André 3000 says he wishes he could be “out here with everybody rapping”

nme.com:

André 3000 has shed light on why he doesn’t rap on his new album, saying that he wishes he could be “out here with everybody rapping” but hasn’t found anything “inspiring enough”.The OutKast member – real name André Lauren Benjamin – released his debut solo album, ‘New Blue Sun’, on November 17.

He announced details of the LP that same week, and it clocked in at 87 minutes of minimalist and experimental flute music.Arriving 17 years after OutKast’s sixth and final studio effort, 2006’s ‘Idlewild’, the musician told fans in advance that the release would contain “no bars”, beats or vocals.

The LP even opens with a track titled ‘I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make A “Rap” Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time’.Now, André 3000 has opened up about the decision not to rap in the album and said ideally he would be writing bars, but recently hasn’t found anything “inspiring enough” to get him on board.“I write down ideas and lyrics all the time.

And maybe I haven’t found the music that’s inspiring enough for me to want to write raps to, or maybe I got to find a new way to rap,” he said during an interview with CBS Mornings (via Music News). “If I don’t feel like I’m doing something, It don’t matter to me.”“I don’t want to troll people.