Although André 3000 teased that he’s working on new music for 2025, his exploration into instrumental works aren’t over. Today (November 22), André 3000 shared three unreleased tracks (“Moving Day,” “Day Moving,” and “Tunnels of Egypt”) from his New Blue Sun vault.
Last week, the musician’s followers stumbled across “Moving Day,” by way of his album’s one-year anniversary short film. The Dexter Navy-directed visual (also named Moving Day) provided supported with a behind-the-scenes look at his Grammy-nominated debut album’s creation.
As you might have expected, none of the records feature a rap verse from André 3000. For the disgruntled fans that can work their way past that, there is a deeply intrinsic story weaved into each note. Similar to what did make New Blue Sun, each record is more than a “flute track.”
“Moving Day” and “Day Moving” serves as complementary tracks. Both are loosely arranged to contrast the other’s instrumental peaks and valley. While New Blue Sun was classified as experimental, it is hard to ignore the free jazz influence heard throughout “Moving Day” and “Day Moving.”
As the title suggests, “Tunnels of Egypt” sonically pulls from Middle Eastern and North African music influences. With supporting stringed instruments and vibrating membranes, “Tunnels of Egypt” is as breezy as a desert night and equally enchanting.
Listen to André 3000’s new track “Moving Day” above. You can check out the records “Day Moving” and “Tunnels of Egypt” below.
Andre 3000 is on a mission to challenge himself. He spoke at length about the ways in which the flute removed the safety net of making music on his solo album New Blue Sun. It was not a direction anyone expected, nor was it one most fans wanted. That’s the thing about Andre 3000, though. He will follow his music. Moving Day, the Outkast rapper’s second official solo release, is more of the same. The EP sees him delve even further into his experimentation with free jazz and flute music. It’s definitely for patient listeners, and those willing to follow Stacks into some pretty esoteric places.
The first song, “Moving Day,” is a behemoth, 11 minute epic that sounds primal and patient. There’s very little in the way of melody or musical direction, but Andre 3000’s flute keeps things moving forward. It’s feels like more of an expansion on New Blue Sun than a refinement. We really hope you enjoyed “Moving Day,” though, because the second song, “Day Moving” is the same exact recording played in reverse. No we are not joking. Andre 3000 really tests listeners with this one. The good news is that the third song on the EP is in fact an original, “Tunnels of Egypt.” It follows more of the relaxed vibe of New Blue Sun, and it should since its billed as an outtake from that album.
Let us know what you think of this brand new album, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival is already one of the best festivals in the world. So, for the festival’s tenth anniversary, how could the rebellious Los Angeles native possibly improve what is as close to perfection as it gets? The only way he knows how: By focusing on the fans to give them the experience he would want for himself. While that includes top-down conceptualizing like the always-excellent curation of the festival’s lineup of artists Tyler actually enjoys, it also means ensuring that everything from the facilities to the food stands out, meeting the best-in-class standard Flog Gnaw has set for the past ten years — and will hopefully continue to do so for many more. Here are five takeaways from the tenth Flog Gnaw.
Philip Cosores
Getting To The Festival Is A Breeze
Tyler rarely puts out environmental messages or talks about civic duty — that would be at odds with his image as a devil-may-care, mischievous menace — but his priorities are plain from the moves he makes in support of the Flog Gnaw festivities. This year, the festival partnered with LA’s local public transit network to provide a free shuttle from the city’s historical Union Station to the festival grounds at Dodger Stadium, where the fest returned for the fourth year. While Metro itself sort of dropped the ball with this due to some needed improvements on one of the rail lines (specifically, the one I use to get to Union Station), necessitating an additional transfer, the shuttle service somehow managed to corral those hundreds of exuberant 20-somethings (and one grumpy 40-year-old) and keep things moving along fairly efficiently. There aren’t too many other local festivals as ideally situated, but I would love to see more of them duplicate similar services.
Philip Cosores
Dodger Stadium Is The Perfect Venue
In the four years since the festival moved to Dodger Stadium from Exposition Park, gradual improvements to its layout and grounds have made it the ideal venue for such an event. Last year, someone figured out that sticking all three stages in the north parking lots offered the best version of the layout, and this year, that stuck, with the Camp Stage situated in the center of the event space, flanked by the Flog stage to the west and Gnaw to the east. There’s still plenty of space to move around, and the landscape is dotted with even more rides and games, giving the festival a true carnival feel. While in line for the shuttle, I overheard nearby attendees discussing whether VIP passes were worth it, ultimately coming to the conclusion that there’s plenty of bang for your buck thanks to the VIP-exclusive rides, which had shorter lines — although only two stages have dedicated VIP sections (Gnaw is situated in such a way that it really wouldn’t make sense to add one there).
