The new album just begs for an intimate listening session — and that’s exactly what his André’s companion film, Listening To The Sun, is. To star the 90-minute film, André introduces the album, lights a candle, and lets the mood move him as the album plays. “I hope you enjoy the ride as much as we did,” he says. “What you hear is what we did as it was happening.” The film, directed by Terence Nance, isn’t terribly complex, but the soundtrack takes care of that.
Although New Blue Sun was well-received in general, though, André’s comments about rapping after 40 while promoting it certainly ruffled a few feathers. Lil Wayne called André’s thoughts “depressing,” while LL Cool J shot down the idea that there are no new ideas after 40. Still, most fans seem to be holding out hope that André will rediscover his inspiration, after his most recent rap verse, on Killer Mike’s “Scientists & Engineers,” not only scratched their longstanding itch for new André 3000 wordplay, but also helped Mike sweep the Grammys’ rap categories.
You can watch André’s film, Listening To The Sun, above.
Andre 3000 always has a left turn to make. The Outkast rapper confused everybody when he dropped his first solo album in 2023. Instead of bars, which fans had been patiently waiting for since 2006, he decided to pick up the jazz flute. The resulting album, New Blue Sun, has become something of a pop culture curio. Nobody knows quite what to make of it, which seems to be why Andre 3000 had so much fun making it. Now, the Outkast icon has decided to drop a feature length film to accompany.
The film is called Listening to the Sun. Three Stacks uploaded the 90 minute feature to YouTube on August 29 with a subtitle that explains its intent. Listening to the Sun is an “intimate album film for New Blue Sun,” and it was apparently recorded on November 11, 2023. For context, the album dropped the same exact day. The film is artsy, as one might expect for a companion piece to a jazz flute album, but it’s undeniably interesting to watch. Andre 3000 occupies the frame during the entire film, and there doesn’t appear to be a cut. He performs his musical and physical actions in one unbroken shot. This makes the flow from sequence to sequence even more natural.
Andre 3000 Made The Film The Day He Dropped His Album
Andre 3000 is a frequent collaborator of Frank Ocean. He’s appeared on both of the singer’s albums, and he maintains a similar hermit persona. It’s worth mentioning Ocean because Listening to the Sun feels like Andre’s version of Endless. Ocean built a staircase over the course of an hour in Endless, as new music soundtracked his process. Andre 3000 has a bit more focus with his film (and 30 minutes more to fill), so it’s admittedly a more engaging watch.
Three Stacks has been transparent about not knowing what he’s doing with the flute. He told The Shop that he was a novice when it came to the instrument, which has been part of the appeal. “I don’t know what notes I’m playing, to be completely honest,” the rapper explained. “I’m not trying to pretend like I know what I’m doing, in a way. I actually don’t know what I’m doing and that’s part of the art.” Listening to the Sun feels like a cinematic expansion on this freedom. Give it a watch if you haven’t already.
André 3000, one of Hip Hop’s great craftsmen, writers and performers, brings his woodwind passion full circle today with the world premiere of the album’s official visual component, Listening To The Sun (an intimate album film for New Blue Sun 11/17/2023), a 90-minute long short film (or visual listening session). The feature, directed by Terence Nance (Random Acts of Flyness) and premiered on YouTube, is a performance art piece that finds André physically channeling the spirit of his latest studio album set in a serene, blue-lit setting with his aura and flute taking centerstage.
“I hope you enjoy the ride as much as we did. What you hear is what we did as it was happening,” André 3000 says about the “formations” that comprise New Blue Sun at the onset of his new short film. The artist and multihyphenate, with the help of just a few props (including a lit candle and a traffic cone), provides a captivating visual companion to his first studio album, which will perhaps serve as inspiration for how to experience the eight-track LP.
André was candid with GQ in a November cover story about his inspirations behind the album. “I’d like to make things that when I’m dead and gone 3,000 years from now, people may dig up and find,” he said. “So if that’s sculpting, if that’s actually physical artwork, painting, designing instruments, that’s where I’m at right now.” The Atlanta-bred artist’s audience, cultivated during parts of three decades, is on that journey with him.
New Blue Sun peaked at no. 1 on Billboard’s New Age and Current Alternative Albums charts, as well as Apple Music’s Alternative Albums chart following its release, in addition to a no. 2 peak on iTunes Albums and Apple Music overall albums charts, massive performances for the thematically tangential release. The album’s staying power has matched its intrigue, as it peaks once again at no. 1 on the Current Alternative Albums Chart this week, to go with a no. 2 slot on the LP Vinyl Chart. André and his flute have got something to say, and the world is both listening and witnessing it live. André 3000 will tour his debut LP for the second time this year in September, when he kicks off a 26-date North American trek beginning September 19 in New Orleans, and concludes on November 14 in André’s hometown of Atlanta.
André 3000’s flute path, which has taken him from the Venice coast where he met the manufacturer of his first flute, to a North American tour of his new album, has led him to yet another point on his exploration timeline: Listening to The Sun.
On this date in 1996, Big Boi and Andre 3000 came together to release their second album ATLiens on R&B icons’ LA Reid and Babyface’s LaFace Records. On this album, the Southern playalistic duo expands their subject matter from just their urban tales from the hood to explorations of extraterrestrial life on Planet Earth.
Outkast’s most recognizable aspect of their creativity is their hooks, which is almost a trademark for the entire Organized Noize family, but really took root as Big Boi and Andre 3 Stacks signature sound on this album, with songs like “ATLiens” and “Elevators(Me And You)” spearheading the success of this album.
The commercial success of the album was proof of the duo’s ability to relay their morphing sounds to their listeners, with the ATLiens project selling one million copies in three months and reaching double platinum in less than seven years.
Shout out to Andre 3000, Big Boi, and the rest of the Organized Noize crew for this timeless piece of Hip Hop History!
At this point, the likelihood of an Outkast reunion is a faint dream. However, members André 3000 and Big Boi are united on one front — protecting their intellectual property.
According to AllHipHop, Outkast’s company High Schoolers LLC have filed a lawsuit against EDM duo ATLiens for trademark infringement.
In the paperwork, the hip-hop legends accuse ATLiens of “improper, willful, unauthorized and illegal use and registration of the ATLIENS mark,” which is owned by Outkast.
As evident in their claim, Outkast referenced ATLiens upcoming 2025 show at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. Outkast has taken issue not only with ATLiens’ selected stage name, but also its use in their merchandise, among other things.
Although Outkast acknowledges the word, made popular by their standout 1996 album, was thrust into pop culture, and as a result the world’s “cultural lexicon,” they firmly stake creative ownership of the made-up word.
“Upon information and belief, Defendant selected the name ATLIENS for their EDM duo to trade upon the tremendous fame and goodwill associated with Plaintiff’s ATLIENS album, song, and mark, or, at a minimum, to call to consumers’ minds Plaintiff’s famous ATLIENS album, song, and mark,” reads the document.
Outkast has demanded that ATLiens “permanently enjoined and restrained from, directly or indirectly” further usage of their trademark. They always also asked that the United States Patent and Trademark Office cancel the ATLiens’ live and active service mark as they attempt to “collect compensatory, incidental and consequential damages.”
On the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s website, ATLiens’ mark has a notion of this request. The last of Outkast’s request include for legal fees reimbursement, and ATLiens to remove any and all online usage of their mark, which encompasses their website and social media profiles.
This seems to be a simple case for United States Patent and Trademark Office to decide, unlike Eminem’s filing againstReal Housewives of Potomac‘s Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon.
“I got a little sad, at a certain point. In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now. You got people with 100 employees. You have livelihoods, empires, companies, deals — all of it can be jeopardized. If you don’t have anything to lose, sure, go for it. But if I already made it, I’m not sure it’s even worth it anymore.”
André also said he’s written a few diss tracks of his own but never plans to release any. He said, “You have feelings… if n****s say some slick sh*t, lines will come to your head immediately.”
Elsewhere, he discussed the relationship between music and artificial intelligence, saying, “I think some of the AI art is interesting. But, as humans, sometimes we just want to know what’s real. We want the humanness of things. […] Before cameras came into play, a king would hire the best artists to paint a portrait of you and your family. The best artists were the ones who could make it look as real as possible. But then cameras came along. So you had all these artists saying, ‘What are we going to do now?’ I think we’re at a similar place now. But what happened was — we got Van Gogh, and we got Impressionists. Doing sh*t the camera couldn’t do. You gotta find your place to be. That’s the humanness.”
Andre 3000 is one of the best rappers of all time. It’s close to being an objective truth. You’d be hard pressed to find a hip-hop fan who dismissed Andre’s bars, or doubted his abilities on the mic. He’s so good in fact, that he’s never been directly challenged by another rapper. Andre 3000 has been rapping since 1994, and not one other person has dared to call him out directly or attempt to battle him. We can (and have) chalked this up to Stack’s peaceful approach, but a recent interview complicates this take. It seems like the rapper has, in fact, penned a few diss tracks.
Andre 3000 let the cat out of the bag during a recent interview with Crack Magazine. The rapper gave his take on the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle, which led to reflect on his own feelings towards dissing others. Apparently, Stacks is all for it. Up to a point, that is. He told the magazine that he’s written lots of diss songs throughout his career. “You have feelings,” he explained. “If n**gas say some slick sh*t, lines will come to your head immediately.” Andre 3000 draws the line, however, at releasing said disses. He’s all for working out his pen for the sake of “exercise,” but doesn’t support the notion of putting negative energy out into the world.
