Andre 3000 Talks Sly Stone’s ‘Stankonia’ Influence

Andre 3000 discusses Sly Stone’s influence on OutKast’s Stankonia in a clip from Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), Questlove’s documentary about the Family Stone genius that arrives Friday on Hulu.

As Andre 3000 notes in the clip (via Billboard), the cover of the rap duo’s 2000 album was influenced by Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On art.

“To wrap that flag around you is interesting when you see a Black person do it, because you know our version of America is different from the rest of the world’s view of America,” Andre 3000 says. “We’re in America, but then we’re in a Black America too. We’re in two different realities.”

Following its Sundance premiere last month, Sly Lives! hits Hulu on Friday, Feb. 13. “Sly Lives! — that exclamation point is earned — knows it doesn’t need to sell you on dancin’ to the music,” Rolling Stone’s David Fear wrote in his review of the documentary. 

“Yet Questlove & co. would like to put the complete story of the man behind it in context, as well as rescuing him from a narrative that puts its emphasis on the past few erratic decades. The ‘lives’ part isn’t used lightly here, and speaks less to the fact that he’s still around in his 80s and more about the continual vibrancy of an overshadowed legacy.”

Amir “Questlove” Thompson previously said of the film in a statement, “The film explores the life, music, and cultural impact of Sly Stone, shedding light on the challenges faced by Black artists navigating success.”