RZA Reveals He Previewed André 3000’s Flute Album During the Pandemic: It ‘Was Very Enjoyable to Me’ (Exclusive)

“We ran into each other and spent some time together, and we talked about what we were doing,” RZA, whose new orchestral album is out now, tells PEOPLE

• RZA recalls an encounter with André 3000 during the early days of the pandemic in a new interview with PEOPLE
• The Wu-Tang Clan co-founder reveals he previewed part of the Atlanta rapper’s flute album, New Blue Sun, before it arrived in late 2023
• The legendary producer also says he played André parts of his first-ever classical album, A Ballet Through Mud, out now

Before André 3000 unveiled his all-instrumental, flute-filled album, New Blue Sun, to the world last year, he gave some of his musician friends a brief preview — including Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA.

The legendary producer, 55, reveals to PEOPLE that he and the Atlanta rapper-turned-flutist, 49, ran into one another during the pandemic and played each other songs from their latest albums — RZA’s being his first classical effort, an LP titled A Ballet Through Mud. 

“During COVID, we ran into each other and spent some time together, and we talked about what we were doing,” says the Wu-Tang Clan co-founder. “I was writing this, and he was writing that. And we shared a piece of music together. He was like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing this flute album,’ and then he played me a piece.”

RZA (born Robert Diggs) remembers telling the OutKast rapper about his orchestral album before its release, explaining that he coincidentally had a flute-based track on it named “Freedom of Movement,” which he played for him.

“He was like, ‘Oh, wow, that sounds like classical, whimsical,'” the hip-hop legend says of André’s reaction, adding that, at the time, he found “some semblance” between the pair’s new pivots amid their mostly hip-hop-driven careers.

“We both talked about [our albums] and went on our way and, of course, he did it. He put [New Blue Sun] out,” RZA continues. “And I think the beauty of his is that it didn’t take as many people to translate. That’s the glitch when you’re dealing with an orchestra of 60 people. But when his album came out, it just inspired me to keep going. Like, ‘Yo, I’m going to put mine out as well.'”

Reflecting further on the chance encounter, RZA says it brought him much satisfaction to see that he and André “both lived out” the commitments they made to release their risky instrumental albums. Contrary to fellow rappers and fans who criticized the latter’s decision to record a flute album for his first solo LP, the “C.R.E.A.M.” producer says he was a big fan of it.

“To be quite honest with you, it was very enjoyable to me,” he shares. “It came out around the time when I had just finished [A Ballet Through Mud], and usually when I finish a project, I like to clear my palate and let my mind be free and remove myself from things. I recall playing [New Blue Sun] in my house, me and my wife, for a week. That was kind of like our routine.”

Delving more into his professional relationship with André, RZA recalls their bond going as far back as the “early days” of their careers when they were “in those small clubs” and opening up for fellow rap icons like Ice Cube.

“We knew each other since we was kids,” he says. “At the end of the day, when you look back on it, we always had a really cool, down-to-earth relationship with each other. Not a lot of time with each other, but [we had] this mutual respect like, “Oh, that’s my man, that’s my man,” get together and then keep it moving.”

This fall, André is heading out on his New Blue Sun tour to promote his debut solo album, with stops in New Orleans, Houston, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Atlanta and more cities. The tour will conclude on Nov. 14, just a few days shy of the one-year anniversary of his project.

Meanwhile, RZA’s A Ballet Through Mud hit streaming platforms on Aug. 30 after he first debuted the composition live last year with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra — which also performed on the album itself.

Ahead of his hip-hop group’s next set of September shows for their extended Las Vegas residency, RZA tells PEOPLE that the idea for his latest studio album was birthed from old notebooks he wrote in as a teenager.

“It was really beautiful to come across and read some of those things,” he shares, “and then I said to myself, ‘I need to put music to this. I’ve got to figure it out. I’ve got to tell this story musically.'”