André 3000 recently opened up about the unexpected release of his collaborative track with Kanye West, Life of the Party, which was leaked by Drake after initially being removed from West’s Donda album. The 49-year-old rapper shared his thoughts on the incident during an appearance on The New York Times podcast.
Reflecting on the surprise release, André 3000 admitted his confusion. “I was like, ‘Woah!’ I actually don’t understand why he did it… I kind of have to thank Drake for letting that song see the light of day,” he said, expressing mixed feelings about the track’s unplanned exposure to the public.
The song was originally recorded for Kanye West’s 10th studio album, Donda, but it was left off the final tracklist. According to André 3000, the exclusion of the track was a mutual decision made with West. The two artists, both having experienced the loss of their mothers, felt it would be best to omit André’s verse, which contained explicit language, out of respect for their shared grief and West’s vision for the album.
West’s dedication of Donda to his late mother, Donda West, was an important theme throughout the album, and André 3000’s mother also passed away in 2013. With these personal losses in mind, the decision was made to exclude the verse in order to maintain the tone and emotional intent of the album.
Although Life of the Party was initially left out of the official Donda release, the track later appeared on the deluxe version of the album, much to the excitement of fans. However, the leak by Drake, during his SiriusXM radio show, created a stir in the hip-hop community and brought the song to the public ahead of its official inclusion.
Despite the unconventional release, André 3000 seemed to accept the circumstances, expressing gratitude for the song’s eventual exposure to listeners, even if it came about through an unexpected route.