Former Outkast member André 3000 has admitted he’s got no plans for new music right now, citing a lack of confidence and motivation for a creative drought.
No matter how you look at it, André 3000 is one of the most iconic names in music over the last few decades.
Having co-founded Outkast with Big Boi in the early ’90s, the duo quickly became a vital part of the hip-hop scene, dishing out classic records like ATLiens and Stankonia, and topping the charts thanks to tunes like ‘Ms. Jackson’ and ‘Hey Ya!’.
Following the group’s split, André remained active in music and film, collaborating with a number of artists, and even being spotted playing his flute in airports. However, the topic of new music seems to be something of a dirty word for the 44-year-old these days.
Check out Outkast’s ‘Ms. Jackson’:
Speaking to Rick Rubin on the Broken Record podcast, the hip-hop icon was asked about whether or not he was working on new tunes, only to claim that high expectations and constant requests for new material have left him burnt out.
“I haven’t been making much music, man. My focus is not there. My confidence is not there,” he explained. “I tinker a lot. I’ll just go to a piano and sit my iPhone down and just record what I’m doing. Move my fingers around and whatever happens, but I haven’t been motivated to do a serious project.
“I’d like to, but it’s just not coming. In my own self I’m trying to figure out where do I sit? I don’t even know what I am and maybe I’m nothing. Maybe I’m not supposed to be anything.
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“Maybe my history is kinda handicapping, in a way, so I’m just trying to find out what makes me feel the best right now,” he added. “And what makes me feel the best is when I just do these random instrumental things. They make me feel the most rebellious.”
Elsewhere in the interview, André 3000 explained that he feels apprehensive to release new music given the extensively critical approach that new music attracts from the public.
“Any little thing I put out, it’s instantly attacked, not in a good or bad way,” he explained. “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 draw back.
“Maybe I don’t have the confidence that I want, or the space to experiment like I used to.”
While his reasons for abstaining from the music game are completely understandable, we can’t help but hope that he manages to find the confidence and motivation needed to make a welcome comeback.
Check out André 3000 on Outkast’s ‘B.O.B.’:
