TONYA MOSLEY, HOST:

That is FRESH AIR. I am Tonya Mosley. We’re commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop this week. Subsequent, we characteristic our interview with Andre Benjamin, aka Andre 3000, half of the duo Outkast, together with Antoine Patton, aka Huge Boi. Their debut album, “Southernplayalisticadillacmusic,” launched 29 years in the past, helped put Southern hip-hop on the map. “Participant’s Ball” from the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PLAYER’S BALL”)

SLEEPY BROWN: (Singing) All of the gamers got here from far and huge, sporting afros and braids, kicking them gangster rides. Now, I am right here to inform you there’s a greater manner when the participant ball is going on all day, every single day.

OUTKAST: (Rapping) Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You realize, I do some issues a lot completely different than I used to ‘trigger I am a participant doing what the gamers do. The package deal retailer was closed.

MOSLEY: Outkast’s 2003 album “Speakerboxxx/The Love Beneath,” which included the hit “Hey Ya!,” bought 11 million copies and gained three Grammys. In all, they’ve launched seven albums, most of them platinum. Andre 3000 is thought for his depth and, within the early 2000s, his exuberance in type. Esquire as soon as named him the world’s best-dressed man. He is collaborated with Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Drake and Frank Ocean, and he is additionally been an actor, showing in movies like “Be Cool” and “4 Brothers” and on the TV reveals “The Protect” and “American Crime.” In 2006, he co-created, wrote the music for and voiced the primary character of the Cartoon Community animated sequence “Class Of 3000.” When Terry spoke with him, they’d simply made the film “Idlewild” and wrote the soundtrack, which was a hybrid of hip-hop and jazz. Andre additionally starred in it. Here is a track from the soundtrack.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “IDLEWILD BLUE (DON’TCHU WORRY ‘BOUT ME”)

OUTKAST: (Vocalizing). (Singing) Folks, individuals, do not you are concerned about me. Evil do not get buried by me. Effectively, I’ll choo-choo out of this little city. And shortly as I do, I’ma (ph) get down. Come on.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

TERRY GROSS: Now, you mentioned you wished to, like, department out from rapping as a result of rapping’s a younger man’s sport. And one of many stuff you’ve been doing currently is performing. And also you starred – together with Huge Boi, Andre Patton (ph) from Outkast, you starred within the movie “Idlewild,” which is ready in a Georgia speakeasy, , throughout Prohibition. And you are the piano participant on the speakeasy. And despite the fact that it is the type of speakeasy at which fights are consistently breaking out, the manufacturing numbers in it are as lavish as if it had been the Cotton Membership of Harlem.

ANDRE 3000: Ah. Thanks.

GROSS: And I believed we may hear – earlier than we discuss extra concerning the film, I believed we may hear the track that, within the film, is the manufacturing quantity that performs on the very finish of the movie behind the closed credit score music.

ANDRE 3000: “PJ And Rooster.”

GROSS: And also you’re on the piano on this initially in a good looking, like, tuxedo. And then you definitely depart the piano to, like, sing and dance. And there are scantily clad refrain line of dancers behind you and there is stairways with dancers going up and down the steps, like within the previous manufacturing numbers.

ANDRE 3000: Yeah.

GROSS: So this can be a improbable track. Let’s hear it, after which we’ll discuss.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PJ AND ROOSTER”)

OUTKAST: (Singing) Ain’t no person like my type. Yeah. I gentle my hearth. Yeah. I gentle – ba, ba (ph). I gentle – ba, ba. They blow it out. Yeah. They blew it out. They blow it out. And do not no person need to really feel like that. No. Monkeys on my again crawl. Now watch all of them fall. Go on. Fall. Look out. No person wished to bop after I had quite a lot of time on my fingers. Now I acquired quite a lot of fingers on my time, and everyone need to be a good friend of mine. Whoa. Whoa. I would not thoughts a good friend. The fellows again dwelling all making an attempt to win. Moon retains shining on bootleg bottles. Cops on the street – maintain your ft on the throttle. Promoting what you bought – cannot afford they mannequin, yelling, go, PJ, go. Ain’t no idle.

