I Swear, This Is Not an André 3000 Diss Song

Are we out of time? I swear I want to like this Andre album

When they announced it, I got all excited

This artist I've admired is finally out of hiding

Somehow, he got inspired, then decided

It's time to break his silence, but he told us he's staying silent

Playing flute instead of rhyming

I'm like, "yeah, okay, that's cool, I'm behind it"

Something different, but something's missing

It felt way off, like watching Jordan play baseball

Then I got suspicious, like Andre

Did you let your inner critic win?

Did you convince yourself that you isn't Him?

Do you got hard drives full of hidden gems

Locked behind computers and won't let us in?

And listen, you don't have to, yeah, I get it, man

But who am I supposed to listen to? Lil who?

Or another rapper with ghost writers

Whose only asset is that they visual?

With all due respect, I'm sorta pissed at you

'Cause I've been hearing things you said in interviews

And it's got me a bit confused

Saying you too old to bring something new

That isn't true, but who am I supposed to listen to?

I'd rather hear from an old you than

Just be stuck with hearing all your old tunes

But who am I? Just one of your pupils with student pride

Sometimes, it feel like you dead, but you alive

I just pray before the day that you truly fly

You feel like the gift God gave you was fully utilized

And maybe this is foolish pride

Like, what do I think I'm doing?

I'm just a stranger out here asking this man for new music

And you never listen to nobody except yourself

So I know this is useless

You dropped "Hey Ya" at the height of G-Unit

And man, that's gangsta, you the ultimate non-conformist

You kept pushing boundaries, exploring

You taught us normal is boring

That's the thing I love about you the most

You reinvented yourself

You raised the bar on what you expect of yourself

But maybe, the bar got so high you can't even reach it

Unsatisfied, start calling all your heaters decent

Then you don't release it

Honestly, it's hard to believe it

'Cause I heard all your features

You got Killer Mike a Grammy, man, that joint was recent

And look, no disrespect to him either, but dawg, you tweakin

This all speculation, I don't know the reason either

But my guess is that it's pressure

It's probably easier to be a flute player

Than one of the greatest rappers ever, ever

And I know I'm sounding critical, but if I'm coming clean

This got more to do with me and isn't you

'Cause you're an artist I aspire to

Now you gone and retired

I think my deepest fear is that I see myself inside of you

It been three years and I've been quiet too

And all this time, I've been inside the stu

Everything I cook up feel meh, like it's kinda cool

Got me really thinking like, "man, maybe my time is through"

And you got nothing left to prove

I'm still playing festivals to pay my team

And fund the dreams that I'm yet to execute

And every day, I'm less enthused to write a rhyme

Or bless the booth

Every thought ain't fresh and new

Like when I was twenty-two

When music was the place I would express it through

I was fighting for respect, rapping like the rent was due

I wanted the world to love me

Now a couple friends will do

Tell the truth — are these the thoughts you had?

Is where you at where I'm headed to?

So every year that I ain't heard from you

The insecurities I'm working through feel like, for sure, they're true

So please don't take it personal, but you moved on from rap

And I don't think I got the courage to

But keep your heart, 3 Stacks, keep your heart

Share your art, 3 Stacks, share your art

Share your thoughts, 3 Stacks, share your thoughts

If I could be anyone, I'd be me, yeah yeah

If I could be anyone, I'd be me, yeah yeah

Maybe I'll start, 3 Stacks, maybe I'll start

Maybe I'll start, 3 Stacks, maybe I'll start

Maybe I'll start