Once part of the hip-hop sensation OutKast, André 3000 is now taking center stage at the 2024 Atlanta Jazz Festival to serenade the city with his new jazz album "New Blue Sun." In a career turn that's left fans both intrigued and nostalgic, the Atlanta rapper has traded in rap verses for wind instrumentals, ready to showcase his transformative sound in Piedmont Park this May 27, as reported by WABE.
André 3000 and his former OutKast partner Big Boi transformed hip-hop and brought Atlanta's sound to the forefront of the music scene, their prayers for rap prowess answered with hits that catapulted them to stardom and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below earning the title of best-selling rap album of all time by the Recording Industry Association of America, according to the same source, their unique style and mesmerizing beats turned them into icons of the genre but André has decided to switch up his game, embracing a new artistic direction. After almost two decades since stepping back from OutKast, he's burst onto the jazz scene with a fresh and ambient sound.
"I can't put anything else out in the world if I'm not excited about it because how can I expect you to be excited about it? How can I expect you to think, 'Oh, this is raw?'" André. His journey wasn't a simple pivot but more of a rebirth through music, a way to channel his struggles with mental health into something visceral and genuine, as he admitted in an NPR interview he uses his anxiety as an instrument just like it uses him, in his words from NPR “I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for these, what they call 'ailments' and all this kind of stuff," as per WABE.
Fans have been spotting André playing his flutes around New York streets, lighting up social media with tales of their encounters, long before "New Blue Sun" dropped last November—it was a clear signal the rapper was exploring new terrains, Decatur-based music journalist Maurice Garland pointed out that André likely reached a pinnacle in hip-hop and felt a calling to push his limits in another musical sphere, suggesting that time will tell if he's cultivating a new fan base around this unexpected turn in his artistic path, despite Garland's uncertainty some fans like Clarissa Brooks, an Atlanta local who grew up on OutKast's tunes are ready to embrace André's new style.
The festival's free admission, an effort highlighted by festival director Camille Russel Love, means André 3000's homecoming to Atlanta is accessible to all, giving everyone a chance to witness the evolution of a hip-hop legend to jazz virtuoso, Love expressed her excitement about securing André for the event, saying it's a special opportunity for the community, "I thought, you know, God, how wonderful would it be, if we could get him to perform for Atlanta audiences," she said. As the day approaches, all eyes are on André 3000, as he prepares to take the jazz world by storm—just as he once did with rap, according to WABE.
