Earlier this month, André 3000 released his first album in 17 years. New Blue Sun is not only noteworthy as a deviation from OutKast, but the LP also featured no rapping whatsoever. Instead, the Hip-Hop legend opted to play flute. In the days before releasing the Epic Records album, Dre spoke about his relationship with rapping.
“Sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap, because I don’t have anything to talk about that way,” the Grammy-winning MC told GQ‘s Zach Baron. “I’m 48 years old—not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way, it does.” In that same interview, the artist admitted that he is worlds away from the Hip-Hop zeitgeist of smoky studio sessions.
André 3000 Explains Why It Feels Inauthentic To Rap
As Andre opens up about his relationship with Rap, another Grammy-winner has spoken up. Even before André’s Jazz album, Lupe announced that he was planning to make a point—by rapping to the beats—which are beyond even the Instrumental Hip-Hop sub-genre.
Lupe tweeted on November 14, “Gonna rap all over that 3stacks album and put it in the time capsule for future generations.”
Ten days or so later, Lupe honored his promise. Perhaps deliberately, the Chicago, Illinois MC chose the opener, “I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album, But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time” to make his own. He begins, “Through the weeds I fatigue often / Travelin’ through the beads like the entrance to a massage parlor / Why walk when my garage harbor / The odd vehicle with a spoiler / I’m tryna win like the hundredth and seventh caller / I told the masseuse to knead softer / In the tall grass i get sleepy on the regular / I’m so private but even here me and my co-pilot fly the same plane likе we competitors / Made my drеam girl in an AI editor / The type of one on my forearm like the predator
Moments later the decorated veteran raps: “I prefer Kintsugi pottery over pristine, perfectly-weaved sophistry / I’m Bodhisattva possibly ’cause being bothered don’t even bother me / But not a Buddha ’cause I ain’t got the modesty / What you miss mentally is how much I catch bodily,” Lu’ raps on a song posted to YouTube titled “3,048”—a play on the original artist’s moniker. It is unclear if Fiasco has other raps to 3000’s new songs.
This year, Lupe Fiasco has released a handful of singles, including some holdovers from his acclaimed 2006 breakthrough Food & Liquor. Meanwhile, 3000 is nominated for two upcoming Grammy’s, thanks to his 2023 collaboration with Dungeon Family family Killer Mike, Eryn Allen Kane, and Future.
#BonusBeat: Last year, Ambrosia For Heads’ What’s The Headline podcast held a discussion about Lupe Fiasco’s “ON FAUX NEM” verse and several others that we consider the best of 2022:
