André 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast; Photo: N/A
André Benjamin (b.k.a. André 3000) is a legend, considered by many to be one of the most talented lyricists in the game; as half of the backbone of Outkast, his unorthodox delivery, otherworldly perspective and bugged-out style are unparalleled. But don’t tell André 3000 that.
In a revealing interview with GQ Style, the 42-year-old artist admitted that fellow Outkast compatriot, Big Boi, is the better lyricist.
“When you watch early Outkast videos, Big Boi’s the leader,” Benjamin told journalist Will Welch. “He always had the confidence, where I was kind of like the shy one. Big Boi can rap better than me, I always said that. If somebody said, ‘Pick who you want from Outkast to go to battle with you,’ it wouldn’t be me. ’Cause like, what I’ma do? Say some mind shit? You can’t have thoughts in a battle, nobody gives a shit about that.”
Benjamin also took the time to explain why he’s been in such a rut. The death of his parents had a tremendous impact on him, and since then he’s been unable to capture the same fire he had when he had the rap world at his fingertips. “I was in a creative hole, a personal hole, and I was still not dealing with my mom’s and my father’s deaths,” said Benjamin. “And really, I don’t know if I have still.”
Benjamin didn’t stop there, he later revealed how the crisis had him revisiting his worth as a lyricist. “I was trying to find out: What can I be excited about? Because I never was, to me, a great producer or a great writer or a great rapper. I always felt that I was less than everybody else, so I fought harder.”
When asked about the current scene, André 3000 admitted that he finds himself outdated and unable to relate. “I don’t have the pulse anymore,” he said. “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. So the only thing I can do is this kind of novelty, off thing for them.”
Regardless of what André 3000 thinks he is still one of the most creative lyricists in the game. He told Welch that he has hard drives of material of him playing guitar, piano and saxophone. In an interview with Complex Benjamin made it clear that rap was not on his radar, but the features he’s shown up on (Frank Ocean‘s “Solo (Reprise)” and A Tribe Called Quest‘s “Kids…” to name a couple) has proven that he still has the chops to not only hang with the current generation but lead them in ways that would benefit all of hip-hop.
Check out a glimpse of the GQ spread below, followed by a little trip down “Hey Ya” lane.
