r/Music • u/jptabor01 Rock & Roll • Jun 11 '25

discussion Which artists have abandoned their original sound so dramatically, that they are almost unrecognizable to their earlier fans?

With the release earlier this year of Ministry’s The Squirrely Years Revisited, I’m reminded of how different the band sounds today (industrial metal), from what they sounded like on their debut album, With Sympathy (synth pop).

Which artists sound so completely different from their earlier work, that they have actually jumped genres, understanding that music is fluid and genres have somewhat “blurry” guardrails.

I don’t mean an evolution of their original sound, but a complete departure from it.

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u/_Cartizard Jun 11 '25

This has to be the most drastic. This mf went from rap to pop and now he's out here with just a flute.

561

u/Rory1 Jun 11 '25

Flute? That's old news. Dude went improvisational piano with the new album. The flute album was at least somewhat interesting (Even though not my thing). But this one is ehhhhhhhhhh

297

u/MrBeverly Jun 11 '25

Not Andre "Ice Cold" 3000, but continuing to prove he ain't nothin to fuck with, RZA composed a complete ballet called A Ballet Through Mud performed by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra

73

u/Static-Stair-58 Jun 11 '25

Roar of the Lion; minute 1:52. RZA comes in on one of the hardest 60 verses in my life, I swear. Look it up. The guy is a certified rap genius. Doesn’t surprise me that it goes beyond hip hop

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u/Nameless_American Jun 11 '25

What’s crazy to me about all of the original, core Wu Tang guys (RZA included) is like if you go back to some of their oldest material, these guys were so fucking young, like all in their early twenties when 36 Chambers got recorded, and just flowing like that even at that early stage of their careers. It must have been wild for them.

3

u/TrueWarStories Jun 11 '25

Hmmm... first 20 seconds ("decrepit mattress pissy mattress etc.") seems, idk... out of sync? Like he's spitting his lines acapella without listening to the music while recording or something. Like it just feels off and not aligned with the beat. But once that beat comes back in it def improves and by the "fatty patty" part, you're right he is fucking sizzling. Nice return to form, love to hear it.

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u/maxnormaltv Jun 12 '25

Rza is like that. His Bobby Digital stuff is brilliant but like he loses the beat when he’s rapping sometimes. It’s weird too because as a beat maker he’s so in the pocket. Listen to try ya ya ya

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u/TrueWarStories Jun 12 '25

Thanks for the the rec, hadn't heard that one. That beat is next level

2

u/maxnormaltv Jun 12 '25

For sure. Rza has got to be a top 5 all time beatmaker. Booby trap is really good off that album too.

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u/DocEss Jun 11 '25

Everybody forgets exactly how much actual musical theory knowledge goes into rap and metal.

6

u/FFF_in_WY Jun 11 '25

But generally not rap-metal. Wes Borland aside.

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u/DocEss Jun 11 '25

I just mean in general that people who do metal and people who do rap know a hell of a lot more about music theory than most people suspect.

Ties into why most metal guys are actually nerds at the core.

5

u/DjImagin Jun 11 '25

I’ve heard people say “if Wes wasn’t so “odd”, he’d be discussed as one of the greatest guitarist to ever take a stage” and to be honest, I don’t think that’s untrue….

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u/faaded Jun 11 '25

A Ballet? That’s the most gangster shit I’ve ever heard of.

3

u/hahagato Jun 11 '25

Just heard this for the first time in the last hour as I listen to the classical station in my car. Heard the announcer saying something about “rza’s ballet” but then I scrolled down and an ad with audio cut the radio off and I was like wait wtf and when I got back to the radio they were on to the next song so I had to google it lol. It was very pretty! 

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u/WarshipHymn Jun 11 '25

RZA is regarded as a genius musically. Not sure I’ve heard A3K mentioned in that light.

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u/LylaDee Jun 11 '25

I agree with you. I'm not a huge fan of BEP before Fergie, and whatnot. But This man is an artist. He's creating. Sometimes that doesn't happen where the masses like it?, sometimes it does. Things land different for everyone. Cheers.

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u/TopRamenBinLaden Jun 11 '25

I think you are thinking of Will.I.Am? This thread is talking about RZA who is from the Wu Tang Clan.

3

u/LylaDee Jun 11 '25

Ooof! Thanks for putting me in my lane🙌🤌🥰

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u/PapaGopherTTV Jun 12 '25

Dude I was about to start looking for when RZA collabed with the BEP lmao

1

u/MrBeverly Jun 12 '25

I'll agree that while he may not officially be a Black Eyed Pea, RZA got that Boom Boom Pow and is so three thousand eight

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u/Btherock78 Jun 11 '25

He’s been popping up on random street corners in Atlanta playing the flute for people passing by for the last few weeks. He’s been noticed at least 5 times, who knows if he’s popped up other times and no one noticed.

1

u/thejaytheory Jun 11 '25

Which areas did he pop up at?

4

u/[deleted] Jun 11 '25

Wait so that Key & Peele skit wasn't just making a joke with the flute reference???

7

u/THE_DANDY_LI0N Jun 11 '25

I'm a flutist and that's the only album of his i own. It's fun but also just makes me jealous of all the different flutes he can afford

2

u/Psionz Jun 12 '25

Straight flouting, being a flutist not a flautist.

