Andre 3000 and Sexyy Red are superstars on different ends of the spectrum. Andre is an established legend who's trying to expand upon his legacy. Sexyy Red is a rising talent who is still trying to define her legacy within the hip-hop genre. These differences are what will make their joint appearance on HBO's The Shop such a fascinating watch. The two artists will sit down with the Shop hosts on July 11 to talk about their careers and their artistic ambitions.
A teaser from The Shop episode was released on July 9. It sees Sexyy Red address the criticisms that have been leveled at her since she first broke out. "They still don't believe in me, so I'm just gonna show you who I am," she explained. The rapper also talked about the frustration of finding huge success, only to have it be diminished by others. "Ain't nobody doing this," she asserted. Andre 3000 chimes in with support, telling Sexyy Red to use the hatred from others to fuel her creativity. "Use it for fuel," he said. "Hater fuel, man, it's the best sh*t." The Outkast icon noted that negative attention is just free energy from others.
Andre 3000 Urges Sexyy Red To Use Criticism As Fuel
Sexyy Red admitted that she feeds off the negative energy in the same way that Andre 3000 did when he was experimenting with different sounds in the 1990s. Andre incurred similar criticism, in fact, during a different episode of The Shop. LL Cool J recently went on the HBO talk show, and he called out Andre 3000 for making a flute album instead of a rap album. "I need him to spit," LL told Lena Waithe. "Flutes? Man, come on, bro. His bars is all the way up. I’m very clear. Not the flute, B. Not the flute. Don’t do the flute." Ironically, LL's criticisms are the same thing that Andre 3000 claims to benefit from during his Shop teaser.
"That make me go in," Andre revealed. "I love when somebody doubts you." The rapper also noted how important it is to follow your muse, even when it leads to pushback from peers. During the same Shop appearance, he relayed a story in which Pimp C was frustrated with him. The late UGK legend didn't like the way Andre 3000 rapped over "Int'l Player's Anthem," and yet, it's become the most iconic verse on the song. We can't wait to see what else the rapper reveals during the episode.