Big news for fans of André 3000's latest musical output. Following a slew of intimate shows and festival appearances, the Atlanta Hip Hop legend announced that he'll be heading out on a North American tour in promotion of his solo debut album, New Blue Sun. As revealed on Instagram earlier today (June 25), the live run kicks off in New Orleans this September and comes to an end in the artist's hometown a couple of months after. Percussionist Carlos Niño, guitarist Nate Mercereau, keyboardist Surya Botofasina, and drummer Deantoni Parks will provide support.
Released in November 2023, New Blue Sun was a mix of ambient, new-age, and jazz, and was mainly centered around the OutKast star’s experimentation with wind instruments. The eight-song effort also received attention for its unique song titles, including the opening track, "I swear, I Really Wanted to Make a 'Rap' Album But This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time." New Blue Sun earned positive reviews from critics and debuted within the top 40 of the Billboard 200.
As far as his decision to step away from Hip Hop, André explained how he’s tried to write rhymes in recent years, but nothing came from it as a result. “Even now, people think, ‘Oh, man, he’s just sitting on raps, or he’s just holding these raps hostage.’ I ain’t got no raps like that,” he explained in an interview with GQ. “It feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way. I’m 48 years old.”
He continued, “Not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does. And things that happen in my life, like, what are you talking about? ‘I gotta go get a colonoscopy.’ What do you rap about? ‘My eyesight is going bad’... My goal is, I wanna connect. I’m not talking about nothing I can’t connect with. It’s no use."