As large-scale demonstrations persist across the country protesting police brutality and the murder of George Floyd, many musicians have used their platforms to raise funds and call for change. Billie Eilish recently joined Tyler The Creator in successfully pressuring The Recording Academy to remove their “urban” category, John Legend has offered an explainer on what it means to defund police, and Kanye West donated $2 million to start a college fund for George Floyd’s daughter. Now, Andre 3000 is doing what he can to benefit Black Lives Matter through a new merch campaign.
Andre 3000, who had been previously spotted walking around airports playing the flute, is focusing his energy on a line of merch. The limited-edition t-shirt line was inspired by the jumpsuits he designed and wore during Outkast’s 2014 reunion tour. The thought-provoking jumpsuit has a large “sold” tag attached to the side and block letters adorned on the front read: “across cultures, darker people suffer most. why?”
The musician’s new line of merch features similar phrases. Fans are able to purchase shirts with phrases that read, “i pray there’s a god that can end all this,” “ok, hand over the cure and stop playing,” and “can one rest in peace & violence?” Andre 3000 has committed to donating 100 percent of the proceeds from the merch line to the organization Black Lives Matter.
In a statement on his website, Andre 3000 commended the Black Lives Matter movement:
“Something very important is happening all over the world and it is happening to all of us. How does it make you feel?
For 3 days, a selection of shirts inspired by a collection of my jumpsuits will be sold and 100% of net proceeds will be donated to Movement for Black Lives to aid in their fight to end police brutality & racial injustice against Black people. This is only one piece in the war against systemic racism. It takes all of us. BLACK LIVES MATTER … at a minimum.”
Find Andre 3000’s full line of limited-edition shirts here.