Hip-hop has its fair share of GOAT feature rappers. Off the top of my head, there’s Busta Rhymes, the OG guest verse murderer, Nas, DMX, Jadakiss, Biggie, Method Man, just to name a few.
From the newer generation, you’ve got the likes of J. Cole, Kendrick, Drake, and 21 Savage who routinely steal the show from other artists. Of course, there’s Lil Wayne, perhaps the most iconic feature rapper ever, and Jay-Z, who’s been cementing his GOAT status based off features alone these past few years.
But when it comes down to it, the truth is, none of these rappers deliver a guest verse as impactful as Andre 3000. Over the last decade, Three Stacks has - pound for pound - earned himself the title of Guest Verse King. He's hopped on a variety of different artists' albums and delivered memorable appearances that even stand up to his earlier OutKast work. From Frank Ocean's "Solo (Reprise)" to Young Jeezy's "I Do," the Atlanta artist has proven time and time again and verse after verse that he has the Midas touch; everything he touches turns to gold. Every time the OutKast rapper steps out and blesses another artist with a verse, he shuts everything down. Articles pop up and Internet forums get flooded with people trying to dissect his usually cryptic rhymes.
From his scene-stealing appearance on UGK’s “International Players Anthem” to his more recent verse on Kanye’s “Life of the Party,” here are the greatest Andre 3000 feature appearances of all time.
Honorable Mentions (not included on the list): Beyoncé's "Party," Jay-Z's "30 Something" remix, Lil' Wayne's "Interlude," John Legend's "Greenlight," and others.
15. Chris Brown - "Deuces (Remix)" feat. Drake, Kanye West & Andre 3000
Year: 2010
"The farewell email from a female / But I’m a playa, ain't gonna tell you all the details."
One of the first incarnations of superhero André 3000 guest appearances was when he joined Kanye West and Drake, on Chris Brown's highly popular radio hit "Deuces" in 2010. Three Stacks delivers a melancholy-but-deadly verse about a bad break with a woman to close out the deep posse cut remix.
He switches flows, warns you to get your mind out of the gutter, and even references his legendary opening verse on UGK's "Int'l Players Anthem" (It starts: "So, I typed a text to a girl I used to see") with the opening bars on this remix ("The farewell email from a female").
It may not have the sharp political commentary or fast-paced bars that he flexes on other verses on this list, but his "Deuces (Remix)" verse is a master class in how to stay creative when rapping about a subject (breakups) that's been covered a million times before.
14. Devin the Dude - "What A Job" feat. Snoop Dogg & Andre 3000
Year: 2007
"See we do it for that boy that graduated / That look you in your eyes real tough and says ''Preciate it' / And that he wouldn'ta made it if it wasn't for your CD number 9."
Off of Devin the Dude's 2008, Waiting To Inhale, André raps the real reason why he keeps on making fire music on Devin the Dude's mellow jam, which is: his fans. The concept of "What A Job" is pretty simple: it's about being a professional rapper. In the first two verses, Devin The Dude and Snoop Dogg both share some wisdom and stick to the script, but André has the final say, and he showcases his unique ability to make even the simple feel profound.
This is honestly one song where each rapper on the track provides their own individual style with each verse going just as hard as the last. Andre and Devin have amazing similarities. Both are very original and embrace different outlooks. Adding Snoop to the track was the butter on the bread.
Andre starts by breaking down a couple of negatives of rapping for a living, dismissing some of the stereotypical motivations (money, women) before getting into the story. It's a story that illustrates so much of what we respect about André: mainly, that he makes music for the love and for the fans. His verse is so detailed and specific that by the end of it, you have to wonder if it's a true story, and that somewhere in the world there's an Outkast fan who inspired one of André's best features. If that's the case, this verse is the ultimate example of making music for the fans. If it's not, then damn—André is a gifted storyteller.
13. Young Jeezy - “I Do” feat. Jay-Z & Andre 3000
Year: 2012
"So if we ever woopty woop, I want all that bleepty bleep."
Young Jeezy’s TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition was the last of his Thug Motivation series, and arguably the best. For the single "I Do," Jezzy taps JAY-Z and André. As Jeezy and Hov spit about their relationship with the streets and the hustle, 3000 comes in with a melodic verse about love, women, and marriage.
André 3000 is an expert when it comes to relationships and lets it be known. He comes with a slew of metaphors up his sleeve, including an interesting rhyme scheme using him and hymn as a double entendre when he says, “So him vow to never utter him do unless him mean it.” See what he did there? He brings a melodic delivery to the soulful M16-produced beat and injects some humor into the song's final verse. Jay Z — who is also featured on the track — absolutely eats his verse. But André leaves his plate spotless.
