Yup, Andre 3000 Sold Out for Outkast Reunion
While many reunited bands try to make us believe that they come back because of renewed friendships, to satisfy a creative itch, 
or the pretentious but amusing ‘we have unfinished business’ type of statement, Andre 3000 recognizes that he sold out by agreeing to tour again with Outkast.
In an interview with The Fader, Andre 3000 explained that he didn’t want to do the 2014 tour at all: “I felt weird about going out on stage and doing it again. I felt like people would be like, ‘Y’all are doing all these festivals, y’all are just doing it for money.’ And I felt like a sell-out, honestly.”
What got him through feeling this way were the clever jumpsuits he wore during all performances. Each outfit would have a random slogan emblazed upon it, like, “the hardest time of our lives” and “I’ve never been to Afrika.” A price tag that read “SOLD” was also worn during shows.
“I’m like, How am I gonna present these songs? I don’t have nothing new to say. So I was like, maybe I can start saying new stuff while doing these old songs,” offered Andre 3000 with regard to his wardrobe. “It became a theme where I was more excited about this than the actual show. This is fun, running out in these.
“I’m 39, I got a 17-year-old kid and I gotta support certain things,” he continued. “And my partner Big Boi is like, ‘This is a great thing for all of us.’ So I felt like there was a certain sell-out in a way, because I didn’t wanna do it — I knew I was doing it for a reason. So maybe if I’m telling people, ‘I am selling out,’ then it’s not as bad as pretending. It’s being honest about it like, ‘Shit, I did these songs when I was 17 and I’m out here pedaling them now.’ But it’s the honest thing, that’s what it is.”
-Adam Grant
-Photo by: David Hall
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