GROSS: That is Andre Benjamin from the movie “Idlewild.” Is that this the type of track that you’d have written your self if it wasn’t for this film?

ANDRE 3000: Sure and no. Consider it or not, that track is about six years previous.

GROSS: Actually?

ANDRE 3000: And yeah. Initially, it was a guitar-based track, and it was type of simply me and the beat taking part in a guitar. And I had a number of the lyrics even 5 years in the past. And once we had been doing this film, I believed it labored completely. And so I needed to change the manufacturing a bit of bit and make it extra piano-based as a result of electrical guitars – I imply, they had been invented again then, however they weren’t actually the place they’re now. And I added a second and third verse. And Huge Boy, , got here on and put his factor on it, make it what it’s now.

So, sure, I imply, even the lyric, , ain’t no person like my type, , I gentle my hearth; they blow it out – , that was one thing that Andre 3000 was truly feeling, , 5 years in the past earlier than the film took place. So it simply so occurred that when the film got here round, Percival was going by means of the identical factor that Andre 3000 was going by means of. So it made whole sense. And simply the singing type was completely different as a result of the best way I sang it earlier than – it would not work for 1930. So, , by listening to quite a lot of Cab Calloway issues, , it was like, huge voice, huge throat, like, enormous manufacturing, horns, ? And so I simply made it into what it’s now.

GROSS: I really like the best way you discuss Andre 3000 as if he had been an individual that you just knew, ?

ANDRE 3000: Effectively, I do know him generally, ? He change, although.

GROSS: He is your persona for the band Outkast. So how do you see Andre 3000 as in comparison with your self, Andre Benjamin?

ANDRE 3000: I suppose in case you can think about, like, in case you’re a child and also you’re within the mirror and also you’re taking part in dress-up and also you’re this different character and as quickly as your mother walks in, you modify again into that individual – and so Andre Benjamin was the child that sat there and say, hey. What can I play? And he is within the mirror, and he is placing on his cowboy and Indian swimsuit. As soon as he places on his outfits or as soon as – , as soon as he begins to play and get into his type of enjoyable head, he is Andre 3000, ? So Andre 3000 is that character inside Outkast that type of simply goes there and has a ball, , does his factor. Andre Benjamin is, , the individual that goes to Entire Meals, , that goes to the mall, , goes to the dry cleaners, , pumps fuel. You realize, that is my mama identify. My mama gave me that identify – Andre Lauren Benjamin.

GROSS: And the place does the 3000 come from?

ANDRE 3000: Round 1999, proper earlier than it was, , about to show into 2000, , the entire world was going loopy. Oh, man, my computer systems are going to alter over. And so they’re going, we’re all going to die. And, , the whole lot’s going to go kaput. And so 3000 truly means the 12 months 3000, , 3000 A.D. type of to look forward and to to maintain myself excited. So the 3000 was tacked on to Andre as a result of I’ve a type of like a persona the place I get bored actually quick, so I’ve to seek out stuff to maintain myself . And that is the place the cowboys and Indians are available.

GROSS: Now, , the music that you just had been that you just wrote for “Idlewild” or that you just modified for for “Idlewild” attracts on music – quite a lot of completely different sorts of music, , like funk and hip-hop but in addition early jazz. Did engaged on that film expose you to music that you just in any other case may not have listened to?

ANDRE 3000: After all. You realize, rising up, I imply, I’ve at all times, , heard ’30s and ’40s music, but it surely was at all times, , in another image. It was at all times type of, like, background music. Like, I am unable to say that I simply experience round listening to Thirties, ’40s music. I feel the standard and the manufacturing, , is type of completely different from what I am used to proper now. So when getting ready for the function for Percival in “Idlewild,” I needed to go meet morticians. You realize, I needed to go to funeral properties to really see how these individuals stay, discuss to them.

GROSS: He performs a mortician. That is why. Yeah.

ANDRE 3000: Yeah. Sure, sure. I play a mortician in “Idlewild.” So in getting ready for the function, I needed to go discuss to morticians and needed to sit down and ask them about their life. And I additionally needed to get into the timeframe of what was occurring. So I watched a few motion pictures from, , the ’30s, ’40s period, , issues like “Casablanca,” quite a lot of Busby Berkeley motion pictures, “Stormy Climate,” , issues of that nature. And I listened to quite a lot of music and primarily Cab Calloway. And it is humorous as a result of in case you hearken to Cab Calloway’s music, he was truly rapping again in these instances. However the sounds, , the massive band sound, is – I used to be launched to it by the by the film as a result of I used to be by no means into it. So simply to listen to that type of instrumentation, despite the fact that in Outkast’s music, I have been producing songs that had, , horns earlier than and, , these sounds, I imply, it is the preparations, ? So it is the horn blast, and it is the best way that the elements are written which might be completely different. So each track wasn’t, like, this enormous huge band track. I imply, a few of them had beats to them. You realize, a few of them had – I suppose the stylings had been type of a cool model of Thirties.

GROSS: Now, you are a personality who’s this sort of shy piano participant on the speakeasy, says about having to play there when he is pressured into the highlight throughout one scene – he says, I hate the highlight. And I am unable to think about you ever saying you hate the highlight. You appear to simply love performing a lot and appear to have these type of, like, old-style present enterprise values of loving to, like, sing and dance with costumes.

ANDRE 3000: That is the place the cowboys and Indians are available.

GROSS: Proper (laughter).

ANDRE 3000: As soon as once more.

GROSS: Yeah.

ANDRE 3000: It is humorous as a result of when Bryan – Bryan Barber, who’s the director and author of “Idlewild” – I’ve identified him…

GROSS: Who additionally directed your your “Hey Ya!” video.

ANDRE 3000: Proper. And “Roses” and a few others. However, , I’ve identified Bryan since he was in movie faculty in Atlanta at Clark. And, , he’d come to events. And, , he’d say, hey, man, I need you to be in my film. And that is once we first got here out. And he mentioned, hey, I need you on this film. Try this script. Or, , let’s get down – let’s get collectively and, , simply provide you with some concepts or no matter. So Bryan has identified me for a very long time. He is identified me. He is identified Huge Boi for a very long time. So once we had been placing this film collectively, he is aware of our personalities that lots of people do not know.

You realize, and it is humorous you say that I look like, OK, I really like to leap on stage, and I like to, , do the entire Hollywood – I like to sing and love to bop and love the highlight and like to pose. And that is type of not true. You realize, It is type of – I began doing music as a result of I favored to do it, and I did not know what I used to be entering into. So when he says, , I am pressured right into a scenario, I am not likely pressured into it, however I type of painted myself right into a nook the place I’ve to do it. However I do love to do music. However quite a lot of issues that come together with it, , I am not likely a fan of. I simply love to do nice work. I prefer to create stuff. So be it music, movie, no matter, , if the tip product is sweet, , I am loving it.

MOSLEY: Andre 3000 of the hip-hop group Outkast talking with Terry Gross. We’ll hear extra after a break. That is FRESH AIR.

(SOUNDBITE OF OUTKAST SONG, “DYIN’ TO LIVE”)

MOSLEY: That is FRESH AIR. And we’re commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop with Terry’s 2006 interview with Andre 3000 of Outkast.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

GROSS: One of many issues that you need to study as an actor is find out how to mission vulnerability ‘trigger there are roles you are going to play through which you are weak. And that is actually the case in some scenes in “Idlewild,” for instance. And vulnerability is, in some methods, precisely the type of factor that quite a lot of rappers attempt to not categorical, rappers on the entire. I imply, I feel quite a lot of wrappers attempt to look – attempt to keep a really robust and hardened persona.

ANDRE 3000: Proper.

GROSS: So I am questioning, was there a transition for you of exposing extra vulnerability each in your music and in your performing?

ANDRE 3000: Yeah, yeah. I feel, I imply, not simply in rap, I imply, in life, interval. I imply, after I began off, I imply, we had been simply, , straight avenue rappers, ? And I do perceive the place it comes from. I imply, quite a lot of actors have a coronary heart. Quite a lot of music guys or rappers have a tough time, , eliminating this character that they’ve constructed up, , their entire profession. And I do not suppose it is a factor of, , them pretending or making an attempt to be arduous to placed on. Nevertheless it’s like the road life – it will not will let you present, , that gentle facet as a result of, I imply, you will get trampled, , simply on the street. And so you need to – you need to type of toughen up or man up in a sure type of manner. And in case you constructed your entire profession on letting individuals know, , that I do not play and you need to get into a personality that does play or that does let different feelings come out, I imply, which may be a tough step, however even earlier than I began doing movie, I imply, in life, I imply, I knew I needed to take my music different locations as a result of, as soon as once more, I acquired bored of doing the identical factor, so I acquired deeper and deeper into my music. And after I acquired deeper and deeper into my music, I imply, I needed to expose sure sides of myself. And even whenever you have a look at “Speakerboxxx” and “The Love Beneath,” the love under was simply that. That was the that means of “The Love Beneath.” I imply, like, on the highest of a person, I imply, you’ve got this sort of arduous shell or this sort of – , I am robust, and nothing can harm me. However the love under is these emotions that each man feels when he goes dwelling, , and he thinks about these items, , and he thinks about his life. He thinks about his lady. He thinks about his child. And – I imply, and there isn’t any room to be robust there, ? So that is what “The Love Beneath” is about.

So when it got here time to behave, it wasn’t that a lot of a step as a result of I knew that you need to – to be an actor, I imply, you’ll be able to’t act. I imply, that is the important thing. When you act, individuals can see you performing, and that is not good, ? I talked to Mark Wahlberg, who type of – , I feel he is accomplished the transition the very best, , the place individuals truly think about him extra an actor than a music man, ? And he mentioned, man, I needed to – and he is from the toughest elements of Boston. And he mentioned, man, I needed to make a degree the place I used to be like, man, I am going – am I going to placed on for my homeboys within the neighborhood, or am I going to exit right here and simply do what I’ve to do?

GROSS: Effectively, OK, so that you had been saying that, , in your CD, “The Love Beneath” – that meaning the individual – like, the individual beneath the robust veneer and the feelings past that robust exterior.

ANDRE 3000: Proper.

GROSS: So let me play, like, the actually huge hit from this, which is “Hey Ya!,” your track. And, I imply, this track is, like, a lot enjoyable. And I suppose enjoyable is without doubt one of the issues that will not be good in case you’re making an attempt to have that actually robust exterior, sure?

ANDRE 3000: Yeah. And it is humorous you say that as a result of within the “Hey Ya!” video, I imply, I had quite a lot of enjoyable doing it. And you may see quite a lot of smiles, ? And I acquired quite a lot of suggestions from simply that alone. You realize, quite a lot of DJs and lots of people on the road – they had been like, man, that is cool. However, like, I ain’t seen a rapper smile in a very long time, ? And I feel smiling is highly effective, ? I imply, I feel – I imply, come on. God gave you enamel. He gave you lips. He gave you feelings. Come on. Smile now. I imply, you ain’t robust 24/7. You realize, that is simply not true if you wish to maintain it actual. Now, that is holding it actual.

GROSS: Effectively, earlier than we hear “Hey Ya!,” would you simply discuss a bit of bit about placing this collectively, like, writing the track? You play the entire devices besides bass on it, I feel.

ANDRE 3000: Proper.

GROSS: So are you able to discuss, like, conceiving the file and, , conceiving the track after which the music taking place behind the track?

