PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 16: André Benjamin of ‘Dispatches from Elsewhere’ attends the AMC Networks portion of the Winter 2020 TCA Press Tour on January 16, 2020 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images)

André 3000 (half of the iconic hip-hop duo Outkast) announced Tuesday that he will release a debut solo album — his first new album in 17 years — this coming Friday. But fans expecting a rap album will be disappointed. New Blue Sun consists of eight experimental tracks of him playing flute and other wind instruments. “I have songs, but it’s not like rap things that I really feel happy about sharing. And really, that’s the most important part. I have to feel happy about sharing it,” Andre 3000 said in a new interview. “That’s why New Blue Sun was something that I realized, whoa, I really want people to hear it. I really want to share it.” Over the last few years, André 3000 has also contributed flute music to the Everything Everywhere All At Once soundtrack and in the comedy-drama Showing Up.

Filed under: Andre 3000, OutKast