How André 3000 Uses Vulnerability in His Storytelling and Rapping
André 3000. Image from GQ.
André Lauren Benjamin better known as André 3000, may be the most emotionally vulnerable rapper of his prestige to date.
3000 has always been blazing new paths and breaking out of the box ever since his days in the rap duo: Outkast. But with 3000’s strictly feature and limited solo releases, we are seeing a more delicate and insightful side of André’s verses than ever before.
One can see André 3000’s defiance from the norm as a rapper described in VH1 Outkast Documentary:
“He didn’t want to be a pimp he didn’t want to be a player… Dre was just more in between. He stopped drinking, he stopped eating meat, he stopped smoking, he grew his hair, he got into books, spiritualism, and even went as far as practicing celibacy for about a year. He found some sort of clarity and he decided he was going to show who he was and not be made into anything… One day he was jeans and t-shirt and a fresh fresh pair of sneakers on and -BAM- he’s in a turban”
With Outkast’s last release in 2006, fans have been quite limited regarding 3000’s projects. His most innovative solo projects to date are Look Ma No Hands and Me&My (To Bury Your Parents) released on Soundcloud in 2018. The projects were released after Andre’s mother, Sharon Benjamin Hodo, passed away. His mother will continuously be a muse to his later features.
Look Ma No Hands featuring James Blake on the piano is an emotionally turbulent, jazzy clarinet and piano instrumental. One can even see the influence of the jazz greats such as Monk and Coltrane within the song. Look Ma No Hands captures 3000’s innate ability to break out of every box and cross every line society has created for rappers. Andre shows the world that he is more than a rapper, but a composer and artist in the most fundamental form.
On one of 3000’s features from 2012, titled Sorry by TI we see André 3000s innate ability to deliver profound and unfeigned verses. Sorry captures a very intimate and deep perspective into 3000’s struggle with fame, wealth, and his relationships.
“What it ain't, What it is?
Even if you gotta live
I learned that apartment is way more exciting than a big ass house on a hill
I used to be a way better writer and a rapper
When I used to want a black Karmann Ghia
Now a nigga speeding in a Porsche
Feeling like I'm going off a course”
…
Slow it down, this that shit that'll make you call your momma
Say hey I'm sorry for begging for all them clothes you couldn't afford
And this the type of shit that'll make you call your rap partner
And say I'm sorry I'm awkward, my fault for fuckin' up the tours
I hated all the attention so I ran from it
Now with André 3000s latest feature on Life Of The Party on Kanye’s Donda Album, we are greeted with his most tender and sentimental verse yet. The song itself captures two mens’, more specifically two powerhouse rappers’ immense love and appreciation for their departed mothers. The song premise is probably what makes it the most influential and significant from the Donda album. André’s verse starts off addressing Donda, Kanye’s mother, in a monologue-like fashion and confesses to her that he is struggling with his faith and how he searches for his mother in aspects of his life. 3000 then continues to share snippets of intimate moments with his mother. His verse captures André’s struggle with accepting his past, but also more so his struggle with his mother’s absence.
Hey, Miss Donda
You run into my mama, please tell her I said "Say something"
I'm startin' to believe ain't no such thing as Heaven's trumpets
No after-over, this is it, done
If there's a Heaven, you would think they'd let ya speak to your son
Maybe she has in the form of a baby's laugh
I heard passing by in a stroller reminding me, "Hey, keep rolling"
I don't know, maybe she has with a prick of a blade of grass
I've been laying on way too long, got me itchy
Got up and roamed a lil' more
3000 is paving a way for rappers to embrace vulnerability as a tool within rapping. 3000 utilizes storytelling along with vulnerability to create immensely potent verses and possibly a tracklist of the most eloquent and vulnerable verses to date from a rapper.
