Andre This Is Andre/Y’all Is Just Gon’ Have to Make Amends.

Alyssa on  3000:

I continually struggle to describe what I think makes flow near-perfect, but when I think about how herky-jerky Lil’ Wayne’s delivery would be on this, it makes me cringe.  Eminem probably does the delivery of echoy lines a bit better than Andre, but Andre’s up there.  I’m so absurdly envious of that skill set that I have a hard time understanding how Andre could even consider walking away from it to pursue other things, but I do recognize that’s just me projecting, and of course he has every right in the world to pursue new artistic horizons.  But one reason I’m so hungry for the release of Big Boi’s solo album, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty is that I want to hear Andre rapping while I still can.  Each verse seems increasingly precious with the risk there won’t be more of them.

While we shouldn’t begrudge Andre his druthers — we all want to try something different sooner or later — it’s kind of amazing to take in just how bad an actor he is. He is distractingly terrible, the kind of bad that would make him uncastable if he weren’t half of one of the biggest acts in music. For years, Andre has been talking about starring in a Jimi Hendrix biopic. Outside of their physical resemblance, it’s not clear why this would ever be a good idea. I don’t know if this some kind of prolonged, post-Badu hangover, in which he feels compelled to prove to the public that he’s a Serious, Multifaceted Artist (see: Lynn, Rashid) but I wish he’d cut it out. (The irony here is that Big Boi, who has no such actorly pretensions, is an infinitely more interesting onscreen presence.)

All that said, this guy is such a good MC it’s scary. He’s Kobe Bryant good, where he’s so excellent so consistently that you just kind of take his dopeness for granted. Jamelle was saying the other day that he listens to “Throw Some D’s (Remix)” just to hear Andre’s verse at the top of the song.

Damn. They should’ve just let him go last.

G.D.

G.D.

Gene "G.D." Demby is the founder and editor of PostBourgie. In his day job, he blogs and reports on race and ethnicity for NPR's Code Switch team.
G.D.
  • Grump

    His verse was so dope I had forgotten who rhymed next!

  • I dunno, I liked him and found him convincing in Four Brothers–at least as convincing as the rest of them. Big Boi, by contrast, was awkward to me in ATL.

  • thewayoftheid

    Yeah, 3000’s verse is the ONLY reason Rich Boy ANYTHING is on my iPod. I don’t even let the song play all the way through.

  • trevor

    Three stacks is definitely top ten, check out the first verse on the art of storytelling’ part 4 (prod by dj drama). One of the best verses I’ve have heard on any hip-hop record ever.

  • Ladyfresh

    i think he just needs time. i would hope he’s taking acting as seriously as he took his lyrical skills if so im not too concerned he’ll improve. visually he’s wonderful to look at. he has the presence need for the big screen he just needs to study the craft because i do see the glimmer of talent