A call has been sounded by none other than Kid Cudi, beckoning the lyrical savant André 3000 back to the rap arena with a plea potent enough to stir the spirits: craft a new rap album to “save us all.”
This heartfelt summons unfolded during an engaging sit-down with skateboard legend Tony Hawk on Complex’s “GOAT Talk,” where Cudi, hailing from the rhythmic streets of Cleveland, openly expressed his yearning for André 3000 to grace the mic once more.
Posed with the question of who stands as the greatest rapper alive, Cudi didn’t hesitate to crown the OutKast virtuoso. “He’s just the illest,” Cudi professed, his words echoing the reverence held by many for André’s unparalleled artistry. “I would really love to see a rap album from him. I know he’s in a different place [but] I know he can create something that’s just so wild and feels fresh and new. He can save us all. Save us all, Dre!”
Cudi didn’t stop there; he lavished praise on OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, heralding it as a “masterful” work that laid the groundwork for his own sonic odyssey, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, released in 2009.
The dialogue also veered into Cudi’s aspirations to reunite with André in the creative confines of the studio, recalling their prior collaboration on the 2016 album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’. “I’m hoping to get André in the studio again soon,” Cudi revealed, hinting at the potential fusion of André’s distinctive flute play and lyrical genius on a future project. “André, I’ll be knocking on your door pretty soon. I’ve been watching you. I’ve been watching you close.”
André 3000, an Atlanta icon, has shown ambivalence about his return to rap in recent times. In a candid NPR interview last year, he shared that crafting rhymes doesn’t flow as effortlessly as it once did, signaling a possible pivot away from rap. “I love rap music because it was a part of my youth…but it’s just not happening for me,” André admitted, aligning his creative energies with his instrumental album New Blue Sun.
Yet, the prospect of André’s return to rap isn’t entirely off the table. Reflecting on the allure of crafting a rap album at 48, he confessed to Highsnobiety, “I do [miss rapping].” He toyed with the idea of embracing the formidable challenge of delivering a “fire-ass album” at his age, a testament to his unwavering passion for the art form.
Cudi’s plea and André’s musings weave a narrative of hope, anticipation, and the undying legacy of hip hop’s transformative power. As the community watches and waits, the prospect of André 3000 returning to the rap fold remains a beacon of excitement and potential rejuvenation for the genre.
