Andre 3000 is somebody who lives his life to the fullest, whether he’s making some of the most memorable music of his era or serenading strangers with his flute. There was one incident during his childhood, though, that Andre has described as being potentially fatal.
He was interviewed for journalist Mike Ayers’ upcoming book One Last Song, and he told a story of a car accident he was involved in as a kid and how a stranger may have helped save his life:
“When I was younger, me and my friend were in a car accident. We were riding with my friend’s mom, but we were so young, we didn’t know what happened until we woke up in the hospital. I didn’t know, I was a kid. We were on this street in Atlanta and it was a non-busy street, and fortunately, this guy who had money passed by, and he had one of the first working cell phones. It was like a suitcase. And he was able to call an ambulance. If we didn’t have that cell phone, we would have been out there for a minute and might have died. Who knows. I don’t know if that’s a near-death experience, but I was definitely lucky.”
The story came up as Andre was explaining the personal significance of the Prince song “Sometimes It Snows In April,” which he associates with the car accidents and the deaths of his mother and stepfather. He said, “When I was younger, I heard ‘Sometimes It Snows in April’ by Prince. That was always a song that summed up what it is. Usually, when someone dies, unless they die of old age or sickness — it happens in a strange way. Both of my parents are gone and they both died early. Just out of the blue, when I least expected it.”
Meanwhile, fans are always clamoring for new music from the rapper, but he’s not sure if he’ll ever make another album.