12. Fonzworth Bentley - "Everybody" feat. Kanye West & Andre 3000
Year: 2008
"Sir, Andre with an accent three triple O -- Ben-jammin', Lauren is the middle name, that was given by my mama, success was on her brain."
Even though Fonzworth Bentley's C.O.L.O.U.R.S. project never saw the light of day, fans got an impressive outing from André on "Everybody." Sonically, it's a great verse from Three Stacks, as he intertwines rhyme schemes with themes and imagery of dreams as he praises a woman for her style.
The single's video illustrates a bit of Andre and Kanye's comedic timing through choreography more than likely made up by none other than, Mr. Fonzworth Bentley, himself, which only adds to the depths of the solid verse laid down, contributed with Mr. West's vocal on the hook.
11. Sleepy Brown - "I Can't Wait" feat. Outkast
Year: 2004
"Well, I'm Andre. Benjamin, Andre to be exact. You hope to meet a gentleman one day, well this is that.
Sleepy Brown's, "I Can't Wait" off the Barbershop 2: Back In Business Movie Soundtrack, gives an opportunity to provide an introductory verse from Three Stacks instead of the typical closing verse he leaves on tracks as a finishing knockout blow. Nonetheless, Andre leaves no crumb on his plate with his opening verse that details a woman on her style while his wordplay flows over the song to introduce himself being from the South, and briefly even mentions Outkast's case in which they were being sued by Civil Rights activist, Rosa Park, for the duo's single named after her.
10. Anderson.Paak - "Come Home"
Year: 2019
"I’m no nun, you’re no priest, but I promise, hun/ you gon’ see/ a phenomenon, come with me/ Like it’s Ramadan, I don’t eat/ Like it’s Comic Con, I’m a freak for you/ I’m begging you now, pretty please with a cherry on top."
Taking a break from his flute-playing escapades, 3 Stacks appeared on the opening song of soul singer Anderson. Paak’s latest album Ventura. The lyricism 3000 shows in “Come Home” is a flex, to say the least. With lines that change the rhythm and get more technical and intricate as the song goes on, one of Three Stacks’ latest guest verses deserves a place on this list among some of his more classic guest contributions.
9. DJ Unk - "Walk It Out (Remix)" feat. Outkast & Jim Jones
Year: 2007
"Walk it out like a usher/ If you say real talk, I probably won’t trust ya/ If you want to go to war, the gun’s, my pleasure/ Even Jesus had twelve disciples on lever, trigger, whatever/ Pyong/ You don’t want nan day of three thou/ I’m like jury duty/ You’re new to this part of town/ Your white tee, well to me, looks like a nite gown/ Make your mama proud and take that thing two sizes down."
This was Atlanta’s party anthem, sending waves from Georgia State to Georgia Southern. Originally produced by fellow ATLien Unk, “Walk It Out” dropped in 2006 alongside a wave of viral dance hits like Soulja Boy’s “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” “Teach Me How to Dougie” by Cali Swag District, GS Boyz’s “Stanky Leg” and a slew of others. The song managed to level up by bringing in hip-hop heavy hitters Jim Jones, Big Boi, and André 3000. Similar to “Int’l Players Anthem,” 3000 leads the remix, and this time he’s throwing his weight around. Taking shots at the popular tall tee and baggy pants style, the rapper points aim at some of the very artists on the track with him.
Somehow, André 3000 turned a club anthem into his own personal "how to be an attractive man" subreddit. Instead of adding more party-worthy rhymes, he takes a critical eye on today's youth and provides them with worthy life lessons. Leave it to the Three Stacks to turn a dance track into a gentlemen's guide.
8. Rich Boy – “Throw Some D's (Remix)” feat. Andre 3000, Murphy Lee, Nelly, Jim Jones & The Game
Year: 2007
"You might be the dope, but I would flush it down the toilet/ Like the boys in blue when they come through with them boots/ And they kickin’ down the do’ and they don’t care who they shoot/ But we do care who they shoot, so we do what we must do/ So we act like we run track, then we run straight to the back/ But they comin’ from the back, so we run back to the front/ They say get down on your knees, we say what the fuck you want."
