While hip-hop heads everywhere revere Andre 3000 as one of the best, in a candid interview with The New York Times, the lyricist reveals he had no intentions of devoting his entire career to rap.
“I remember, at like 25, saying, “I don’t want to be a 40-year-old rapper.” I’m 39 now, and I’m still standing by that. I’m such a fan that I don’t want to infiltrate it with old blood,” he says.
Andre Benjamin is focusing his attention toward acting and gearing up for his starring role in the Jimi Hendrix biopic “Jimi: All Is By My Side” to be released next month. The film, directed by Academy-Award Winner John Ridley, who also wrote the screenplay for “12 Years of Slave” focuses on the year just before Hendrix’s ascent to rock-star status. Three stacks, who bears a striking resemblance to the guitarist, admits to turning down the role initially.
“Man, I’m old. I have gray hair. Get some young unknown kid to play Hendrix.” he said.
But with constant persistence but Ridley and some approval from his 16-year-old son, Seven, the ATLien took the role. Benjamin also touched on his lackluster Coachella performance that disappointed fans and admits while on stage his mind was elsewhere.
“My head wasn’t there. I kind of fluffed through rehearsals. A few hours before the Coachella show, I get a message that Prince and Paul McCartney are going to be there. My spirit is not right, and idols are standing side-stage, so as the show started, I’m bummed. This is horrible. In my mind I was already gone to my hotel room halfway through. So Prince called a couple days after. It was my first time actually talking to Prince. He said: “When you come back, people want to be wowed. And what’s the best way to wow people? Just give them the hits.”
To read the rest of the interview, CLICK HERE.
“Jimi: All Is By My Side” hits theaters Sept. 26