Fans hoping to finally hear an André 3000 solo album won’t be getting their wish anytime soon. During a conversation with Rick Rubin on the Broken Record podcast, 3 Stacks explained how a lack of confidence has prevented him from making his long-discussed LP.
“I haven’t been making much music, man,” he said. “My focus is not there. My confidence is not there. I tinker — I tinker a lot. Like I’ll just go to a piano and I’ll set my iPhone down and just record what I’m doing, move my fingers and whatever happens, but I haven’t been motivated to do a serious project. I’d like to, but it’s just not coming.”
The high bar set by André’s past work has affected his creative process. The Outkast MC wondered aloud if his well-established legacy was essentially holding him back.
“In my own self, I’m trying to figure out where do I sit,” he said. “I don’t even know what I am and maybe I’m nothing. Maybe I’m not supposed to be anything. Maybe my history is kind of handicapping in a way. And so I’m just trying to find out what makes me feel the best right now.”
While opening up to Rubin, the acclaimed MC noted he’s currently drawn to instrumental music as opposed to writing raps.
“And what makes me feel the best is when I just do these random kind of instrumental kind of things,” he explained. “They make me feel the most rebellious. I don’t like to go with the flow really. I don’t know why, but I just feel best when I don’t. So, I have to honor that. I have to honor that in a way.”
André also lamented the level of scrutiny his work receives, detailing how he doesn’t feel like he can experiment musically anymore.
“Now any little thing I put out is instantly attacked,” he stated. “Not in a good or bad way. People nitpick it with a fine-tooth comb. ‘Oh, he said that word? And that’s not a great place to create from. And it makes you kind of draw back. And maybe I don’t have the confidence that I want or the space to experiment like I used to.”
Check out André’s entire interview with Rubin interview below.
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Everytime I see or read anything about me, I get the feeling hes going through the dark night of the soul. I hope he comes out soon, it cant be easy.
When I had no confidence I decided to exploit Christianity. I spoke to my wife Kimberley and she said it would be a great morale booster and a quick way to earn cash. Dear 3000 make church music its fun, wholesome and everyone thinks your a great guy!
Dear Archbishop West,
While I appreciate the interest you’ve taken in my condition, I’m not sure if I can follow in your footsteps. You see, I am actually talented. As talented as anyone has ever been in our humble genre. Moreover, I believe in being my authentic self, even if some find me to be rather odd. Consequently, I could never be parade around as a Christian while being married to a glorified porn star. I could never pretend to be a Christian while saying slavery and subjugation (the very things Christ and Moses fought against) were a choice. Thank you sir, but no thanks.
Andre Benjamin
Dear Andre I must say i am quite disappointed however I respect your stance. I would concur my dear Kimberley is not a pornographic star and in fact that was her body double. We are god fearing Christians who believe in the sanctity of religion and everything that is wholesome. I would be remiss not to mention that I would like you to be part of any future projects and hope you make time to confess your sins. Yours truly archbishop kanye west of canterbury.
Dear Archbishop,
Thank you for your explanation as to your wife’s sanctity. In fact my partner Antwan and I have composed a melody dedicated to similarly virtuous women called Jezzabelle. If you would be so mind as to read a verse or two from the composition, it may serve as an inspiration to the women of the congregation. Thank you kindly. Andre
Good tidings Andre I hope you are blessed. For your transgressions I would urge you to read 15 hail marys to cleanse you. God bless you my child.
I sincerely appreciate your generosity Archbishop West. For my transgressions I will subject myself to a viewing of the first fifteen season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Surely this would suffice as repentance for all but the worst sins. Please take care of yourself, as other members of your clergy (Bishops Odom, Thompson, Jenner, Disick and Bush to name a few) have not fared well since attaining priesthood in the holy city of Calabassas. I will pray for your mind, body and venerated soul.
Andre
You took the time to write that lol. Kanye isn’t all of a sudden religious. I mean, Jesus Walks speaks for itself. YE has always been a Jesus preaching man. But, Hollywood consumed him. I’d rather see him repping positivity, love, and God, than the evil satanic shit him and JayZ have been for years now!
So, you gonna call out DMX now, and pretend it’s all a gimmick for him too? Is it hard to believe a man from the highest echelons of Hollywood entertainment has understood he’s been a mouthpiece for degenerative nature, and actually feels like he needs to change? Kanye was a drug addict too… Druggies often turn to God to get some higher power guiding them.
Look at me I’m such a creative edgy artist I “don’t have the confidence” lmao please bro save it. Put that shit out stop with these marketing schemes to hype it up. You already have the album done Dre
You’re right- this has been one long 20-year marketing scheme. What a cynical fruit. Your boyfriend must be bored of you
Not a marketing scheme…just a way to keep his status without actually doing work, he’d rather not release and keep his status than drop something and fail
Get off big boi’s nuts
It started when people kept calling him the goat and he doesn’t think he’s up to the task
Keeping it real
This is because of the musical climate out there. Andre is a perfectionist. He wants his shit to be hot. If he’s not feeling it, he won’t record.
People like to put 3000 in their top five to sound cool big can’t even spit two bars from any of his verses
Found the dude who loves Daddy Fat Sacks
Try me
The last time anyone “attacked” something Stacks did was 2003 (“Love Below”). Several years later they were giving it its proper acclaim. Since then, everything Stacks has touched with his voice has been loved.
He is right, everybody will nit pick his music if he released a full lp. It’s crazy how much social media can make artists hesitant when putting music out.
Dope conversation between two greats. 3000 makes really good points about his anxiety. Hopefully he can get out of his head and put something out. People are going to have crazy expectations and their opinions to match but just say fuck it and drop some music.
Don’t say anything until you have something to say
Can we stop with this…He’s not gonna do a solo. It’s literally been decades of this shit, he’s not gonna do it. Plus he already got the privilege of being considered top of all time without having to release one for some reason. Dude just gotta drop a verse once every 3 years and he keeps his “great” status…who would take the chance to mess that up with a whole album, especially someone who’s “confidence” obviously doesn’t register that he’s a sacred cow. There’s plenty of rappers with an actual solo discography that don’t get the credit 3K does…he’s dope an all, but he gets way too much credit for the effort
The love below was a solo album(coupled with speakerboxx). All that shit you talking is booty chatter
Obviously he’s just not feeling it.
If someone had the gall to drop a diss track about 3StackzAndre..then i expect an album from Benj rapping about incompetent “rappers or so called rappers”….bone thugs n harmony
Long awaited solo album??? Thee fuck you mean? And don’t give me, “love below wasn’t a solo album”
Lmaoooo who is waiting on this mans solo album?!? Old heads! NOBODY want to hear this weirdo in 2019 or 2020 haha stop it. He wouldn’t even outsell rich the kid
Yet he featured on both Kendrick and Travis Scott’s albums? Shut up you tit.
Haha all these dumba$$ new heads wouldn’t know true talent even if it pulled your pants down, bent you over and shoved a iron rod up your a$$
You’re lame ass hell. Dre is a lyrical genius and this shit nowadays can’t even top his music. Dumb young ass
Gotta respect the man for being real tho and not just putting out just anything for the sake of dropping something new just to say he did it