Andre 3000 Considers Writing Disses Good “Exercise”
NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 8: Andre 3000 of OutKast performs on stage at the “Fashion Rocks” concert held at Radio City Music Hall on September 8, 2004 in New York City. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
The concept of an Andre 3000 diss is fascinating, and something that Dungeon Family member Kawan Prather talked about in 2017. He told HipHopDX that he would actually like to see someone challenge the rapper, just to see what it would inspire. “I wish somebody would diss him so we can really actually see it,” Prather stated. “No one’s ever had the audacity to do it.” The former A&R pointed to Andre 3000’s verse on the Outkast song “The Whole World” as proof. “[It’s] an invitation for somebody to diss him. Listen to that verse: ‘I wish you would.’”
To be fair to Andre 3000, “The Whole World” dropped in 2001. It’s likely he doesn’t feel as combative as he did two decades ago. Ironically, one of the few times the rapper talked about a tense interaction with an artist was when he met his idol, Prince. He recalls Prince talking about the song “Hey Ya,” and claimed to be unsure if the singer actually enjoyed it. “I didn’t know how to take it,” Andre said on the Questlove Supreme podcast. “If he was taking a dig at me or what… I didn’t know how to take it; this is my hero.”
Andre 3000 is a rare breed of rapper. He’s universally respected for his lyrical skills, yet never beefed with anybody. It’s like there’s an accepted hip-hop rule that nobody can (or should) test Three Stacks in a lyrical competition. Andre 3000 was unsurprisingly silent during the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle. It was actually far more surprising to hear the Outkast rapper address the situation months after the fact. He finally gave his thoughts on the battle, and who the ultimate loser was. It’s not who you think.
Andre 3000 told Crack Magazine that the battle made him sad for the music business. In particular, the people who work for Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and feed their families off of their respective success. In his estimation, those people were the ones who were truly at risk. “You got people with 100 employees,” he lamented. “You have livelihoods, empires, companies, deals – all of it can be jeopardized. If you don’t have anything to lose, sure, go for it. But if I already made it, I’m not sure it’s even worth it any more.”
“I got a little sad, at a certain point. In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now.”
Andre 3000 contrasted the elevated stakes that Drake and Kendrick Lamar are playing it versus the rap battles he experienced as kid. As far as he’s concerned, it’s night and day. “I got a little sad, at a certain point,” he admitted. “In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now.” Andre 3000 occupies an interesting place within the Drake and Kendrick Lamar narrative. He’s collaborated with both artists in the past. He worked with Drake on “The Real Her” and “I Do (Remix).” He’s linked up with Lamar a few times, most notably on the N.E.R.D. song “One of You,” but none of their collabs have been officially released.
Both Drake and Kendrick Lamar hold Andre 3000 in high regard, though. The latter referenced Stacks on the diss song, “Like That.” He likened Drake and J Cole’s tough talk to the trend of seeing Andre carrying woodwind instruments with him. “Lost too many soldiers not to play it safe,” Dot raps. “If he walk around with that stick, it ain’t Andre. 3K.” Despite the context, Andre 3000 appreciated the nod. “As a 49-year-old rapper, you’re just happy to get a shoutout,” he told the aforementioned outlet. “I had to say: ‘Yeah, he got it.’”
Newport Jazz Festival will be “celebrating 70 years” by staging its 2024 event at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island this weekend. The 2024 lineup is loaded, featuring the likes of André 3000, Brittany Howard, Elvis Costello, Samara Joy, Robert Glasper, Nile Rodgers, Laufey, Noname, and more.
Newport Jazz Festival Set Times For Friday, August 2, 2024
All times are local.
Fort Stage: Sun Ra Arkestra (12:30 p.m. to 1:25 p.m.), Moonchild (1:55 p.m. to 2:55 p.m.), Cory Wong (3:25 p.m. to 4:25 p.m.), André 3000: New Blue Sun Live (4:55 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.), Kamasi Washington (6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.).
Quad Stage: Cisco Swank (11:05 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.), Chief Adjuah (12:15 p.m. to 1:10 p.m.), Bill Frisell Four (1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.), Galactic With Irma Thomas (3 p.m. to 3:55 p.m.), PJ Morton (4:25 p.m. to 5:25 p.m.), Brittany Howard (5:55 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.).
Harbor Stage: Luke Stewart (11 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.), Aneesa Strings (12:05 p.m. to 12:55 p.m.), Jaleel Shaw (1:25 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.), Brandee Younger (2:45 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.), Aja Monet (4:10 to 5:05 p.m.), Kenny Barron Trio (5:35 p.m. to 6:35 p.m.).
