kind of try something else."
Many fans were surprised by the shift. With OutKast, André 3000 helped create the southern hip-hop scene, and the group became the biggest crossover rap group in history. Their 2003 album, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below," became the best-selling hip-hop album of all time this September.
But as hip-hop marked its 50th anniversary this year, André 3000 turned down every invitation to celebrate.
"I wouldn't want to be — I'm doing it just because I'm trying to meet an expectation," he said. "I didn't get into OutKast for that, you know."
"We were just kids, like trying to see how far we could take it," he said.
Now, André's passion for the flute is evident. He finds it hard to be without one.
"I've gotten so used to it. I kind of have a muscle memory of holding it. So when I don't have it, like I'm trying to find something to do with my hands when I end up putting them in my pockets, you know, but because I'm used to kind of like fiddling around," he said.
He said the "humanness" of the instrument, along with its portability and immediate sound, made him fall for it, even without being a trained musician.
"I don't even know what notes I'm playing. So everything, every move for me is new, which is kind of crazy, but it feels great to do it because when you find things, you're like, 'Oh, it's like a reward for searching,'" he said.
The shift from rap icon to flute enthusiast is not just a change in musical style, but also represents to him the importance of doing things he enjoys.
"People are judging you, of course, which they should," he said. "I think the audience is important, but I don't think catering to an audience is important at all."
Anthony MasonAnthony Mason is senior culture and senior national correspondent for CBS News. He has been a frequent contributor to "CBS Sunday Morning," and is the former co-host for "CBS This Morning: Saturday" and "CBS This Morning."
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (37)
Related
- Joey Logano wins Phoenix finale for 3rd NASCAR Cup championship in 1-2 finish for Team Penske
- Ann Wilson announces cancer diagnosis, postpones Heart tour
- Tigers broadcaster Craig Monroe being investigated for alleged criminal sexual conduct
- In Chile’s Southern Tip, a Bet on Hydrogen Worries Conservationists
- Kentucky gets early signature win at Champions Classic against Duke | Opinion
- Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese strengthen players' union seeking larger piece of financial pie
- FTC says gig company Arise misled consumers about how much money they could make on its platform
- Some Mississippi legislative districts dilute Black voting power and must be redrawn, judges say
- Timothée Chalamet Details How He Transformed Into Bob Dylan for Movie
- Massive makos, Queen Bosses and a baby angel shark on Discovery ‘Shark Week,’ where women shine
Ranking
- Voters in Oakland oust Mayor Sheng Thao just 2 years into her term
- New Mexico denies film incentive application on ‘Rust’ movie after fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin
- 'It's real': Illinois grandma wins $1M from scratch-off ticket
- ICE created a fake university. Students can now sue the U.S. for it, appellate court rules
- Mother of Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym Details His Final Moments
- Woman fatally mauled by 2 dogs in Tennessee neighborhood; police shoot 1 dog
- Philadelphia radio host Howard Eskin suspended from Phillies home games over ‘unwelcome kiss’
- Oprah Winfrey reflects on Joan Rivers telling her to lose weight on 'The Tonight Show'
Recommendation
-
Residents urged to shelter in place after apparent explosion at Louisville business
-
Shannon Beador apologizes to daughters over DUI: 'What kind of example am I at 59?'
-
Screenwriter Robert Towne, known for 'Chinatown' and 'The Last Detail,' dies at 89
-
Japanese airlines outline behaviors that could get you kicked off a plane
-
Disease could kill most of the ‘ohi‘a forests on Hawaii’s Big Island within 20 years
-
Screenwriter Robert Towne, known for 'Chinatown' and 'The Last Detail,' dies at 89
-
Tempur Sealy's $4 billion purchase of Mattress Firm challenged by FTC
-
When does 'The Bachelorette' start? Who is the new 'Bachelorette'? Season 21 cast, premiere date, more