Themed Pop-Up Restaurants Even Make Eating Fun
While browsing social media posts about the festival, I saw quite a few posts responding to the MF DOOM’s MM..FOOD Diner menu with skepticism and derision. I assume most of these posts were just from commenters salty they weren’t at the fest and didn’t get to try the food for themselves. Consisting of items named after tracks from DOOM’s 2004 concept album, the menu was similar in price to the other concessions around it, and each item offered enough food to feed two people. My partner and I ordered the Rap Snitch Kniches, which turned out to be chicken and waffles with a twist — the chicken was INSIDE the waffle. This is momentous stuff. This needs to be a real restaurant, stat. Another artist-themed offering was Pusha T’s Grindin coffee, which cleverly tied into the artist’s persona in a similar way.
Meanwhile, even with the usual assortment of festival foods, we never waited in line for anything for longer than 10 or 20 minutes (the line for MM..FOOD was the longest, but the meal was in our hands almost as soon as we ordered it). The food booths are also ideally located to keep lines from overlapping any of the activations or stage crowds, so it was as close to a hassle-free experience as it gets. I would like to see more tables, but logistically, I understand potential safety hazards.
Philip Cosores
The Merch Is Enviable And Actually Looks Great
Flog Gnaw has always presented enviable merch options in comparison to a lot of other festivals. While it’s likely that not everybody in the fest’s target demographic can justify the cost of a $100 sweatshirt commemorating their attendance, the designs are undoubtedly among the coolest I’ve seen at the 20 or so fests I’ve covered in my time at Uproxx. My partner came away with one that cheekily reads “Save The Bees,” which doubles as both another ironic-but-sincere environmental message endorsed by Tyler and a reference to the cover of his 2017 breakout album Flower Boy. I still have yet to come away with a stuffed Tyler toy (there are all kinds of different ones, from his ski-masked Goblin alter ego to more recent album era-inspired looks), but perhaps next year will be my year. Meanwhile, even the general stores dotting the grounds had some unexpected treats; I haven’t seen another festival selling collapsible stools before, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they started showing up at more events in the future — and let me tell you, they are lifesavers no matter how old you are.
The Music Remains The Star Of The Show
The thing that makes Tyler so distinctive as an artist is that he’s such a huge fan of music, in general. Too often in hip-hop, there’s this cool-guy mindset: “I don’t really listen to music.” And I guess it’s an effort not to look cringe or like you’ve been inspired by someone else — you’re a one-of-one, completely original — which is why T not doing that is so dang cool (and kind of ironic, considering his seeming abhorrence of anything cringe or too sincere). He listens to everything; you can experience a sampling of his personal playlist by hanging around the Camp stage between sets. And he knows that just because you enjoy the jazz styling of André 3000’s latest album, doesn’t mean you won’t also get absolutely wrecked to Playboi Carti or Denzel Curry’s approach to thrash rap.
Philip Cosores
The same crowd that vibes out to Omar Apollo can get roasted by Vince Staples (do not, under any circumstances, forget that rap is Black music). Syd and Orion Sun can offer dreamy R&B, Raye can demonstrate her vocal virtuoso, Earl Sweatshirt can get deeply lyrical, and Mase can bring out the hits — some of which are older than half of Flog Gnaw’s attendees — and all of them can resonate with the diverse, eclectic crowd (some more than others, true). The weekend’s standouts, in addition to the above-mentioned names, were Doechii, who continued her campaign for rap’s upper echelons, and Sexyy Red, who made believers of even the most skeptical listeners, according to the results of my recap-related ear hustling. Oh, yeah, Tyler performed a bunch of his new songs from Chromakopia, and I can’t wait for that tour. “Sticky” is a hit.
Undoubtedly, the coolest part for me was seeing a full orchestra paying homage to the masked man who unexpectedly inspired so many of the artists who appeared on this bill, MF DOOM. There’s no way to describe it for those who weren’t there, but the vibes were immaculate — and elevated by an appearance from Erykah Badu, fresh off her main stage set, to reproduce the interpolation from his signature hit “Doomsday.” Also, yes, there was an actual accordion. For me, the set encapsulated the best thing about Camp Flog Gnaw: acknowledging the past, enjoying the present, and imagining a(n Odd) future where both can coexist and complement each other. That future is always on the way, thanks to Tyler The Creator.
Philip Cosores
Check out exclusive photos from Camp Flog Gnaw 2024 below.
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Earl Sweatshirt
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Laila!
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The 2025 Grammy nominations were announced earlier this month, and André 3000’s instrumental album New Blue Sunscored a big nod in the Album Of The Year category. It remains to be seen if the project will secure the win, but in the meantime, André is busy preparing some new material to launch in 2025.