ANDRE 3000: With “Hey Ya!,” that track was three years previous earlier than the general public heard it. So quite a lot of instances, like, I am going to begin a track, only a tough concept, and I am going to transfer on to one thing else. And the track was simply not prepared for the individuals on the time. Generally it takes, , simply that point to incubate or no matter. And so after I was engaged on “The Love Beneath,” I had a theme in my head, ? It was about love. It was about feelings. So even when individuals are listening to “Hey Ya!” and dancing round and, , they suppose it is loopy they usually suppose it is enjoyable, in case you actually take note of the lyrics, it is actually a fairly darkish track, ? So it has that type of, I suppose – what do you name it? – that dichotomy, that type of – it is darkish on one finish, and it is gentle on the opposite finish. However when placing it collectively, it was just about simply me at dwelling with my guitar, and I used to be taking part in these chords over and over and over. I am not a terrific guitar participant, so these had been a number of the first chords that I ever discovered. And, , throughout that point, , I used to be into quite a lot of storage, quite a lot of punk music. And I used to be simply going for it. And so this was my interpretation of what I believed these sounds had been. And the lyrics – often they begin from me messing round on my guitar taking part in, and I am going to simply begin to type of child discuss lyrics, ? And I often file myself on a micro cassette recorder. And so, , I will be, (singing inaudibly), ? After which I am going to hearken to it again and rattling close to translate what I am saying, ? Like, I virtually must decode my yippity-yap (ph), and that is what comes out, ? My child do not fiddle as a result of she loves me so. You realize, and that is what got here out, and it simply begins to make sense after some time. After which I got here again three years later engaged on the “Speakerboxxx/Love Beneath” album and got here again with the second verse. After which the, , Polaroid half – , that was type of only a freestyle truly, within the studio. And Beyonce’s video was on the display after I was doing the track. I neglect which video it was, however I believed it was an incredible video. And he or she was exhibiting loads of perspective. And in order that’s how she crept her manner into the track. You realize, when it says, now all of the Beyonces and Lucy Lius, these had been truly commercials or scenes that had been on the TV after I was within the vocal sales space. And so they crept their manner into into the track.

GROSS: So that you’re describing the way you communicate in virtually, , like, child discuss whenever you had been first…

ANDRE 3000: Proper.

GROSS: …Writing the melody for the track. Is the hey ya a part of the unique child discuss?

ANDRE 3000: Yeah. I am making an attempt to recollect. Hey ya – sure. Sure. And that is most likely why it is hey ya – as a result of I actually did not have any phrases. So that you simply – hey ya, ?

GROSS: Effectively, it really works; does not it (laughter)?

ANDRE 3000: And then you definitely fine-tune it, and it is saying, hey ya. You type of – it is type of like actually listening to a different language. And then you definitely hear again to it and say, OK, now what’s he saying? What’s he saying? And then you definitely make it out. You realize, you are being a translator. And that is what occurs. Lots of people get the track mistake, they usually say, oh, man, I really like that “Hey Now” track. Like, properly, it is Hey Ya!”

GROSS: Effectively, right here it’s. And that is Andre Benjamin from the Outkast album “Speakerboxxx/The Love Beneath.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HEY YA!”)

OUTKAST: (Singing) One, two, three. Oh. My child do not fiddle as a result of she loves me so. And this I do know for positive. However does she actually need to however cannot stand to see me stroll out the door? Do not attempt to battle the sensation ‘trigger the thought alone is killing me proper now. Thank God for Mother and Dad for sticking two collectively ‘trigger we do not know the way. Hey ya. Hey ya. Hey ya. Hey ya. Hey ya. Hey ya. Hey ya. Hey ya. You suppose you’ve got acquired it. Oh, you suppose you’ve got acquired it. However acquired it simply do not get it until there’s nothing in any respect. We get collectively. Oh, we get collectively. However separate’s at all times higher when there’s emotions concerned. If what they are saying is, nothing is endlessly, then what makes, then what makes, then what makes, then what makes, what makes, what makes love the exception? So why, oh, why, oh, why, oh, why, oh, why, oh are we so in denial once we know we’re not pleased right here?

