OutKast fans hoping for a reunion album from André 3000 and Big Boi might need to let go of that dream. Because in a new interview, André explained quite succinctly how new music from the legendary duo is less likely now than ever before.
"I'll say maybe 10, 15 years ago, in my mind, I thought an OutKast album would happen," André 3000 tells Rolling Stone. "I don't know the future, but I can say that we're further away from it than we've ever been."
The artist chalked it up to the chemistry between him and Big Boi not being what it was.
"It's a chemistry thing," he adds. "We have to be wanting to do it. It's hard for me to make a rap, period, you know? And sometimes I'm in the belief of 'Let things be.'"
Formed in 1992, OutKast rose to fame with their unique blend of hip-hop and funk, releasing six albums and earning six Grammy Awards over the course of their career. They went on hiatus in 2007 to pursue solo projects but reunited in 2014 for Coachella. Their last performance together was later that year in New Orleans.
Reflecting on the early days, André described the magic they shared as fleeting but meaningful. "It was a great time in life, and our chemistry was at a certain place that was undeniable," he says. "The audience sometimes believes that something has to last forever, and I don't think that. Any kind of art form probably should not last forever."
He added that their music was tied to a specific time in their lives and wasn't something that could simply be replicated. "It's not like we're Coca-Cola," he quips, "where it's this formula that you can always press a button and it'll happen."
Fans hoping for even a farewell tour may be disappointed as well. "I doubt that [would happen]," André says. "Honestly, I'm not a big fan of looking back. I'm grateful for everything that's happened, but it was a time. To me, that's what it is. That was a great time, and I wish y'all were there."
In 2023, André 3000 released his first solo album, New Blue Sun, a collection of jazz-inspired flute compositions that marked a significant departure from his rap roots. Big Boi continues to make music and even showed his support by attending André's Atlanta show earlier this year. Still, André remains realistic about fan expectations.
"For the rest of my life, people will be like, 'One more OutKast album,'" André acknowledges. "But if we haven't done an OutKast album in 20 years, do y'all really think it's going to happen now?"
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