In an interview at Camp Flog Gnaw, André was asked what his 2025 plans look like, and he responded, “New music, for sure. New ways to distribute and express. I don’t want to pinpoint what it is, but I just want to express more. Put it like that.”
Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Touré (as Billboard notes), Andre was asked if he has new material in the works, and he said, “At this point, I’m just trying to keep the momentum. There’s such a thing as creative momentum. The next stuff is very interesting, too. We’re almost a third — or halfway — into it. […] I don’t know when it will be ready. Who knows.”
Along with that, André also just shared an 11-minute documentary about the making of New Blue Sun, viewable here. He shared the video on November 17, which was the one-year anniversary of the album’s release.
Andre 3000 has taken one of the most fascinating left turns in hip hop history. The rapper and former Outkast superstar decided to put the mic down and pick up a flute. The resulting album, New Blue Moon, has sparked widespread debate among listeners. Some consider it a daring musical triumph, others an attempt at being “artsy.” Andre 3000 discussed the album during a recent interview with Toure, and he shed light on a fascinating technicality about the album. A technicality that could pose exciting possibilities for his future.
Andre 3000 explained that New Blue Moon actually didn’t count towards his record deal. It was not an attempt to circumvent the label system, the way that people like Frank Ocean have. Three Stacks was actually confused by this technicality when he discovered it. He told Toure that the label did not view New Blue Moon as a viable commercial product, and therefore did not fulfill the terms of the contract Andre 3000 signed. “You have to have some type of legal stipulation that stops you from doing that,” Three Stacks revealed.
The rapper’s lawyer told him that the stipulation was brought about in the 1970s. Andre 3000 noted, however, that record label was not critical of his decision to release a jazz flute album. In fact, they were encouraging. “They congratulated me on the process, they congratulated me on what the work was, but contractually, it’s very interesting,” he told Toure. “My label will not count this album against my contract — this is as a solo artist.” The rapper’s revelation is especially interesting given his recent announcement regarding new music.
Andre 3000 was interviewed during the Camp Flog Gnaw Festival, and confirmed that he has new music on the way. He told the interviewer that he intends to drop in 2025, and challenge normal conventions as to how fans consume music. “New music for sure,” he explained. “New ways to distribute and express… I just want to express more.” It’ll be fascinating to see whether Andre’s new music news closer to the hip hop we know and love from him. Pharrell seems to think it will. The fellow creative told GQ that Andre is coming back to rhyming sooner or later, and when he does, it will be “hot.”
André 3000 recently revealed a surprising detail about his long-awaited debut solo album, New Blue Sun. Despite its critical acclaim and a nomination for Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammys, the project doesn’t count toward fulfilling his contract with Epic Records. In an interview with journalist Touré, the OutKast icon shared his initial confusion and eventual understanding of this contractual stipulation.
“They congratulated me on the process, they congratulated me on what the work was, but contractually, it’s very interesting. My label will not count this album against my contract — this is as a solo artist,” André said, referencing his unconventional flute-based project.
After consulting his lawyer, André learned that the stipulation dates back to the 1970s, when some artists tried to fulfill their record deals by submitting low-effort or unconventional material. Labels countered this by requiring new works to align with the artist’s previous output.
“I didn’t understand it at first and we tried to find ways around it,” he admitted. “But my attorney explained it in this way: it was invented in the ’70s maybe, when artists were trying to get out of their deals so they were just pretty much turning in anything. It says, ‘The next recording has to be 90 percent like the recording before it.’”
He added, “It stops you from turning in 10 tracks of handclaps and saying, ‘This is my album.’ And I get it! But Sylvia [Rhone] and the team have been so supportive. They know I’m not turning in a handclap album — they get it. But as a business, this is the stance they took.”
Despite the setback, André isn’t rushing to leave Epic Records. He remains focused on creating music and has confirmed that he’s already working on another album. While keeping details under wraps, he shared that the new project is well underway.
“Oh, for sure,” he said when asked about a follow-up to New Blue Sun. “At this point, I’m just trying to keep the momentum. There’s such a thing as creative momentum. The next stuff is very interesting, too. We’re almost a third — or halfway — into it.” However, he noted there’s no set release date. “I don’t know when it will be ready. Who knows.”
For now, fans can continue to celebrate André 3000’s latest artistic evolution while eagerly awaiting the next chapter in his legendary career.
During a recent interview, André 3000 revealed another surprising fact about the project. While chatting with Touré on his podcast, The Touré Show, André 3000 claimed that his New Blue Sun album will not be credited towards his solo record deal obligations.
“They congratulated me on the process, they congratulated me on what the work was, but contractually, it’s very interesting,” he said. “My label will not count this album against my contract — this is as a solo artist. I didn’t understand it at first, and we tried to find ways around it, but I understand it in a way, too.”
