A recorded conversation between noted GOATs André 3000 and Rick Rubin, available for all the world to savor? Fuck yeah.
The latest episode of the Macolm Gladwell-assisted Broken Record podcast dropped Tuesday and boasts a reliably wide-ranging discussion between the two icons of creativity, with a special emphasis placed on the current version of the Art Life being enjoyed by 3 Stacks.
After some opening comments about early influences and the importance during OutKast's developmental years of a basement gathering and recording spot nicknamed the Dungeon, 3 Stacks revealed he's "mainly" been listening to instrumental music as of late. From there, Rubin asked about his creative process nowadays, prompting an insightful take from 3 Stacks on where he finds himself in 2019 and how he's making peace with it.
"I haven't been making much music, man," he said around 12 minutes in. "My focus is not there. My confidence is not there. I tinker a lot. I'll just go to a piano and I'll set my iPhone down and just record what I'm doing, moving my fingers and whatever happens, but I haven't been motivated to do a serious project."
Adding that he would "like to" do such a project, André continued, providing a bit more context for his current feelings on making music and the ongoing search for one's true self.
"In my own self, I'm trying to figure out where do I sit," he said. "I don't even know what I am and maybe I'm nothing. Maybe I'm not supposed to be anything. Maybe my history is kinda handicapping, in a way, so I'm just trying to find out what makes me feel the best right now. And what makes me feel the best is when I just do these random instrumental things. They make me feel the most rebellious . . . I don't like to go with the flow, really. I don't know why but I just feel best when I don't, so I have to honor that."
Part of honoring that, Rubin theorized, is to simply let go and accept that "so much of it isn't to be decided" or figured out at all. "Just make a lot," Rubin suggested.
Stream the full Broken Record chat below, but only if you're willing to be wholly inspired:
For previous episodes, including equally stacked conversations with Tyler, the Creator and FKA twigs, click here.