Foundation Stage: Rimea Jazz All Stars (12:05 p.m. to 12:25 p.m.), URI Jazz Collective (1:25 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.), Newport Jazz Camp (2:55 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.).
Newport Jazz Festival Set Times For Saturday, August 3, 2024
Fort Stage: The Legacy Of Wayne Shorter (12:30 p.m. to 1:25 p.m.), Artemis (1:55 p.m. to 2:55 p.m.), Samara Joy (3:25 p.m. to 4:25 p.m.), Elvis Costello (4:55 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.), Dinner Party (6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.).
Quad Stage: Theo Croker (11:05 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.), Golden, Brown, & Delicious (12:15 p.m. to 1:10 p.m.), Lianne La Havas (1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.), Terrace Martin (3 p.m. to 3:55 p.m.), Acid Jazz Is Dead (4:25 p.m. to 5:25 p.m.), Thievery Corporation (5:55 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.).
Harbor Stage: Riley Mulherkar (11 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.), Nicole Zuraitis (12:05 p.m. to 12:55 p.m.), Jonathan Blake Pentad (1:25 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.), Anat Cohen Quartetinho (2:45 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.), Ghost-Note (4:10 p.m. to 5:05 p.m.), Stanley Clarke N 4Ever (5:35 p.m. to 6:35 p.m.).
Foundation Stage: Rimea Jazz All Stars (12:05 p.m. to 12:25 p.m.), URI Jazz Collective (1:25 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.), Newport Jazz Camp (2:55 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.), Terri Lynne Carrington Workshop (4:25 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.), Salve Dance (5:55 p.m. to 6:25 p.m.).
Newport Jazz Festival Set Times For Sunday, August 4, 2024
Fort Stage: Newport at 70 (12:30 p.m. to 1:25 p.m.), Meshell Ndegeocello (1:55 p.m. to 2:55 p.m.), Laufey (3:25 p.m. to 4:25 p.m.), Robert Glasper (4:55 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.), Nile Rodgers & Chic (6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.).
Quad Stage: The Messthetics With James Brandon Lewis (11:05 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.), Julius Rodriguez (12:15 p.m. to 1:10 p.m.), Cimafunk (1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.), Shabaka (3 p.m. to 3:55 p.m.), Noname (4:25 p.m. to 5:25 p.m.), Christian McBride’s Jam Jawn (5:55 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.).
Harbor Stage: Buster Williams (11 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.), Kassa Overall (12:05 p.m. to 12:55 p.m.), Sunday Jazz (1:25 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.), Amaro Freitas (2:45 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.), Alex Isley (4:10 p.m. to 5:05 p.m.), Makaya McCraven & Jeff Parker (5:35 p.m. to 6:35 p.m.).
Foundation Stage: Rimea Jazz All Stars (12:05 p.m. to 12:25 p.m.), URI Jazz Collective (1:25 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.), Kassa Overall Workshop (4:25 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.), Cimafunk Workshop (5:55 p.m. to 6:25 p.m.).
Andre 3000 and Ryan Garcia are two very opposite people. Outside of the obvious field of work difference, personality wise, they are starkly different. Overall, it seems that the rapper and instrumentalist is more reserved and laid-back, whereas the boxer possesses an explosive and unpredictable persona. The latter is partially why the superstar is so controversial. His various rants about religion, celebrities, and his opponents are just the tip of the iceberg. It seems like every week; Garcia makes a new questionable decision that either alters his career or image. Whether its PEDs, suspensions, or issues with his ex-wife, the polarizing figure cannot seem to stay out of trouble.
All of these reasons are why fans are having an absolute field day with some recent photos of Andre 3000 and Ryan Garcia. Thanks to a repost on X from one of DJ Akademiks’ accounts, Akademiks TV, they are causing quite a bit of traction online. They were extremely friendly with each other, which is leading fans to believe that Three Stacks has no idea what kind of reputation the boxer has. “If Andre knew about his rants he would’ve left him hanging”, one user replies.
“Andre 3000 has no idea he took a pic with a high functioning crackhead”, another adds. Someone else made a quip that he mistook him another similar-looking celebrity. “Im sure he just thought it was mario lopez and wanted to catch up a bit”. Then there are others were trying to push the idea that the rapper does in fact know who he is but was not able to avoid flicking up. “3k trying to get outta there before the pic”. Regardless, it was good to see Garcia appear to be happy in this moment.
What are your thoughts on Andre 3000 and Ryan Garcia linking up? Do you think the rapper is actually unaware about the boxer’s track record? Is the most random photo you have seen with a rapper and an athlete? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Andre 3000 and Ryan Garcia. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
”. Regardless, it was good to see Garcia appear to be happy in this moment.