Hip-hop star Andre 3000 has actively taken a step back from recording new material because he is convinced he has lost “the pulse” for contemporary music.
Andre 3000 hasn’t released any new projects as a solo star or as a member of OutKast since the duo’s 2006 album Idlewild, although he has made a number of guest appearances on other artists’ work.
Andre admits the decision to wind down his musical output was a conscious one, as he fears he no longer has what it takes to compete with younger MCs.
“I don’t have the pulse anymore,” he tells GQ Style. “Rhythms change every generation. The intensity and the drums change. And I’m not on the pulse. I can’t pretend. It’s kinda like watching your uncle dance.”
The star reveals he has amassed hours and hours of unreleased material over the years, but professionally, he’s content with the idea of never releasing anything of his own again, even if personally, that may not be the case.
“If I were to drop dead right now, honestly, we’ve done it. And that’s the truth. You know what I mean?” he says. “Here’s the only thing that I would regret: ‘Man, you know, there is still that album that you wanted to do.'”
Discussing his approach to rap retirement, he compares his career to that of undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
“I’m slowing down, and I see these young kids coming up and I was them,” he explains. “And at a certain point, no matter how Mayweather you are, I think it’s classy to be like, ‘You know what? I think I have, like, maybe two more Mayweather fights.'”
And while he no longer has the same passion for rapping, Andre has found a way to channel his creativity into the production side of things for other musicians.
“I hate going to the studio,” he confesses. “So what’s got me going once again is me being excited about other artists. I’ve been working on producing a few artists. A couple projects.”
Andre has also been building up his acting career of late, starring in Jimi Hendrix biopic Jimi: All Is by My Side, and signing on to star in Robert Pattinson’s upcoming sci-fi film High Life, which is currently in production.
