While Andre 3000 remains one of the most acclaimed rappers in the history of hip hop, the performer has not released a project since Outkast’s final album Idlewild back in 2006 leaving many fans desperate for a future solo project or another Outkast album. In a recent interview on the Broken Record podcast with Rick Rubin, the rapper finally revealed why he has not released a full-length project since 2006, explaining that fame has harmed his creative process, which has prevented him from beginning a new project.

I haven’t been making much music, man” Andre 3000 told Rubin around 13:35 into the podcast. “My focus is not there, my confidence is not there,” later adding that “Once the attention is on that world, the world goes away.”

While the rapper has not released any single solo or tracks, he has made a slew of guest appearances with numerous artists including Missy Elliott, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, James Blake and The Gorillaz since Outkast’s hiatus. The rapper has explained that these appearances, and the audience’s reactions have pushed him away from pushing more solo material however, as he claims that his fans tend to “nitpick” his features.

“Any little thing I put out… people nitpick it with a fine-tooth comb. ‘Oh, he said that word!'” Andre 3000 elaborated. “And that’s not a great place to create from. And it makes you draw back.”

Despite this, Andre 3000 has stated that he is still open to pursuing musical projects, although they not be hip hop oriented projects. “I’m trying to find out what makes me feel the best right now. What makes me feel the best is when I do these random… instrumental kind of things. They make me feel the most rebellious,” he explained.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna