Boundless imagination, technical excellence, and bold eccentricity combine to make André 3000 not just one of the best rappers in the game, but a transcendent, once-in-a-generation talent. As one-half of Atlanta rap group OutKast, André 3000's intricate, often cosmic bars served as a weird and colorful foil to his partner Big Boi's more earthbound street rap tendencies, and this chemistry resulted in albums that became increasingly ambitious as OutKast's influence grew. 3000 became even more enigmatic following his group's shift to dormancy in the mid-2000s. More than 15 years after OutKast's last album was issued, André 3000 again defied expectations when he released his debut solo album with little lead-up. 2023's New Blue Sun was not the return of one of rap's greatest superpowers that many fans may have been expecting but an entirely instrumental album focused on André 3000's flute playing.