Is Lil Baby Launching André 3000's Comeback?

Music

| LAST UPDATE 08/05/2021

By Mahlik Campbell
Lil Baby
Larry Marano via Shutterstock

Lil Baby has rapped alongside some of hip-hop's most legendary acts, from Drake and Travis Scott to Lil Wayne and Gucci Mane. But his new "dream collaboration" could be the one to take his career to the next level.

In a Billboard cover story detailing Baby's ascension to the peak of hip-hop and his upcoming album, the 26-year-old said he's in "a whole different headspace than I was at with 'My Turn,'" his most recent album which is 3x Platinum. In fact, he's about to secure a rare verse from André 3000.

"I talked to somebody who be talking to him, and he’s on it right now," Baby said, adding that he's in "third-party communications" with someone close to André, a rapper he considers "a cold motherf****r."

Lil Baby grew up listening to Outkast – comprised of André and Big Boi – in Atlanta in the late '90s and early 2000s, as they helped shape the city's eclectic sound. He even once referred to André as his "favorite [artist]."

Not only would an André feature be a huge milestone for Baby but it'd also be the first time the 46-year-old has lent his voice to a song for a "new age" rapper, i.e., Baby, Roddy Ricch, 21 Savage, etc. The last time André graced a track was Goodie Mob's "No Cigar" in Nov. 2020.

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During a 2019 interview with Rick Rubin, André admitted he hadn't been feeling inspired enough to try and record an album: "My focus is not there, my confidence is not there."

He explained what makes him "feel the best" these days is doing "random" instrumental performances in public spaces, mostly using his flute.