MOSLEY: That is Andre Benjamin, aka Andre 3000, of Outkast on one in every of their huge hits. We’ll hear extra of his interview with Terry Gross after a break. That is FRESH AIR.

(SOUNDBITE OF DUKE ELLINGTON’S “MOOD INDIGO”)

MOSLEY: That is FRESH AIR, and we’re celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop. Let’s get again to Terry’s interview with Andre 3000 of the duo Outkast.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

GROSS: We had been speaking earlier than about how as a rapper, lots of people have a really type of robust picture and that you just type of must in case you stay in robust neighborhoods. In any other case, individuals are going to benefit from you. One of many issues that you just do is you design garments, and also you put on quite a lot of very type of extravagant theatrical garments, , on stage and in movies, in motion pictures. And I am questioning how that matches in with, like, the robust exterior that you just wanted to have whenever you had been rising up. Did you put on theatrical garments whenever you had been younger, or is that an indulgence you could not afford ‘trigger it might have been too bizarre?

ANDRE 3000: Effectively, no, truly, in highschool – I imply, it was nonetheless all about type. Like, in Atlanta, it was known as, , being a prep. And whenever you’re a prep, it is type of like – it was like a closed tradition. And we had been thought of what you’d name, like, lowheads. And this was – despite the fact that, , Ralph Lauren, I feel he began in ’67, he was type of like the overall of this entire stylesman, , factor. And as a child, , that is all we wished to be.

We wished to seem like – , we wished to seem like we we had it, seem like we went to school. And so everyone – we had been into garments, and we did sure issues with them, like, in our personal funky type of manner. Like, you’d take pants, and we might dye them completely different colours. Or we might put on, , two or three different-colored polo shirts on high of one another simply so we will have colour combos and all any such stuff. So it was actual – it was an actual type factor. In order that’s at all times been in me. However I feel individuals get the stage antics and the stage put on, I feel, combined up with streetwear.

You realize, whenever you’re on stage, , you – I imply, you put on the white wigs, otherwise you put on, , these Indian, , no shirt and, , enormous furry pants or no matter. I imply, however these will not be issues that occur on the road, although, ? So to reply your query, they do not slot in. You realize, that does not slot in with it, however on the similar time, the perspective that you just do it with – , a number of the hardest individuals on the road, , they arrive as much as me and be like, man, , I really like what you do. And I feel it comes from the perspective of what you are sporting, not truly what you are sporting.

GROSS: Effectively, Andre Benjamin, thanks a lot for speaking with us.

ANDRE 3000: Thanks for having me on the present.

MOSLEY: Andre 3000 of Outkast spoke to Terry Gross in 2006. On Monday’s present, we’ll conclude our sequence of hip-hop interviews with Jay-Z, thought to be probably the most profitable rappers of all time. I hope you’ll be able to be a part of us. FRESH AIR’s govt producer is Danny Miller. Our senior producer right this moment is Roberta Shorrock. Our technical director and engineers Audrey Bentham, with further engineering help from Joyce Lieberman, Julian Herzfeld and Charlie Kaier. We’ll shut out with music by Cab Calloway, who Andre 3000 mentioned he was listening to in preparation for the film soundtrack “Idlewild.” For Terry Gross, I am Tonya Mosley.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EVERYBODY EATS WHEN THEY COME TO MY HOUSE”)

CAB CALLOWAY: (Singing) Have a banana, Hannah. Attempt the salami, Tommy. Get with the gravy, Davy. All people eats after they come to my home. Attempt a tomato, Plato. Here is cacciatore, Dory. Style the bologna, Tony. All people eats after they come to my home. I repair your favourite dishes. Hopin’ this good meals fills ya. Work my fingers to the bone within the kitchen alone. You higher eat if it kills ya.

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