Outkast rapper Andre 3000 releasing new album -- of woodwinds

New York (AFP) - For nearly two decades fans of Outkast -- the rap duo that ruled the early 2000s with hits including "Hey Ya!" -- have prayed for a solo album from member Andre 3000.

On Friday they will get their wish -- but the eccentric artist won't utter a word on it.

In an announcement on Tuesday, Andre 3000 said he would release "New Blue Sun," which he described as "an entirely instrumental album centered around woodwinds."

For years, the Grammy-winning 48-year-old -- who last released an album in 2006 with Outkast -- has been spotted worldwide with his flutes, creating a sort of "Where's Waldo" game for fans.

"I've been interested in winds for a long time, so it was just a natural progression for me to go into flutes," Andre said in the announcement. "I just like messing with instruments and I gravitated mostly toward wind."

Born and raised Andre Lauren Benjamin in Atlanta, Georgia, a nexus of US rap, the artist made a name for himself alongside musical partner Big Boi as part of Outkast, whose hits also included "Ms. Jackson," "The Way You Move" and "So Fresh, So Clean."

But Andre receded from the public eye after achieving global success, surfacing for occasional features on songs including those by Beyonce and Kanye West.

In 2014, he reunited with Big Boi to play a string of festival shows, and in 2018, he released two songs on SoundCloud that were focused on the bass clarinet.

He cites influences including Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane and Brian Eno as inspiration for his new body of work.

"In my mind, I really would like to make a rap album," he said in his announcement.

"So maybe that happens one day, but I got to find a way to say what I want to say in an interesting way that's appealing to me at this age."

The first of the eight tracks on "New Blue Sun" is entitled "I Swear, I really Wanted to Make a 'Rap' Album But This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time."

It is 12 minutes long.

"I don't want to troll people," Andre said in a new interview with radio broadcaster NPR. "I don't want people to think, 'Oh, this Andre 3000 album is coming!' And you play it and like, 'Oh man, no verses.'"

"So even actually on the packaging, you’ll see it says, 'Warning: no bars.'"

© Agence France-Presse