LL Cool J Says He Didn’t Like André 3000’s Flute Album: 'He Needs to Know the Truth'

"Let's not lie to ourselves, I don't wanna hear him do the flute," LL Cool J said on 'The Shop.'

May 9, 2024

Two musicians on stage, one in casual attire with sunglasses and the other in a hoodie and denim, both performing — Alexander Tamargo and CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images

In a new episode of The Shop, LL Cool J praised OutKast rapper André 3000 for his abilities on the mic, but suggested he wasn't feeling his pivot to new-age flute music.

"Look, look... The comments are gonna be crazy," LL Cool J said. "He's amazing, alright? His bars is all the way up. I'm very clear. Not the flute, B. Not the flute. Don't do the flute."

Lena Waithe, another guest on the show, countered that she enjoyed the album, which she called "very calming."

"Let's not lie to ourselves, I don't wanna hear him do the flute," LL interjected. "You wanna hear me do a violin? You might not wanna hear me do shit, but, do you wanna hear me do a violin, though?"

Waithe said that the 56-year-old rapper and actor is free to do whatever he wants with his music, and it's not unheard of for rappers to make stylistic pivots like this. She mentioned Queen Latifah's jazz album, The Dana Owens Album, as an example.

"I want him to get with Big Boi, I want them to make an OutKast, or do a solo album," LL Cool J said. "Every time he does fucking one verse it's, you know, enough material for an album. He's so gifted. So it's like, come on, B, like, not the flute. We not gonna lie like this. Don't gas. That man needs to know the truth. He needs to know the truth."

Waithe maintained that she liked the album, but the room erupted into laughter when LL asked her what her favorite song from the album was.

LL Cool J isn't the only person who wants to hear a hip-hop album from André 3000 again. In an episode of GOAT Talk opposite Tony Hawk last month, Kid Cudi said that André 3000 is his favorite rapper of all time. “He’s just the illest,” Cudi said. "I would really love to see a rap album from him. I know he’s in a different place—I know he can create something that’s just so wild and feels fresh and new. He can save us all."

Back in February, André suggested that he doesn't have it in him for a full hip-hop album anytime soon. “I would love to make a rap album. I just think it’d be an awesome challenge to do a fire-ass album at 48 years old," he told Highsnobiety. "That’s probably one of the hardest things to do! I would love to do that. That’s the cool thing about my whole ride. It really is a ride."