Andre 3000 says that he was not confident in “Hey Ya!,” the eventual hit single from OutKast’s 2003 Speakerboxxx/TheLove Below album.
“I was completely terrified because it’s even worse because I’m coming from a Rap world and everybody got they face frowned up and wanna be as tough as possible and you out there singing,” Andre 3000 says in response to a question asked by HipHopDX during a press call held today (October 2). “The first ‘Hey Ya’ performance wasn’t that great. It was nerves. It was scary. Even when I presented the song to L.A. Reid to say, ‘Hey, this is the single,’ his response was, ‘To be honest, I don’t understand this song, but it’s exciting to me.’ So he stood by it and watched it happen. I’m glad he did. But there are nerves. I think you’ve gotta have some nerves. I think if you’re too comfortable with things, you really ain’t pushing nothing. You gotta stretch it out.”
Andre 3000, who portrays Jimi Hendrix in the forthcoming Jimi: All Is By My Side film, which is slated for an October 24 release, says that he is nervous when he tries new things artistically, much as he imagines Hendrix, an iconic musician, singer and songwriter who died in 1970, would have been.
“You are nervous,” Andre 3000 says. “I think Hendrix was nervous a bit, too. I think you’ve gotta be nervous in some kind of way because that drives it because it gives you the challenge to do it at that point. You know if it’s some kind of friction then that means that it’s good. Even when you read interviews about The Experience, they would always say, ‘We honestly did not rehearse a whole lot, because our biggest thing was we had balls, man. We would just go out and play and just do stuff.’ So that was kind of like addressing that Hendrix part. People failed to realize that that Beatles part came out a day before. So that’s like me getting a new album, no YouTube lessons or nothing like that, just getting a new album and going out there and doing a cover and fuck The Beatles. So that was as ballsy as you can get. That just says like, ‘Hey, I’m a guitar player and I pick up chords really quick. And it’s crazier if you pull up YouTube right now and pull up the actual Hendrix playing the Beatles song. He has a cigarette in his mouth and between while he’s playing he takes it out and throws it and he doesn’t miss a beat. That shows you how confident he is in it.”
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JUSTIN HUNTE
RELATED: Andre Benjamin Likens Portraying Jimi Hendrix To Playing Andre 3000
Id be terrified too because that song was the absolute worst song OUTCAST HAS EVER PUT OUT. STRAIGHT BASURA
Learn to spell bruh.
Learn to do a better job of fucking yourself in the ass, fag.
mommy was wiping your ass when this came out, stop it
Yo mama is so ashy, po-po use her fingers as chalk to mark dead bodies
^ as if to prove his point, you chimed in again 😛
Extremely overrated song in fact the whole Andre 3000 side of that Double Disc was garbage while everyone slept on Big Boi’s side.
Speakerboxx was actually a good front to back hip hop album and aged well.Love Below too experimental and poppy for my taste.
that song is so freakin bad. thats the kinda song my momma likes.
“the eventual hit single from OutKasts 2003 Speakerboxxx/TheLove Below album.”
Just call it a solo record you stupid fuck.
If you ever thought that song was dope then shut the fuck up and don’t comment back to me. Me I always fucking hated that song and thought it was outkast biggest sell out song ever!!! To the guy who said even my mom like it you’re right every ones moms love that dumb ass song!!
Damn this guy sucks…idk how people can have him on there top mc list…I’m not talking outkast I’m talking 3000 …..no hit hip hop songs …his flow is garbage….I’m glad he’s bored with hip hop stay away u suck donkey nuts just like ur lame fans
He only started getting props after Eminem gave him a shout out on the Eminem show. I forgot what track it was, but Em started the buzz
And exactly how many cuts with 3000 on them have you listened too? Fans and artist alike co-sign him but I guess you two must know something we don’t. Why don’t you check out some of his songs and actually listen to the lyrics. Start with “Sorry” from T.I.’s Trouble Man album.
co-sign 100%
His wack pop singles and Eminem mentioning is why this guy is wanked so much.Dont take me wrong,Andre 3k is a beast but without a proper solo record,he aint touching top 5.I doubt he can even top Big Boi’s critically aclaimed SLLF if he ever decides to drop an album.
No offesne, but you guys are fuckin’ uneducated. Outkast influenced so many rappers in the game today. Andre may not be top 5, but hes easily in the top 25. Their debut album is one of the best hip hop albums you’ll ever hear. And what the fuck does having a ‘buzz’ have to do with how good they are at rapping…I’ll tell ya what, go to your local record store and buy ATLiens, Aquemini, and Southernplayalistic. If those albums don’t do nothing for ya, then get the fuck off a hiphop website and watch MTV
I know Hey ya was a massive hit, but I NEVER EVER liked that song.
It hurt my ears… Plus the instrumental had a few harsh whistles and snares that werent mixed properly.
That album had a few gems, especially on Big Bois part. But Hey ya was garbage to me
I fucking cringed as a 12 year old when I first heard the song, outkast feel off.
I have never seen as much concentrated hate for Andre 3000 as I have in these 17 comments lol. he’s an eccentric artist who dropped classic albums with his rap group and as time went on wanted to experiment more with his music. you might not like it, but don’t discredit his position in the game & forget his contributions based on one song haha. yall are crazy for real lol
real niggas what’s up?
I’ve ben saying it for years that 3000 and Big Boi were equals. Don’t understand how he was elevated, especially after Big Boi released Speakerbox and Left Foot.
But, Outkast was getting props BEFORE Eminem was even heard of. So we can stop that nonsense.
lyrics
Hey Ya is, and was a fantastic POP SONG. It was never going to appeal to hip hop fans simply because it’s not a hip hop track.
Andre 3000 being a part of one of hip hops most successful groups meant it would be hip hop fans that checked on Hey Ya first because of the Outkast name. This was always going to be the way before it gained commercial success via fans of other genres, just because it’s not a rap song doesn’t make it garbage.
I know this is a hip hop website, but the amount of dumb, ignorant mother fuckers on here that have no taste in music beyond hip hop is astonishing. Expand your minds a little and you may find something from another genre you’d love!
Black Album plz stfu did you start listening to hip hop when dre brought Em in? Lil guy listen Dre beeeeeen that dude when Marshall was spitting kool keith lyrics on Kims porch! And YEAH 3000 IS TOP 5 Hey Ya was the first “happy”.Take it one step further…Dres album was better than big bois!
I remember I was about 12 or 13 when Hey Ya first came out. It was one of my favorite songs then and still is now. I remember my homies and I would sing it non-stop during basketball practice. That and roses of course lol. Yes it was black and white people all enjoying.
good. since black women have been getting fucked for centuries by white men finally the black niggas can get in some white pussy thanks to hey ya
10 years ago bruh, put out music
You know you’ve reached your peak when you crossover into a diffferent genre of music. I love the wierdness of the love below and all the funk and even the sound of music sample. Havent heard him on shit since green light with John Legend.
anyone who doesnt like hey ya is emotionally handicapped.