Rich Boy may never have produced a classic album, but there’s no denying he and Polow Da Don had a major hit in 2007 with “Throw some D’s.” Much like UNK’s “Walk It Out,” the song made waves across the South and eventually caught the attention of big names like Jim Jones, Nelly, and, of course, André 3000. What started as a four-and-a-half-minute song quickly became a nearly 6-minute song, 3 Stacks leading the way and letting listeners know he’s woke, but nothing to be played with. Spitting lyrics like “Yeah, your partner got away but now he vegetable-like. So I sent his mom and dad a whole case of V8,” the Atlanta-bred rapper bares his teeth just enough to let you know what’s up.
The way he spins the story of the drug bust is some really dope shit (pun intended). These kinds of drug-driven bars aren't his forte at all and he steps in, fits the song, and does it better than the dudes who do this kind of rap for a living. His flow is agile, but it feels like it's lacking a little "umph" for the heavy beat. Still, the wordplay is flawless.
7. Erykah Badu - "Hello"
Year: 2015
"I seem to wanna talk more and more ‘bout what really matters/ I’ve seen my aura hop out my torso and hit her backwards/ Flip, watching you walk down my corridor, f*ck a ballad/ Don’t need sh*t on the side no more, all entree, f*ck a salad."
This track from Erykah’s But U Caint Use My Phone mixtape marks another collaboration between Ms. Badu and 3 Stacks – the ex-lovers who previously collaborated to make OutKast’s “Liberation” and “Humble Mumble", as well as coming together to make their son—Seven Sirius Benjamin.
André 3000 offers a poetic, ballad-like verse that carries the first half of the song with a grown-up view of love. There’s almost a call and response-between the two, giving us a glimpse into what could have been their relationship back in the mid-90s. The rapper buries his player ways in just one line: “Build-A-Bear, build them all, build it where it won’t fall. Give it all, give it my all.”
“Hello” gives us André’s first verse of 2015, and only his fourth since 2012. The remaining verses are the duo’s version of The Isley Brothers‘ 1974 song, “Hello It’s Me.”
6. Frank Ocean - "Pink Matter"
Year: 2012
"If models are made for modelin’/ Thick girls are made for cuddlin’/ Switch worlds and we can huddle then/ Who needs another friend? I need to hold your hand/ You’d need no other man, we’d flee to other lands."
When Frank Ocean dropped his debut studio album, Channel Orange in 2012, it left the internet in shambles. The singer-songwriter teamed up with 3000 for “Pink Matter,” resulting in a perfect, mellow match. “Pink Matter” was one of the standouts on Frank Ocean's Channel Orange, thanks in no small part to André 3000's subtle murmured verse. It's yet another example of André's versatility to captivate - from going from Atlanta funk hip-hop beats to a soulful R&B track.
The song already has a sexy vibe to it but André makes it tangible. With quips like, “She had the kind of body that would probably intimidate any of them that were un-Southern. Not me, cousin,” André speaks for what we call the southern gentleman.
If you love his staggered flow breaks apart words and spaces them out this one is for you. Nothing overwhelming, but Andre blends so well with the unique song that it becomes more impressive.
5. Drake - "The Real Her" feat. Lil' Wayne & Andre 3000
Year: 2011
"Listening to Adele, I feel you baby/ Someone like you, more like someone unlike you/ Or something that’s familiar maybe/ And I can tell that she wants a baby/ And I can yell, girl, that you’re crazy/ Oh what the hell? Nope, can’t be lazy/ Please be careful: b*tches got the rabies."
If Drake would have left André 3000 off of Take Care‘s “The Real Her” it would have been a mistake. I don't know what it is about this verse exactly, but it is strangely captivating. When Andre raps, you can't help but listen closely. It feels like he is saying something important with each breath. Andre takes the spotlight so effortlessly. He is charismatic but blends perfectly with the softer vibe.
With talks of romance over a moody sound and minimal base, we’re back in 3000’s territory alongside the Toronto rapper and his mentor Lil Wayne. Wayne spits a verse that’s a little abrupt for the song — but soon enters 3 Stacks. Past his party days, André 3000 spits lyrics from the vantage point of been there, done that, closing the song warning listeners of partying and empty sex.
4. Frank Ocean - Solo (Reprise)
Year: 2016
"So low that I am no rookie but feel like a kid/ Lookin’ at the other kids/ with astonishment while on punishment/ Watchin’ the summer come close to an end/ After 20 years in, I’m so naive I was under the im-/pression that everyone wrote their own verses."
Four years after "Pink Matter," André and Frank Ocean linked up again for a decidedly different song. "Solo (Reprise)" has some of André's most unique and left-field flows, starting with that opening war cry. His is the only voice that appears on the track, a whirlwind of prescience and takedowns accompanied by deep, often dissonant piano chords.
