André 3000 has responded to LL Cool J‘s not-so-flattering comments about his debut solo album New Blue Sun.
The ambient instrumental project, partly built around the OutKast legend’s flute playing, divided fans following its release last November due to its lack of rapping.
LL was among those disappointed by the project and shared his brutally honest thoughts on LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s The Shop earlier this year.
“Listen, he is amazing. His bars are all the way up. Not the flute, B. Not the flute,” he said. “Let’s not lie to ourselves. I don’t wanna hear him do the flute. You wanna hear me do a violin album?”
The 56-year-old also urged 3 Stacks to return to rap, saying: “I wanna hear him get with Big Boi, I want them to make an OutKast [album] or [for him] to do a solo album. Everytime 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.”
During his own appearance on the YouTube series, André 3000 was asked about LL Cool J’s criticism and issued a typically measured and well-mannered response.
“To me, I feel like if it’s in you — ’cause I got homies my age and older than me that still rap — so if it’s in you, you should rap until you die. You should perform until you die,” he said.
“But 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.”
He added: “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 doing. I just say, ‘Man, go for it. If it’s in you.'”
André 3000 has been vocal in recent months about his hesistancy to rap. In an interview with GQ late last year, he admitted he doesn’t feel like he has anything interesting to rap about now that he’s approaching 50 years old.
“People think, ‘Oh, man, he’s just sitting on raps or holding these raps hostage.’ I’m like, ‘I ain’t got no raps like that,'” he clarified. “It actually sometimes feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way.
“I’m 48 years old, and not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does. Like, what am I gonna rap about? I gotta get a colonoscopy? My eyesight is going bad?”
On the flip side, the ATLien has described the flute as a crucial outlet of creative expression.
“This is the realest thing that’s coming right now. Not to say that I would never [rap] again, but the [song] title, you know, ‘I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album, But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time’ because this album is about wind and breathing,” he told NPR.
“In that way, it is true. It is literally blowing me this way and I’m blowing flutes and I’m blowing digital instruments.”
Dude himself even admitted that he does not know what he’s doing with the flute. Whoa, 3 Stacks. Haha
He probably should do features again to get back into the groove of writing raps
Reading between the lines, I can tell rapping IS NOT fun for him.
It’s been 24 years since Stankonia. That’s the last album he was purely a rapper. Minus a verse here or there every few years, this man has seemingly lost the heart for it long ago. It’s like Barry Sanders retiring when he was still running circles around the league. We’ll always wonder….
LL is still hard as hell. While Andre turned to be a wack flutist from a wack rapper.
You’re entitled to your not-at-all-popular opinion, but the majority of rap fans and also rap artists (on all levels of the game) who comment on the topic rate Andre 3000 as one of the greatest.
Im not big on LL but I agree with him on the damn flute.
I’d blow on drake’s flute if he let me
3000 has to get past Big Boi before being considered one of the greats. You groupthink clowns crack me up. Not one solo album but he is a goat. Nope!
Bro just stfu.
How in THE HELL, do you tell a Artist who’s Top the charts. Who’s put out a different style music that’s sold a Million copies, what he should be doing?? Wtf The man might do something different next time. He doing him, damn smh
Y’all so effin sensitive
I could not agree more! Let him live!
and when they came thru playin Rock the Bells, we took what we want and left em quiet as hell…what’chu really know about the dutty souf???
I remember Andre being interviewed by Rick Rubin talking about him being scared to write rhymes because he heard some feedback once that his bars are boring and that was a gut punch for him. I honestly dont think Andre has the confidence to make an album. It has nothing to do with lack of content or stuff to write about.
Let dude do a flute album if that’s what he feels like doing. I haven’t heard it and I don’t like flute music but I bet the farm that’s better than 99% of all the drill rap coming out today. STFU about a mofo’s flute album already.
Two legendary rappers on different sides of the spectrum. Andre3000 is doing his creative side of thinking towards a live instrument. Shelia E plays percussion instruments more than she sings, is that a crime? Let 3 Stacks do what he loves. The government is silencing BG on his lyrics before releasing any music and that’s a shame.