André 3000 recently appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to discuss his latest album, New Blue Sun, and his upcoming tour. When asked to elaborate on his previous statement about being a “catalyst artist,” the rapper explained that he has lived long enough to see his artistry affect other artists. “You’re happy that you meant something,” he said.
The OutKast member went on to cite jazz innovators such as George Clinton, Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, and Eric Dolphy as major influences. He also mentioned Southern hip-hop groups Underground Kingz, 8-ball & MJG, Odd Squad, and electronic group Kraftwerk as inspirations.
Released in November 2021, New Blue Sun is André 3000’s debut solo album. It shocked fans by being an instrumental jazz album with “no bars.” On the show, Colbert asked the rapper about his love for flutes, and André 3000 explained that the instrument is “the closest thing to singing…you’re actually hearing a human’s wind.”
In addition, André 3000 performed “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned Into a Panther And Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Shit Was Wild” on the show. Beforehand, he explained that the song was inspired by an ayahuasca session he had in Hawaii, during which he claims to have turned into a panther.
Finally, André 3000 announced his North American tour for New Blue Sun Live, which will kick off in New York in January 2022. The tour will make stops in major cities such as Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Los Angeles
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