Aside from Best New Artists, we don't make many lists anymore, but it's André 3000's birthday and it only felt right to mark the occasion. The last time we did an André 3000 list was in 2016 when we published a ranking of his best guest features, and today we're keeping it simple with a round-up of YouTube videos. These days we're spending a lot of time on YouTube watching old interviews and performances, and André 3000 doesn't make too many public appearances. When he does, he always makes it worthwhile. Here are some of our favorite André 3000 clips on YouTube. Happy birthday, André.
André and Big Boi in '98
![Outkast talks with John Reed in a hotel room in Chicago in October of 1998. The pair go back and forth on influences, Aquemini, and more in a relaxed, casual interview.
[Ed. note: Only the left channel of the audio is working.]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4Qv_A-pv37U/mqdefault.jpg)
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Outkast talks with John Reed in a hotel room in Chicago in October of 1998. The pair go back and forth on influences, Aquemini, and more in a relaxed, casual interview.
[Ed. note: Only the left channel of the audio is working.]
The South Got Something To Say
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"The South got something to say"—those have become iconic words from André 3000, and in 2020 we can appreciate how true they were. The year was 1995, and the West vs. East conversation dominated hip-hop, but at the Source Awards that year, it was Outkast who took home the award for Best New Rap Group. This video is worth watching for André's acceptance speech alone, but it also gives some context around what was happening in rap in the mid-90s, and the cultural shift that was about to happen.
The Meaning Behind the Jumpsuits
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In a talk with Savannah College of Art and Design president and founder Paula Wallace, André 3000 gets in depth on the inspiration and the process behind the 46 custom jumpsuits with messages that he wore for Outkast's 20-year reunion tour. The conversation happened around an exhibition of the suits at Design Miami, and provides great insight into the way André approached the tour and sought to still have something new to say even as he performed old songs.
André 3000's Conversation With Rick Rubin
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It's no coincidence that a lot of the greatest artists don't enjoy interviews. Like many of them, André 3000 doesn't go out of his way to do press, so you don't often get to hear a candid conversation about what's going on in his head. Having Rick Rubin as the interviewer definitely helps. In this almost hour-long conversation between the two on the Broken Record Podcast, André opens up about why he's not releasing music, mental health, isolation, fashion, Radiohead, and so much more. It's not exactly a video, but this is some of the best insight you'll ever get into the current mindstate of André 3000.
Gems at a Press Junket
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This interview took place at a press junket around the movie Semi-Pro, and if you've watched many press junket interviews you know they're usually fast and fluffy, but André still managed to sneak in some wisdom. This was in the beginning of 2008, and André sensed the tides turning in Atlanta music.
"It all goes in cycles," he explains. "Right now, people are kinda looking funny at Atlanta because we've been snappin' and poppin' and dancin' and all that kind of stuff for a minute but that was all part of the party. What will come next is the reaction to that, because a lot of people feel like it's a new time for something. It's always going back and forth so you gotta love it, either way it go.
André Recalls A Tribe Called Quest's Influence On OutKast
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André 3000 spoke at Phife Dawg's memorial at The Apollo Theater in 2016 and shared how deeply Tribe influenced him personally, and OutKast in general. It's a touching tribute, in which André also shares the news that 'Kast and Tribe were talking about doing a joint album. "That's one of the biggest things I regret now," he adds.
OutKast Performs at Hangout Fest 2014
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Everyone knows OutKast has hits, but it's easy to forget just how many hits until you watch a live set that spans their whole career. In 2014, the duo reunited to celebrate their 20th anniversary by performing at dozens of festivals across the world, and this is their full 24-song set from Hangout Music Festival in Alabama.
Here's part two, just in case you've got time (we know you do).
So I typed a text to a girl I used to see...
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Had to include this. Had to.
Happy Birthday André 3000.