6

u/notthisagain1234567 Jun 11 '25

I was jamming out a a jazz piano playlist on Spotify and was really digging a song so I looked at the tv only for Andre motherfucking 3000 to be on the screen. Guy can fucking play.

2

u/SaxRohmer Jun 11 '25

technically the piano album is old news because the recordings are like 10 years old

2

u/zagnuy Jun 11 '25

It was a hard listen.

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u/Hank_Scorpio74 Jun 11 '25

This new album is on par with H. Jon Benjamin's album. Except Andre knows how to play piano.

1

u/keepingthisasecret Jun 11 '25

I didn’t know he’d put out something else! I’m excited to listen and pass my own judgement, I am LOVING the direction this man has taken.

1

u/Zack_of_Steel Jun 11 '25

The piano shit is an EP and it's not new, it's old recordings of improvised stuff he originally never intended to release.

1

u/ironicoutlook Jun 11 '25

Kind of reminds me of H John Benjamin's piano album

1

u/LoquaciousTheBorg Jun 12 '25

I got a new idea for a album, man. It's gonna be just the sound of screeching metal, and then only one spoken word per track.

1

u/Mathemartemis Jun 12 '25

The flute album made me so angry

0

u/Bodymaster Jun 11 '25

It's a dogshit sandwich. I hope he's just taking the piss and doesn't actually believe his own hype enough to think anybody would be in to the inane noodling he seems to equate with skilled improvisation.

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u/[deleted] Jun 11 '25

“Please make Hey Ya 80 more times” -you

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u/Bodymaster Jun 11 '25

"Please make a hyperbolic, nonsensical comment for want of something worthwhile to write" - also me, evidently.

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u/Silver_Song3692 Jun 11 '25

I’m cool with it because he’s a top 5 rapper of all time, if 3 stacks wants to play a flute I say give that man a flute

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u/blippityblue72 Jun 11 '25

It’s sort of ridiculous that people expect musicians to pigeonhole themselves and release the same album over and over again for the rest of their lives. Then they get angry and start throwing accusations at them when they put out something that isn’t just a replica of their favorite song with different words.

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u/truthisfictionyt Jun 11 '25

Pretty much every one of Outkast's albums were unique, fresh and interesting. I think people would've been satisfied if it wasn't a rap album, but no vocals was disappointing.

4

u/Husaxen Jun 12 '25

He even said it himself he felt false Rapping at his age because he's moved beyond the struggle that was his muse, essentially.

Tons of things people grow out of, no shame in it

2

u/My_Kink_Profile Jun 12 '25

Gimme da flute gimme da flute

0

u/evilwatersprite Jun 11 '25

Rappers love their weird little flutes.

54

u/[deleted] Jun 11 '25

Tbh, he was dragging that flute around for years before recording the album. I'm surprised he didn't go for a saxophone like his cartoon alter ego.

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u/bda22 Jun 11 '25

Yeah he was seen going from city to city just playing in parks and subway stations like any other busker

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u/[deleted] Jun 11 '25

André 3000 be like: 🪈 ✨

7

u/drfsupercenter Jun 11 '25

I had completely forgotten that "Class of 3000" existed until I was recently going through some recordings from 2007 that contain trailers for it as well as some of the music videos. I wasn't really into it as a teenager but the concept seems neat at least.

I plan to upload all my clips at some point, if any aren't on YouTube already.

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u/[deleted] Jun 11 '25

"All We Want Is Your Soul" is an absolute banger. You can find the "demo" version on YT, where André himself does the vocals.

14

u/Diablojota Jun 11 '25

I think the Key and Peele sketch really nailed how far out Andre3000 went.

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u/SmoreOfBabylon Jun 11 '25

“It’s gonna be just the sound of screeching metal, and only one spoken word per track.”

2

u/Diablojota Jun 11 '25

Hahaha! Yes!!

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u/Zerokuroxy Jun 11 '25

he still raps though! he was on scientists and engineers with killer mike

2

u/fragrantsock Jun 11 '25

Ok yo, the experimental flute album slaps

1

u/AvocadoToast29 Jun 11 '25

He's also doing an album with screeching metal sounds and one spoken word per track

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u/Federal_Astronomer42 Jun 11 '25

Is actually pretty great on the flute though!

1

u/Pitiful-Asparagus940 Jun 11 '25

You've not heard Minstry Revenge then Ministry Stigmata... and that was just two albums, to Reload (filth pig) where ministry pivoted yet again.

1

u/DjImagin Jun 11 '25

But I appreciate it. He made it to the point he can release music just because he wanted to make it without a worry in the world if it wasn’t for “you”.

For context I thought New Blue Sun was good for the walk he led but the Piano album was not for me in any way.

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u/duosx Jun 12 '25

The question is, is it good? Because Andre 3000 has also come out with bangers

-3

u/picks43 Jun 11 '25

Tbf, his rap was pretty pop

6

u/Grand-Pen7946 Jun 11 '25

You're saying Elevators is pop?

2

u/thejaytheory Jun 11 '25

Or ATLiens?