Frank Ocean new album Blonde: World in awe of Andre 3000’s verse on ‘Solo (Reprise)’

'So-lo that I can give a fuck about what is trending'

(Getty)

I’ll be damned if Andre 3000 isn’t the coolest human being alive. I just imagine him sitting there, drinking jasmine tea on some remote Polynesian island, when a text comes through from Frank Ocean or Kanye West or another world-leading artist like: ‘I need a few bars for this track’.

He hops on the next flight to L.A., lays down unbelievable fire in the booth, then returns to his meditative, bucolic state, not to resurface for another half decade.

This is exactly what happened with Frank’s new album Blonde over the weekend, which features a track given over entirely to Andre.

'Solo (Reprise)' kicks off with his typical playful surrealism - ‘So-lo that I can see under the skirt of an ant’ - before getting real: ‘So-lo that I can give a fuck about what is trending’.

There’s also a dig at modern rappers not writing their own lyrics: ‘I’m so naive I was under the impression that everyone wrote they own verses / It's comin' back different and yea that shit hurts me / I’m hummin' and whistlin' to those not deserving/ I’m stumbled and lived every word, was I working just way too hard?’

This tweet sums it up nicely:

Though plenty more people are in awe of the track.

'Solo (Reprise)' lyrics in full:

Aye, aye, so now I'm

So-lo that I can see under the skirt of an ant

So-lo that I don't get high no more when I "Geronimo!" I just go hit

So-lo my cup is a rojo, my cholo, my friend

So-lo that I can admit

When I hear that another kid is shot by the popo it ain't an event

No more

So-lo that no more high horses, so hard to wear Polo

When I do I cut the pony off, now there's a hole that once was a logo

How fitting

So-lo that I can give a fuck about what is trending

Tryna cut down on my spending

Regardless of winning, instead of pretending

And bending over backwards

Over half of these hoes had work done

Sayin' they want something real from a man

Just saying it, we being real persons

I hate that it's like this, I feel for you Ann

I don't know what it's like with a skirt on

So pardon me if I am being insensitive but darling this only worsens

So-lo my halo, stay way low, it feels like it's bent

So-lo that when they throw pussy on pesos I pay no attention to it

So-lo that I am no rookie but feel like a kid

Lookin' at the other kids

With astonishment while I'm on punishment, watchin' the summer come close to an end

After 20 years in

I'm so naive I was under the impression that everyone wrote they own verses

It's comin' back different and yea that shit hurts me

I'm hummin' and whistlin' to those not deserving

I'm stumbled and lived every word, was I working just way too hard?

As promised, Frank Ocean released two versions of Blonde, and over the weekend explained the thoughts and feelings behind the new album.