February 29, 2008

Andre 3000 Says He Didn't Even Try To Top Will Ferrell's Comic Chops On Semi-Pro Set

By Shawn Adler (MTV.com)

He's got the dopest moves on the dance floor and a rhythm most would kill for - so how in the world could Andre 3000 ever be schooled by two white boys from the 'burbs?

"To be honest, I'm probably the worst player out [there]," Andre laughed of his role as Coffee Black in Semi-Pro, a new basketball comedy he stars in alongside Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson. "I mean, I'm quick, I can dribble, I can move around. I just have never sat down and gotten my shot together.

"But I can go to the hole pretty good!" he added, smiling.

It's a finisher's instinct Andre knows well, and has mastered of late with a wide range of projects from a cartoon series to a movie career to another record - making him the go-to guy when you want just the right final touch, no matter what the medium.

For Benjamin, it's about knowing his role on and off the court, and more than anything, that means learning how to defer, he said - especially when you're competing for laughs with Will Ferrell.

"I don't think that Coffee Black was an outrageously funny man," he said. "So, you know, I was in a comedy movie, but I wasn't like a comic - I mean, you can't lose with Will Ferrell!"

It's a technique of invisible contribution he learned as part of the power duo Outkast, and one he's about to revisit with a guest spot on John Legend's new album, he revealed. For fans of Legend, the album presents a different sound than they're used to, Andre said.

"It's going to be a surprise for a lot of John Legend fans, because it is a lot more upbeat than John is - than people think John is," Andre insisted. "I was actually happy to hear it. This is a cool John Legend song."

The song will be called "Green Light" or "Ready to Go," Andre said.

While Andre has learned to share the spotlight, he's finally getting ready for his close-up, he smiled, with a solo album due in the fall. After that hits, he plans to reunite with Big Boi for another Outkast album.

By his own admission, Andre hasn't laid down tracks for either album. Only two songs have been conceived, and both exist only "in my head," he said.

No worries, he calmly said - it's the finish line that counts.

"After I finish promoting Semi-Pro, I'm going to the studio and kind of staying in there for a while," he promised. "[I'll] bang out something!"