André 3000 had to put a call in to JAY-Z and Beyoncé to get a song title cleared on his forthcoming new album – and he greatly appreciates the positive outcome.
On Friday (November 17), Three Stacks is set to drop his first body of music in over 17 years, New Blue Sun. In a conversation with NPR about the project, the OutKast legend explained the backstory to the title of track No. 5, “Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé.”
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“So No. 5 is called ‘Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé.’ That was more when I was a youngster – Souls of Mischief was one of my favorite groups and ’93 ’til Infinity,’ everybody remembers that song,” he began.
“So it was kind of like a fun nod and you know, Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, he always say, ‘To infinity and beyond!’ You know? So, it was kind of like, ‘Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé. So it was kind of just this fun thing.”
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He continued: “I was being silly. And thank you, Beyoncé, for letting me use the name! I actually had to clear it. I had to call. And thanks Jay! I text him, I was like, ‘Hey man, can you ask Beyoncé? I know I got this clearance thing coming through for this song.’ And I explained to him how I used it. And I’m just happy they let me use it so thank y’all. I really appreciate that.”
You can listen to the full conversation here.
Unfortunately, for fans looking for bars from André 3000 on his new album, they will have to return to his old work. If the tracklist wasn’t telling enough for fans – as the first song is titled “I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album, But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time” – Dre elaborated on why rap isn’t happening for him right now in the same NPR interview.
“I don’t want to troll people. I don’t want people to think, Oh, this André 3000 album is coming! And you play it and like, Oh man, no verses. So even actually on the packaging, you’ll see it says, “Warning: no bars,” he explained. “It’s letting you know what it is off the top. But also, I love rap music because it was a part of my youth. So I would love to be out here with everybody rapping, because it’s almost like fun and being on the playground.”
He continued: “I would love to be out here playing with everybody, but it’s just not happening for me. This is the realest thing that’s coming right now. Not to say that I would never do it again, but those are not the things that are coming right now. And I have to present what’s given to me at the time.
“So the title, ‘I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album, But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time’ [is] because this album is about wind and breathing. In that way, it is true. It is literally blowing me this way and I’m blowing flutes and I’m blowing digital instruments.”
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New Blue Sun serves as André 3000’s first official solo album, although he did release a disc of solo material on OutKast’s Grammy-winning 2003 double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The album — which doesn’t feature any lyrics — also marks the Atlanta native’s first full-length offering since his and Big Boi‘s 2006 LP Idlewild.
