André 3000 Turns ‘Piano Sketches’ Into Short Film

Just over a year after releasing the meditative instrumental EP 7 piano sketches, André 3000 has expanded the project into a short film.

The Outkast co-founder’s 7 piano sketches is now streaming exclusively on MUBI. Written by André and filmmaker Graham Mason, who also directed the project, the film is inspired by and set to the music of the 2025 EP, which arrived as a companion piece to the artist’s Grammy-nominated New Blue Sun era.

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The film follows André on a surreal commute, carrying a piano strapped to his back and a notebook filled with sketches. Along the way, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters whose identities and interactions echo the music he carries with him. According to its creators, the film serves as an ode to art, connection and the human experience, balancing the comedic sensibilities of silent films with a more introspective meditation on time, creativity and loss.

7 piano sketches grew out of recordings and ideas André began nearly a decade ago while staying with his son in a sparsely furnished Texas house containing little more than beds, televisions and a piano. Several pieces predated New Blue Sun, the acclaimed 2023 album that earned three Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year.

When the EP arrived last year, André joked that its original title was 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 said. “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.”

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