Outkast‘s André 3000 has made his triumphant return to music with the upcoming release of his debut solo album, New Blue Sun.
A first-of-its-kind for the Grammy-winning rapper, the new LP is expected out on November 17.
For fans who’ve long loved and listened to the iconic hip-hop artist and are expecting a nostalgic collection of masterful, nuanced lyrics, André 3000 says sorry, this isn’t that.
New Blue Sun is an instrumental album centered around woodwind instruments — “a celebratory piece of work in the form of a living, breathing, aural organism,” per the album’s description.
It all stems from André’s love of flute playing — an interest that took shape roughly 20 years ago.
André delved into his unexpected musical passion with Rodney Carmichael of NPR Music: “I’ve been interested in winds for a long time, so it was just a natural progression for me to go into flutes,” he said. “I just like messing with instruments and I gravitated mostly toward wind.”
As for if he’ll ever release more rap music and the “misconception” that he “just won’t do it,” the Georgia native said it has to make sense at this point in his life.
“I think people feel like I’m sitting around on rap albums, or sitting around and I’m just not putting them out in that way. And no it’s not like that,” he said.
He added, “In my mind, I really would like to make a rap album. So maybe that happens one day, but I got to find a way to say what I want to say in an interesting way that’s appealing to me at this age.”
Check out the New Blue Sun track list:
1. I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A “Rap” Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time
2. The Slang Word P**** Rolls Off The Tongue With Far Better Ease Than The Proper Word Vagina . Do You Agree?
3. That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther And Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Sh¥t Was Wild
4. BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears A 3000™ Button Down Embroidered
5. Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé
6. Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, And John Wayne Gacy
7. Ants To You, Gods To Who ?
8. Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens
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