“I’m not trying to uphold a thing I’ve done before”

André 3000 has explained why he has no plans to rap again in the future.

It comes after LL COOL J expressed his disappointment at the OutKast man’s recent solo project ‘New Blue Sun’, which is dominated by an ambient flute.

“Let’s not lie to ourselves: I don’t wanna hear him do the flute,” said COOL J. “You wanna hear me do a violin? You might not wanna hear me do shit, but do you wanna hear me do a violin?”

“I wanna hear him get with Big Boi, I want them to make an OutKast [album] or to do a solo album. Every time he does a verse, it’s enough material for an album! He’s so gifted. So it’s like, ‘Come on, B. Not the flute.’ That man needs to know the truth.”

André 3000 LL Cool J back-and-forth pic.twitter.com/fnFbiNU5bM

— T.Vickz (@TVickz) July 15, 2024

He also said he disagreed with the notion that older artists don’t have anything to rap about.

COOL J added: “When you were 14, you weren’t rapping about pubescent growth spurts. So, why you have to get older and talk about prostate? With all due respect, I disagree with that because he has it in him.”

The OutKast rapper responded by reiterating why he is not confident at the moment when it comes to making a full-fledged rap album.

“To me, I feel like if it’s in you – ’cause I got homies my age and older than me that still rap – so if it’s in you, you should rap until you die. You should perform until you die,” he said.

“But what I’m saying is, what it takes for me to do it, I’m always looking for the next. I’m not trying to uphold a thing that I’ve done before. Of course, I have things to say now, but if I can’t say them in a fresh, innovative way, if I feel like I’m just hanging onto the same flow that I used to do, it’s not enough for me. So I can’t talk for another rapper about what they doing. I just say, ‘Man, go for it. If it’s in you.’”

At the time of ‘New Blue Sun’s release, Ja Rule said that he felt “heartbroken” by André 3000’s decision to release an album with “no bars”.

This was a sentiment also shared by Lil Wayne, who said it was “so depressing” that he felt “too old” to make another rap album while Killer Mike said: “For all the people out there that think you get too old to rap – bullshit. I don’t care if you’re 78 rapping about how many gals you got in the nursing home.”

Since his original comments about his age, the OutKast man also said he hasn’t found anything “inspiring enough” to make him want to rap.

Elsewhere, he also previously spoke about teaming up with Big Boi for another OutKast album.

The rapper recently announced a fresh series of shows in the US later this year. Tickets are on sale now, and you can get yours here.

You can also can catch André 3000 at Øyafestival and All Points East along with We Out Here 2024 alongside Sampha, Corinne Bailey Rae and more.