Andre 3000 paid tribute to his longtime collaborator Rico Wade during a performance at the Atlanta Jazz Festival. His late friend passed away at the age of 52 from heart failure, earlier this year. Speaking about their relationship, the Outkast rapper explained the influence Wade had on both his personal life and his music career.
“The last time we were here, we did a residency about five, six shows, and Rico Wade showed up,” he said to the crowd. “Now, one thing y’all don’t know about Rico, Rico Wade…” From there, he got emotional and had to compose himself. “Sorry, y’all. Rico Wade… So Rico Wade made sure my raps were tight. There were times where I would say a rap to Rico in his ears, and he would walk off like, ‘That ain’t good enough.’ So just for a moment, I want y’all to make some noise for King Rico.”
Andre 3000, Big Boi, Rico Wade, & More Pose At ONE MusicFest
“Dungeon Family all day,” he added. “I wouldn’t be here on this stage or able to do any of this. I wouldn’t have the confidence to do any of this if it weren’t for Dungeon Family. They raised me. My family taught me how to dream. Taught me how to dream and go for it. Big Boi taught me how to dream, get at it, and go for it. The Dungeon was the grounds for a lot of things. Our entire thing was to keep pushing, keep stretching out.” The group came together for a cookout in honor of Wade over Memorial Day weekend. Check out his full comments at the festival below.
Andre 3000 Reflects On The Passing Of Rico Wade
Andre isn't the first artist to pay tribute to Wade in the wake of his passing. Other collaborators including Big Boi, Killer Mike, and more have done so as well. Be on the lookout for further updates on Andre 3000 on HotNewHipHop.
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