Andre 3000 has cleared up misconceptions about the foiled rollout of “Life of the Party” and the subsequent discourse that led many fans to believe he was blindsided by Kanye West dissing one of their contemporaries.

The song was leaked in 2021 by Drake, who was the target of a verse West unleashed on the track intended to appear on the album Donda. In a new interview for the “Popcast” podcast released on Saturday (Dec. 21), Three Stacks first shared that he hopped on the record because of his and the Chicago native’s shared experience of losing a parent.

“I knew he had lost his mom just like I had lost my mom, so I knew that subject matter better than anyone,” he told the hosts. He described his contribution as “something that was speaking to his mother … to tell a message to my mom.” But West’s no-curse-word policy for the project left their collaboration hanging in the balance.

The “Hey Ya!” star said he was fine with the decision but that he also wanted the explicit cut of the track to be released along with the radio-safe copy. However, the Certified Lover Boy got ahold of song and shared it with the masses before Andre and West could reach an agreement about the record’s fate.

“I didn’t understand why he did it,” he said of Drake’s actions. But he holds no hard feelings over the way things played out. “[I] kind of have to thank Drake for letting that song see the light of day,” said one-half of the Outkast duo.

Further into the discussion, Andre also clarified claims that the leaked cut, which featured the lyrical jabs at the “Hotline Bling” artist, was a version he learned about with the public. That wasn’t the case. On the track, West rapped, “Thought we was the new Abu Dhabi/Told Drake don’t play with me on GD/ And he sent that message to everybody/ So if I hit you with a ‘WYD’/ You better hit me with, ‘Yessir, I’m writing everything you need.’”

The rap icon went on to note that he wanted to clear the air. “I think a lot of people think Kanye took the song and … put the diss part out without me knowing about it. I’d heard the diss part, and me and Kanye had a conversation about it,” the Atlanta rap icon shared. “I had my feelings about it. I was like, 'Man do you really want to do this on this type of song,' you know. I was like it’s kind of like going and shooting up your mom’s funeral … and you know, he felt the way he felt.”

Hear more of Andre 3000’s story in the full “Popcast” episode below.