3 Fire in the Booth: Andre 3000 is Frankenstein on “DoYaThing”

By: Thomas Rodriguez Date: 7/22/20

Andre 3000 is hip-hop’s equivalent to Dr. Frankenstein.

If you think about where the Atlanta legend Andre Benjamin (better known as Andre 3000) has been in his career, nothing makes sense. He’s gone from a straightforward Southern pimp, to an alien, to an eccentric hip-hop crooner, to a futuristic love guru, and finally to a reclusive sage playing the flute in the airport. Much like Dr. Frankenstein, he pulls together random, incongruous aspects of artistry and celebrity and forms his own kaleidoscopic ethos.

In other words, you never know what to expect from him, but you can always expect something legendary. While few may remember (or even recognize) his contribution to the Gorillaz and James Murphy song “DoYaThing,” let it be known that his participation on this song is one of the most bizarre, exhilarating, and fascinating in his historic career.

The Setting: A Recipe for Disaster Mashing pop-collective Gorillaz, electronics mastermind James Murphy, and a Southern veteran sounds like a catastrophe waiting to happen. The collaboration

1 came about as a part of Reebok’s “Three Artists One Song” promotion, wherein three random artists are tapped to work together for a unique musical experience. The melancholic work of Gorillaz already seems to clash with the upbeat mindset of James Murphy’s style of electronics; adding a wordy rapper to the equation seems to add extra weight to a track sagging under its own weight.

And yet, things went off without a hitch. The song is decidedly electronic, buzzing with quirky synths, rapid percussion, and bizarre tones bouncing across the mix. Gorillaz vocalist Damon Albarn’s own listless verses continue the eccentricity of the song, speaking about nothing and everything simultaneously with oddball imagery. James Murphy’s hook is equally strange, almost childlike in its repetitive but upbeat nature.

But this song belongs to Three Stacks, as soon as he enters. The stage is set for his ubiquitous persona to break into the studio and shine as a wordsmith. But he doesn’t just break through the door.

Bringing Down the Whole House

Andre 3000 can rap his ass off. As soon as his nasal voice bursts into the mix, the song takes a subtle shift to focus entirely on his voice, and what he has to say. And he does his damn thing.

One of the most underrated skills in hip-hop is the ability to transition from one subject to another between lines and bars. So many verses seem scattershot, jerking the listener around from one topic to another in an illogical manner. It’s almost like turning a car after screeching the brakes. Dre’s songwriting, however, is smooth and incredibly precise. His car never stops. It only glides.

“Rap ain't nothing but the art of talkin' shit My girl look pretty up there riding d*** My plaid past, my solid future Asinine ass and a gorgeous coochie

2 I'm an OutKast but you're into me

Summer got mad cause the winter blew me”

His skill level as a writer is cocky, self-aware of his age and oddity but ready to brawl. His entire verse is about a minute long, but it’s loaded with so many memorable lines that it stacks up against any five-minute joint. What furthers the verse even more is his energy: he demolishes the beat with the speed of his rapping with every word a bullet in his lyrical machine gun. Few artists can match the speed with which he raps while still keeping the flow engaging. He picks up a flow and drops it like it was nothing, pushing forward for greatness in his actions and bars.

How come it be, some lame ass n**** talking about "Ah, he don't rap enough" But y'all rap a lot and I'm like "Wrap it up, hoe" You ain't Scarface, you ain't Willie D You ain't Bushwick, you ain't killin' me Better play with your motherfuckin' momma Bet you still stay with your motherfuckin' momma Keep sleeping on me, I'ma rock my pajamas In the daytime, I swear, I promise Dare a nigga say something, tear a nigga face off How come Blacks don't play baseball?

He questions himself and is aware of his own flaws while still carrying forward. He feels like the shit, but unlike his hit-song “Roses,” it doesn’t stink.

3 But the song is only just beginning. This is a 13-minute song after all.

I’m the Shit

Note: For those listening, the remainder of the song becomes extremely abrasive and experimental. Volume should be taken into account for your listening purposes.

Threestacks has always been an expert at matching the vibe of the instrumental and keeping up with the beat. As “DoYaThing” progresses, the beat becomes almost overbearing. The guitars are pummeling the mix and screaming with a ferocity that Death Grips fans would cherish.

And Andre is screaming his brains out, shouting mostly three words: “I’m the shit.”

I could even take keys on y'all! I can even make it a hundred degrees on y'all, I'm the shit!

After hearing his masterful verse, it’s easy to accept his statement, but what makes this so much more impactful is his presentation. He shouts like a punk rocker with every breath a dive into the mosh pit. The beat isn’t kicking his ass; he’s kicking the beat’s ass. As he dives into this experimental aesthetic, he simultaneously keeps his cool and completely abandons it.

Sometimes I feel like the shit Sometimes I feel like the shit, sometimes I feel like I'm shit Sometimes I wanna stand for somethin', then sometimes wanna sit I didn't really plan on cussin', but sometime it just slip

This all continues for the duration of the song, building to a fever pitch and commencing on a depressive, almost regretful repetition of the above verse. Andre 3000 is more than just a master MC: he’s the embodiment of what music can become. It can be cool, hot, fast, slow, wild and controlled. What makes this performance so legendary isn’t necessarily his punkish refrains or cunning verse; it’s how he makes every moment seem simultaneously planned and spontaneous. None of it sounds like it would work, but it manages to surpass all expectations. It’s 4 a Frankenstein of musical ideas and tones, but that is what Threestacks is. He takes an unlikely combination to every verse, yet makes his part of the song essential to what it represents.

He is, indeed, the shit.

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