André 3000 went on to explain why his label (Epic) won’t consider it. “In the ’70s artists were trying to get out of their deals so they were just pretty much turning in anything,” he said. “And so you have to have some type of legal stipulation that stops you from doing that…It stops you from turning in 10 tracks of handclaps and saying, ‘This is my album.’ And I get it! But Sylvia and the team, they’ve been so supportive. They know I’m not turning in an a handclap back — they get it. But as a business, this is the stance that they took.”
To listen to The Touré Show‘s full episode featuring André 3000, click here.
Andre 3000 is on his own creative path. He was a wildly unpredictable presence within Outkast, but his solo career has been even harder to pin down. He’s taken on unexpected collaborators, dropped wildly impressive guest verses, and made a hard left turn into instrumental jazz. Andre 3000 is a true original, and he continued to shock fans during a November 18. He revealed that he has plans to drop new music in 2025. A mere two years after releasing his first solo album.
The revelation came about during Andre 3000’s appearance at Camp Flog Gnaw. The legendary Outkast member sat down for an interview Wayno for Amazon Music. Several topics were hit upon, but it was the revelation of what Stacks had planned for the new calendar year that really turned heads. “What does an Andre 3000 vision board look like going into 2025,” Wayno asked. Without missing a beat, Andre stated: “New music for sure… new ways to distribute and express… I just want to express more.” He admitted he was reluctant to put too fine a point on what he had planned, but new music has been confirmed.
Andre 3000’s output has increased drastically in the last few years. He not only shocked fans with an album, but he recently contributed a song to a compilation. The massive song “Something Is Happening and I may Not Fully Understand but I’m Happy to Stand for the Understanding” appeared on the Transa: Select album in October. While it largely followed the instrumental path laid out by his solo release, New Blue Moon, it also featured Andre on vocals. This marks the first instance of the artist’s voice being on a song since he stepped back from rapping.
The industry reception to Andre 3000’s shift from rapping has been mixed. People like LL Cool J have castigated Three Stacks for not giving the fans what they want. Pharrell, on the other hand, has assured fans that the Outkast star will return to what he does best. “He not running, he just saying he not going to force it,” Pharrell told GQ. “What you love about him was when he was compelled. It’ll be back. When [he] does. He’s going to come in hot.”
Pharrell is in legacy mode. The legendary producer is promoting his new biopic, Piece by Piece, and talking about the various ways in which creativity manifests. Pharrell has always been someone who has balanced his artistic muse with commercial sensibilities. It’s this threading of the needle that makes him uniquely qualified to speak on the career of Andre 3000. The Outkast rapper has seemingly abandoned hip hop to make experimental jazz. Pharrell is not worried, however. He predicted that Andre will find his way back to the genre that made him.
Pharrell got on the topic of 3K during a recent profile with GQ. Pharrell and Andre came up around the same time, and were at their artistic and commercial peak during the 2000s. Both men are also revered for their eclectic tastes and adoration of Prince. Skateboard P commended the Outkast rapper for taking a risk and following his muse. He also urged the fans to be patient, and let Andre 3000 return to hip hop on his own terms. “People got all this judgment and they don’t understand,” he asserted. “People should just give him his time. He’s going to be back. That feeling finds you—you can’t run from it.”
Pharrell also noted that the same eclecticism that’s driving Andre 3000 to experiment with jazz is the same eclecticism fans praised during his time with Outkast. You can’t separate one from the other, and so patience is the best approach. “He not running, he just saying he not going to force it,” he explained. “What you love about him was when he was compelled. It’ll be back.” P also voiced excitement over how good Andre 3000’s return to hip hop will be. “When [he] does,” he noted. “He’s going to come in hot.”
Pharrell and Andre 3000 worked together on the N.E.R.D song “Rollinem 7’s” from 2017. The latter drops an absolutely mind-melting guest verse, proving that he still has what it takes to out rhyme guys who are half his age. Pharrell’s iconic production duo, the Neptunes, was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019, the same year as Outkast. We hope Pharrell’s assertions about Andre 3000 are correct, and we hope to see these two collaborate again in the future.
During an interview with Variety, André 3000 shared his reaction to the nominations. “I felt that we tried to campaign to see if we could get into the alternative jazz or ambient category,” he said. “So this morning, when the album of the year category popped up, I was really, really surprised because I didn’t think that that many people even knew about it. So I’m just happy that the votes came in that way and that people were paying attention, more than anything.”
The nomination certainly shocked fans. While Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Chappell Roan’s The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess, Charli XCX’s Brat, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department were considered shoo-ins; André 3000’s New Blue Sun and Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol. 4 are this year’s dark horses.
The 2025 Grammy Awards are scheduled to take place on February 2, 2025. Only then will viewers learn which musician takes home the coveted gramophone trophy.
