André Benjamin, best known to the world as André 3000, began his musical career as part of the hip-hop duo, Outkast with his high school friend, Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. With their fourth album, "Stankonia", the Atlanta natives first broke out with "Ms Jackson", a song based on his failed relationship with neo-soul songstress, Erykah Badu, offering an apology to her and her mother, that went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2000. Following their next album, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" which became a monster smash in 2003, selling over thirteen million copies worldwide and winning the Grammy for Album of the Year, Outkast went their separate ways four years later.
Since then, Benjamin had spent his time pursing other interests like fashion design, acting (including a lead role as rock legend, Jimi Hendrix in "All Is by My Side") and occasionally making guest appearances on recordings by other musicians.
But now after seventeen years, André 3000 has released his very first solo album, "New Blue Sun". However you may be disappointed to find that this is not a rap record. He had tried for a number of years to create new music, working with producers of various generations, yet he was never happy with the end results, unable to feel as connected to hip-hop since he had gotten older and convinced that what he was creating was inauthentic.
But during this time, Benjamin had taken up the flute, going everywhere with the woodwind instrument. This is when he began to become inspired, working with a handful of session musicians (which included jazz musician, Carlos Niño who co-produced the album with Benjamin) that improvised together during the moment in the recording studio. "New Blue Sun" was developed from these jam sessions, with no vocals or catchy hooks involved, creating a collection of new-age, experimental jazz sounds. There is no doubt that this is one of the more original pop music releases of the year.
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