"I'm always looking for the next" — André 3000 explains his transformation from rapper to flute player

Music icon André 3000, one-half of the legendary hip-hop duo OutKast, recently addressed his creative evolution from being a rapper to an innovative flute player. On July 11, 2024, André Lauren Benjamin appeared in The Shop video series, and in a candid statement, he shed light on his never-ending search for growth and artistic exploration, suggesting that he is always up to try new things.

"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," André said.

The 49-year-old artist was part of the Southern hip-hop group OutKast in the 1990s alongside fellow rapper Big Boi. During the course of his career, he has released several hits, including Hey Ya!, Ms. Jackson, Roses, The Way You Move, and Party.

However, New Blue Sun, his debut solo album, which released on November 17, 2023, marked a significant shift from rapping as it saw the artist playing a variety of flutes.

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André 3000 sheds light on his journey into instrumental music

On episode 7 of The Shop, André had a conversation with Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera, and other renowned artists, including LeBron James, Sexyy Red, Jerry Lorenzo, Jiaoying Summers, and others. During the chat, the artist stated that if someone is inclined towards rap, they should continue pursuing it relentlessly.

"If it's in you, you should rap until you die. You should perform until you die," he said.

André 3000 explained the reason for his musical transformation, suggesting that if he feels like he can't say something in a "fresh, innovative way," he does not feel satisfied.

"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,'" he added.

The discussion was prompted by fellow rapper LL Cool J's recent remarks on the same show in May 2024, where he mentioned he did not want to hear André play the flute.

In a candid statement on May 9 on The Shop, LL Cool J called André 3000 "gifted" and noted that any verse he makes is worth an album. However, he added that the artist needs to know the truth, and mentioned:

"Let's not lie to ourselves. I don't wanna hear him do the flute. 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 March 2024, while performing at Luna Luna art exhibition, André 3000 addressed his pivot and suggested that while he did not plan it, he liked what happened.

"'How you just gon’ be rapping and then just get on stage playing f**king flutes?' Like, I didn't plan to be the flute n**ga. I didn't plan to be that. It just kinda, like, it happened," he said.

Last year, during an interview with CBS Mornings, André 3000 addressed his fans' concerns regarding his album, which received mixed reactions due to its flute-centric focus. He mentioned that while the album's artwork explicitly "says no bars," he would understand the disappointment if he were in the audience's position.

"Even on the artwork, it says no bars, so if you're disappointed, man, I don't know what else I could do. I don’t like that people are upset a little bit about it. If I were waiting for a thing for 17 years, a certain thing that I'm looking for, and something else shows up, I'd probably be upset too. To be a rapper, you gotta be rapping. I haven’t been rapping, like I don’t hang around the studio," André said.

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André 3000's album New Blue Sun, released by Epic Records, has eight tracks, including a 12-minute opener.