ATLANTA — André 3000 floats to the tune of his own key. Quite literally.

A week after Outkast was announced as Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, the Atlanta rapper, flutist and now pianist has yet to address the honor publicly.

Instead, on Monday night, he dropped new music — moments before appearing on the Met Gala red carpet. “7 Piano Sketches,” his surprise EP, is seven tracks of solo piano recordings. To highlight the project, André 3000 wore a grand piano on his back as part of his Met Gala look.

“Warning: no bars,” he wrote of the project on Instagram. “These piano sketches are improvisations. To conjure them up, I spread my fingers out on the keys and randomly but with purpose move them around until I find something that feels good or interesting. If it feels really good I will try to repeat it. I cannot name which notes, keys or chords that I’m playing. I simply like the sound and mechanics of piano playing.”

The beginnings of “7 Piano Sketches” were formed nearly a decade ago while the Grammy winner stayed at a Texas home that only had a piano, beds and a TV. All of the tracks, except “Blueberries” (which was created in a studio), were either recorded with his iPhone or his laptop microphone.

André 3000 felt that spring, given its symbolism of renewal, provided the right opportunity to release new music, according to a news release.

The project’s lack of lyrics inspired its original title: “The Best Worst Rap Album in History.”

“It’s jokingly the worst rap album in history because there are no lyrics on it at all,” he shared. “It’s the best because it’s the free-est emotionally and best I’ve felt personally. It’s the best because it’s like a palette cleanser for me.”

The Atlanta native’s Met Gala look re-created the project’s cover art, putting his own twist on this year’s theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” Styled by Law Roach, André 3000 hit Monday night’s red carpet in a navy blue jumpsuit designed by Burberry in collaboration with his line Benji Bixby — teasing a revival of the former line Benjamin Bixby, which André ran in the early aughts.

His accessories included the grand piano on his back and a trash bag he held in his right hand. Monday was his first time attending the Met Gala since 2008.

André 3000 was one of several Atlanta artists to appear at this year’s gala, joining Future, Usher, Ciara, Tyler Perry and Halle Bailey.

“7 Piano Sketches” is the follow-up to 2023’s flute album “New Blue Sun,” which earned him three Grammy nominations.

This weekend, he’ll receive an honorary degree from Berklee College of Music, and in November, he and Big Boi will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

©2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.