André 3000 Expresses Gratitude to Drake for Releasing "Life of the Party"
The song "Life of the Party," which was supposed to be featured on Kanye West's album Donda in 2021, was supposed to include André 3000. However, a censorship dispute prevented the song from being included in the album's first release. Kanye claimed he wanted to keep this record clean for a promise he made to his daughter, but the verse taken by André included explicit words. Despite André’s openness to creating a clean version, he insisted the uncensored version be released, fearing the impact of his lyrics would be diminished otherwise. As a result, the song was left out of the original album but later appeared on the Donda deluxe edition after being leaked.
Drake’s Role in the Song’s Release
In an interview for The New York Times podcast, André shared just how Drake was a significant factor in the song finally seeing the light of day. At the time, Drake and Kanye were pretty embroiled in some pretty public drama. Drake would eventually leak "Life of the Party" on his radio show; it was the furthest thing from expected. Reflecting on this, André shared, “Finally, Drake puts it out. So, I kinda have to thank Drake for letting that song see the light of day.”
André’s Perspective on Kanye’s Diss Verse
The song’s release came with controversy, as Kanye included a diss directed at Drake within the track. André clarified his stance, stating, “A lot of people think Kanye did the song and put the diss part out without me knowing about it. I’d heard the diss part, and Kanye and I had a conversation about it. I even questioned if he wanted to include it in this type of song.” André compared the decision to a disrespectful act, saying, “It’s kinda like going and shooting up your mom’s funeral.” Despite his reservations, Kanye stood by his choice at the time.
New Projects and Reflections
Recently, André 3000 has been active with new releases. He dropped two tracks last month:
- "Moving Day"
- A previously unreleased song titled "Tunnels of Egypt" from his New Blue Sun collection
Additionally, he hinted at "something new" related to his 2006 animated series Class of 3000, which aired for two seasons between 2006 and 2008. André has also teased more music in the pipeline, sharing, “I don’t wanna pinpoint what it is, but I just want to express more… put it like that.”
OutKast’s Future Remains Uncertain
Fans of OutKast may be disappointed to learn that a reunion album is unlikely. André admitted that the possibility of new music from the duo feels more distant than ever. “Maybe 10, 15 years ago, I thought an OutKast album would happen,” he said. “I don’t know the future, but we’re further away from it than ever.”
Struggles with the Rap Genre
André also reflected on his evolving relationship with rap. In an interview with GQ last year, he admitted feeling disconnected from the genre. “Sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about that way,” he shared. “I’m 48 years old. And not to say age dictates what you rap about, but it does influence it. What am I going to rap about? ‘I’ve got to go get a colonoscopy’ or ‘My eyesight is going bad’?” Despite this, André continues to explore new ways to express himself creatively.
