Andre 3000 Reveals an OutKast and A Tribe Called Quest Joint Album Was Discussed

Yesterday (April 5), friends, family members and colleagues of Phife Dawg flocked to the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY for a celebration of the late rapper's life. Amongst those who attended were the surviving members of A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, Chuck D, D'Angelo, The Roots and OutKast's Andre 3000. Three Stacks took the stage and said a few words about Tribe's influence and revealed that there were talks between 'Kast and Tribe to do a joint album.

"I'm going to say some interesting news and some disappointing news at the same time. About a year or two ago, we were talking about doing a Tribe Called Quest and OutKast album," he said. "Yeah. For whatever reason, it did not happen. I don't want to let the time go by, because you never know. And that's one of the biggest things about regret. Whatever reason we didn't do it, it was on our plate and we just... let it go for our own personal reasons."

Andre also said that when he and Big Boi first got on, their label tried to turn them into a southern Tribe. Before stepping off the stage, the Aquemini rapper called for the old guard of hip-hop to show love to the next generation of stars.

"I had a conversation with Tip and it shocked the shit out of me. One day, he said, 'When y'all came out as Outkast, I knew that the tides had changed. I knew rap had changed.' And I knew what he was talking about because when I see [Lil] Wayne and Young Thug, I'm like, 'Ohhh, I can't keep up with that shit. It's so dope.' It's the connection. They're them because of us and it has to keep going. All this old niggas hatin' on the young niggas, that shit got to stop. It's all music. It's all influence. It'll keep going because we're all connected."

At the end of the the service, Phife's posthumous single "Nutshell" was premiered for the crowd. The J Dilla produced track was scheduled to appear on the Five Foot Assassin's Give Thanks EP.

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