André 3000 shared in an interview with Rolling Stone that if any rapper could convince him to make a rap album, it would have to be Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
“I think what would help me make a rap album is being around rappers,” said three thousand. “When I moved to California, I wasn’t writing. I’ve talked to Kendrick [Lamar]. We talked and listened to beats. Same with Drake.”
He continued, “And as a rapper, they would be surprised to hear me say this, but at one point, I was like, ‘Man, wouldn’t it be cool to just hang out with them and get their energy of rapping?’ Because they’re doing it so often, something’s got to drip off.”
Looking at their work ethic, André added: “They do four or five songs a day, and I’m like, ‘What?’ I don’t even go to the studio like that. Haven’t touched my drum machine in ages. I’m just getting back now to the production side of things.”
A little later, he had more to say on this note: “I didn’t say it. I thought it in my head, like, ‘man, it would be good exercise just to hang out,’ That’s how songs sometimes do happen.”
“I never expressed this to them, but I was so inspired because of their output. Like, when you’re in a groove, it can be infectious-as opposed to approaching it in a casual way, which is where I’m at now.”
While many fans continue to hope for a new André 3000 rap project, his open-reflections appear to indicate that creativity could still be motivated by the right collaborations.