André 3000 has released a new 26-minute song featuring something of a hidden rap verse from the OutKast legend.
3 Stacks contributed a song called “Something Is Happening and I may Not Fully Understand but I’m Happy to Stand for the Understanding” to a new compilation album called Transa: Select, which was released in support of transgender awareness and also features tracks from the likes of Sade and Sam Smith.
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At nearly half an hour in length, the meandering, meditative track is almost entirely instrumental and wouldn’t sound out of place on André’s debut solo album New Blue Sun.
Where it differs from the material on that project, though, is that the rap icon’s vocals can be heard near the end of the track, but what he is saying is not inaudible and appear to be played in reverse.
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Those looking for a buried backmasked message will be disappointed as a user on Reddit isolated and studied the vocal section and reported that André is “just speaking nonsense words.”
It was also reported that the ATLien had performed similar vocals at recent live shows but fans in attendance could not understand what he was saying.
André 3000 recently reflected on the divisive response to New Blue Sun, which is an entirely instrumental project based around woodwind instruments.
Speaking to the Chicago Tribune earlier this month, he said: “It’s kind of funny: The backlash is actually not from the rap community, or the jazz and spiritual jazz community. There’s actually more support — surprising support — from both sides.”
He added: “I think it’s more [OutKast] fans, which I understand. I always try to put myself in their shoes: If my favorite rapper said, ‘I’m not rapping’ and I like it, I like it. But if I don’t, I move on. I think some people take it as blasphemy or something.”
3 Stacks also admitted that he did not anticipate the amount of “ridicule” he would receive for choosing to focus on playing the flute instead of rapping.
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“In retrospect, I’ve asked myself, Would I have been better off releasing it under a new name? But I’m glad I didn’t,” he added. “The ridicule that I get from it is the thing I did not expect.
“If I’m a fan of anybody, I’m not waiting 17 years for this great rap album to come out. I’m thinking, ‘Well, that ship has sailed.’”