On Frank Ocean’s highly-anticipated album Blonde, André 3000 kicks off the reprise playfully before shifting gears to a more serious tone along within the beat. He isn’t a stranger to taking digs at other rappers. It’s part of the game. But this time, he’s got his aim on modern rappers and ghost rappers, finishing the reprise with this: “I’m hummin’ and whistlin’ to those not deserving. I’ve stumbled and lived every word. Was I working just way too hard?” Ghostwriting has long been debated among hip-hop heads and used as beef between rappers. André 3000 used “Solo (Reprise)” to let us know his thoughts.
André reportedly wrote the verse back in 2014, but his lyrics are so on point for 2016 that he was accused of calling out artists like Drake.
3. T.I. - "Sorry"
Year: 2012
"Why do we try so hard to be stars, just to dodge comets?"
These two legendary Atlanta rappers are in rare form on “Sorry,” a track on T.I’s Trouble Man album. T.I. unloads during the first two verses, but André steals the show, a fact T.I. readily admitted when talking about the song.
Andre is in rare form here. It's so funny the way his flow commands a track and establishes the vibe more than the beat. He can shape it and shift it so many ways, but they all seem to fit, and he shows 'em all here. In addition to a stellar flow, the content is fascinating. he doesn't come right out and say it, but a lot of this definitely has to do with Outkast. We probably won't ever get a full explanation of the complexities of their relationship and quasi-break-up, so "Sorry" is as good as it's gonna get. It's legendary in that sense and legendary in the sense that Andre leaves it all out there and is so stylish with how he does it.
André's verse requires repeated listening—there's a lot to take in, including an apology to Big Boi, a breakdown of his relationship with Erykah Badu (and their son), and some heartbreaking ruminations on fame.
2. Rick Ross - "Sixteen"
Year: 2012
"I don’t budge, don’t want much, just a roof and a porch/ And a Porsche and a horse and unfortunately but of course/ an assortment of torches that scorches the skin/ When they enter, intruders whose tudors did/ a lousy job/ How’s he God if he lets Lucifer loose on us?"
Pushing the eight-minute mark, André 3000 stretches his emcee ability on Rick Ross' "Sixteen." The verse is incredible, the hook is immortal, the bridge is funky, and even his wailing ad-libs are the stuff of genius. Ross held his own, but giving André over 4 minutes to shine and flex his versatile musical talent has made for perhaps one of his best guest appearances.
With Three Stacks on the hook, interlude, and second verse, it could be easy to forget that it’s actually Rick Ross' song. The collaboration with the Miami rapper came almost a decade after the last Outkast album. So, it was basically guaranteed that a guest verse by André 3000 would be memorable. Over a silky saxophone beat, the rapper takes us through his stream of consciousness, using legendary triple entendres that serve as a reminder of his lyrical prowess.
1. UGK - "Int'l Player's Anthem (I Choose You)" feat. Outkast
Year: 2007
"Don't do it! Reconsider, read some liter/ature on the subject. You sure? F*ck it! You know we got your back like chiroprac-tic."
Before I was an adept hip-hop head, I always kind of slept on Andre's verse. I mean it felt more like an intro than an actual verse and considering how insane the song gets it was easy to look over. Now that I am well versed in the art of 3 Stacks, SWEET BABY JESUS!! This is legendary. It feels more like a poem than a rapped verse. Only Andre could kill a song without even really rapping. I memorized this verse without really ever having to try; it just sticks with you.
Technically this counts as an Outkast feature, but André’s verse is what makes the collab with UGK a forever jam. Right from the jump, 3000 cuts the bass and intros the song acapella over a sample of Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You,” spitting verses that compare holy matrimony with a rocket launching into space. But it turns out that not everyone was impressed with the way 3 Stacks decided to do things, particularly the late Pimp C. According to Jeff Sledge, who worked as an A&R at Jive Records in the 2000s, the UGK founding member was mad that 3 Stacks had taken the drums out of the song for his verse. Now, 3 Stacks’ “Int’l Players Anthem” verse is considered one of — if not his best — guest verses of all time.
Closing Remarks:
Ultimately, though, all of these verses have helped me deepen my appreciation for Andre, an appreciation I didn't think could get much deeper. There's just no way I can include him near the top of any Greatest Alive discussion considering he hasn't released an album or even a full song in years, but verse for verse, word for word, he's just undeniably one of the best to ever touch a mic. So no matter the context, I need to try to appreciate the fact that Andre's still rapping at all. Hip-hop's so much better with him in it, even if just for a couple 16s a year. Sweet baby Jesus, bless André Lauren Benjamin.
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