André 3000’s New Album Sparks Rumors of Flute Contribution to Future’s “Mask Off”
André 3000, once renowned as one-half of the iconic Outkast duo, has recently made waves with the release of his solo album, New Blue Sun, on November 17. The instrumental-focused album, a solo project 17 years in the making, has received widespread praise, even though it deviates from the expected rap genre.
Amid the reactions to “New Blue Sun,” a curious rumor emerged regarding André 3000’s involvement in Future’s hit track, “Mask Off.” On November 19, several outlets picked up on a comment from Metro Boomin, the producer behind “Mask Off” from Future’s 2017 self-titled album. A tweet from OnThinIce on X suggested that Metro Boomin revealed, “André 3000 played the flute on the intro of ‘Mask Off’ [flame emoji, flute emoji].” Subsequent user comments clarified that Metro Boomin’s statement was intended as a joke and that the flute in “Mask Off” is part of the sample, not André 3000’s direct contribution.
Adding to the confusion, Metro Boomin commented on Complex’s Instagram post featuring a video in which he claims that André played the flute on “Mask Off” before playing the track. Although Complex initially framed it as André 3000’s involvement, Metro Boomin swiftly debunked this in the comments, expressing disbelief at the news outlet’s credibility.
To dispel any lingering uncertainties, listeners can turn to eight tracks from “New Blue Sun” to experience André 3000’s flute-playing prowess.
