With Outkast‘s reunion tour coasting along smoothly and his Jimi Hendrix biopic All Is By My Side set for a national release on Sept. 26, Andre 3000 spoke with Billboard for our new cover story.
Over the course of an alternately candid and cagey interview, the bohemian rapper (born Andre Benjamin) provided some updates on the state of his in-limbo career. From whether he’s working on a solo album to why he stays off social media, here are five revelations:
He Avoids Social Media
“Honestly, I don’t have a big urge to voice [my feelings],” he tells Billboard. “But I do feel kind of guilty sometimes. Like when the whole Ferguson thing went down, we were actually in England, and buddies were telling me about it, like, ‘Aw, man, it’s horrible here.’ But I didn’t feel it; I only heard about it. So I felt like, ‘Am I out of touch?'”
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There’s a Solo Album Coming…Eventually
While there’s one in the works, he’s not rushing it: “I haven’t even started on [it],” says Benjamin. “I’ve got to find something I’m excited about.”
He Might Do More Movies Just for the Hell of It
“I do read scripts,” he says. “But I have to be excited about it to really fully throw myself into it. The older I get, I don’t know what my decisions will be. I may start just taking roles just to support myself, just kind of keep busy.”
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He’s Turned Down $100,000 Guest Verses
A rare Andre 3000 guest verse, which goes for at least $100,000, isn’t a guaranteed thing: “[In some cases] I had to call them back and say, ‘I’m sorry, I couldn’t come up with nothing cool.’” We’d probably beg to differ.
Retirement Is Not an Option
“To be clear, there’s no retirement,” Benjamin says of his rap career. Which, obviously, is a relief.
Read Andre 3000’s full Billboard cover story when it’s out Friday, Sept. 26.