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Andre 3000 releases new piano instrumentals album

By Chris Morgan | Last updated May 6, 2025 2:54 PM ET

It's been a nice little stretch here for Andre 3000. Outkast, the iconic rap duo comprised of Andre 3000 and Big Boi, were announced as members of the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class and he was just at the Met Gala.

While Andre was hobnobbing at the Met Gala, a surprise album dropped. It's odd and experimental, so very much an Andre 3000 thing.

"7 piano sketches" is seven songs based around the piano that are instrumentals. There are some samples and vocal effects in the mix, but the songs are by-and-large instrumental. This surprise album follows up Andre 3000's 2023 work "New Blue Sun,"a flute-based jazz album.

Evidently Andre 3000 originally intended to call this project "The Best Worst Rap Album in History." The liner notes explicate, "It’s jokingly the worst rap album in history because there are no lyrics on it at all. It’s the best because it’s the free-est emotionally and best I’ve felt personally. It’s the best because it’s like a palette cleanser for me."

This all makes the questions around Outkast's Hall of Fame induction will go stronger. Big Boi has been to inductions before, but Andre 3000 might be too busy working on trying to make the undersea band from "The Little Mermaid" a real thing.

(h/t Pitchfork)

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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