"I make bad albums" — LL COOL J reflects on his career and why André 3000 pivoted to playing the flute

Renowned hip-hop icon LL Cool J recently got candid about his career trajectory and offered insights into fellow rapper André 3000's unexpected pivot to playing the flute.

On May 9, 2024, LL COOL appeared on LeBron James' The Shop alongside American actress Lena Waithe. The rapper shared thoughts on his music and acknowledged that not all of it was universally acclaimed, suggesting he made some "bad albums."

"I make bad albums, but I also have some smack, some crazy s**t too. But I made bad s**t, or s**t that people didn't respond to because that was where I was at," LL COOL J said.

The conversation also turned to André 3000, an American rapper who surprised fans by transitioning from rap to playing the flute. LL COOL suggested that he may have been seeking a path similar to the one he has experienced in his career.

James Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and producer. He has given significant hits like Mama Said Knock You Out, I Need Love, Luv U Better, and Doin' It.

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LL COOL J reflects on his journey alongside André 3000's musical pivot

In a candid revelation on Thursday, LL COOL J reflected on his career, suggesting that some of his work did not meet his satisfaction. During the conversation, Lena Waithe asked if he liked his work at that time. The rapper said, "Not always," suggesting that his approach to music varies. Sometimes, he does it for himself and sometimes for cultural trends.

"Not always. I'm a little bit of a weirdo, B. Sometimes I make records in a vacuum just because it's for me, and then sometimes I make albums for the culture," he explained.

He further said he is very "different" in this "regard," and not all of his music is for the culture.

"I'm very different in that regard, so you can't really gauge my albums like that 'cause I don't make all my records for the culture."

Following his revelation that all music is not for cultural trends, LL COOL J reflected on André 3000's New Blue Sun, which was entirely instrumental, with no bars. The two-time Grammy Award winner suggested that André might have been exploring the same form of artistic approach as him — playing the flute for himself.

"Maybe that's what André was doing with the flute thing. I can understand it from that point of view. He just expressed it differently."

LL COOL J reflected on his career and André's pivot (Image via Getty)

LL COOL J referenced André 3000 because he released an entirely instrumental album in 2023, devoid of lyrical content. While this decision may have disappointed some fans, LL COOL J posited that André possibly pursued this artistic direction to honor his creative instincts and individual expression.

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André 3000's take on his instrumental album

André 3000's take on his album New Blue Sun (Image via Getty)

In a 2023 interview with CBS Mornings, André 3000 shared his thoughts on his solo debut album, New Blue Sun, and fans' disappointment. He suggested that the artwork stated "no bars" even though it upset some. However, he acknowledged that if he would be waiting for a "certain thing" and "something else shows up," he would be upset too.

"Even on the artwork, it says no bars, so if you're disappointed, man, I don't know what else I could do," he said, adding, "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," he continued.

Another time, when André 3000 performed at the Luna Luna art exhibition in Los Angeles on March 18, 2024, and March 19, 2024, he explained his pivot. He suggested that he "did not plan" it but liked it when it happened.

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

André Lauren Benjamin is best known as one-half of the southern hip-hop band Outkast. His solo debut album was released under Epic Records on November 17, 2023. The album had eight instrumental tracks.