André 3000 Talks About His Battle With Fame and Anxiety
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> [André 3000 opens up about life since the “Hey Ya!” days. Link in bio. \[📸 @jason\_nocito\_studio 👔 @mobolajidawodu 📝 @willwelch\]](https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba393c_F2QZ/)
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> A post shared by GQ Style (@gqstyle) on Oct 30, 2017 at 6:51am PDT
André 3000, rap genius and one of the most greatest hip-hop lyricists ever, has kept a low profile in recent years— for reasons he now reveals in his latest interview with _GQ Style_. The Outkast rapper discusses dealing with social anxiety, issues with fame, and why he took a break from the limelight.
In the interview, 3000 opens up about his thoughts on fame and the downfall of having too much attention. He says, “As humans, we want attention. We want to be validated. At the same time, it’s strange attention, and a lot of it. If you have an excess of anything, it becomes strange.”
He then goes on to talk about getting out of his bubble and moving to New York saying, “I was diagnosed with this social thing. I didn’t notice it until I became an entertainer. I don’t know if it’s the shock of all kind of people coming up to you, or the expectations, but I got to this place where it was hard for me to be in public without feeling watched or really nervous.”
3000’s battle with anxiety amplified when Outkast’s album _Speakerboxxx/The Love Below_ was released in 2003. He felt a deep desire to take a break and began to isolate himself from the limelight. Despite his angst, 3000 continues to find a way to create new music with a variety of artists.
Rarely does 3000 release his own music and the occasional times he does appear on a track, he's a guest artist. He’s collaborated with a select group of artists like Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Solange, and Erykah Badu in recent years leaving his distinguishable imprint on each track.
Read full the full article [here](https://www.gq.com/story/andre-3000-outkast-gq-style-interview).
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Written by Knia Cotton
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