When you’re talking about the big shots of the early 2000s, you can’t forget OutKast’s André Lauren Benjamin, aka André 3000 and now he’s back again. This guy influenced a ton of lives from the late ’90s till now. But hold up – when was the last time you laid eyes on him? We all remember him from the “Hey Ya!” music video, right? So, what’s André 3000 been up to? Well, in 2023, he’s officially making a comeback to the game! Now, that is a huge amount of time missing from the music scene.
What Happened To Him?
André 3000 took a big step back from the limelight during his career. Sure, he showed up for a 2014 OutKast reunion tour, but he’s mostly been low-key. Don’t be fooled, though – André’s been busy. He recorded loads of music, designed merch for Anita Baker, and even has his own clothing line, “Benjamin Bixby.” In 2018, he dropped two new songs on SoundCloud and hosted a radio show on Sirius XM. Now, after 17 years of going solo, André is dropping a new solo album, “New Blue Sun,” on Nov. 24, 2023. And get this – it’s all instrumental, focused on woodwinds!
After taking a historic break, André 3000 is finally back with new music. But don’t act surprised – he’s always taken his time. In a 2017 interview with GQ, he revealed he was diagnosed with a “social thing” that might explain his time away from the public eye. “I didn’t notice it until I became an entertainer,” he said. Further, he also said,
“Dealing with all kinds of people and their expectations, it got hard for me to be in public without feeling watched or really nervous. It started affecting my normal life, making me freak out when meeting new people. You don’t want to seem weak, so I kept it to myself for a long time. I started spending more time alone, and stopped touring, and it felt great. Phew, I don’t like that life, I don’t like that confrontation.”
So, we can say he took a break for himself and now he’s back with all his energy!
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