OutKast’s Andre 3000 Returns With Beatles Cover
After a long break from music, OutKast’s Andre 3000 resurfaced during the NBA Finals by covering the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine closing track “All Together Now” for Nike’s latest Kobe Bryant commercial. In the minute-long clip, Nike traces NBA history, juxtaposing four-time champion Bryant alongside the greats like Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and Patrick Ewing. But hearing Andre 3K’s voice again after a long hiatus is the real draw as the Atlanta rapper adds a little “Hey Ya!” bounce to the Beatles’ sing-along.
The Nike site hosting the ad didn’t indicate whether an unabridged version of Andre 3000’s “All Together Now” will be released as a download in the future. Despite a handful of high-profile cameos in recent years — verses on Big Boi’s “Royal Flush” and John Legend’s “Green Light,” to name a few — Andre 3000 hasn’t graced an album in full since OutKast’s 2006 Idlewild soundtrack. However, Andre will reportedly rejoin his OutKast partner Big Boi on a number of tracks on Boi’s upcoming album Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. Big Boi, on the other hand, has been everywhere in the weeks before Sir Luscious Left Foot‘s release, recently unveiling his awesome neon-and-puppet-packed video for “Shutterbug.”
Nike isn’t the only sporting goods company to unveil a brand new commercial with musical talent: In the new Adidas ad below, Daft Punk, Noel Gallagher, the Stone Roses’ Ian Brown and Snoop Dogg all frequent the cantina from the original Star Wars to hilarious effect. The mysterious and silent Daft Punk adopt the role of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi bartering with Han Solo for use of the Millennium Falcon while Snoop Dogg, light saber in hand, deals with some aliens who get up in his face. Somehow David Beckham shows up for the final punch line and to return this intergalactic ad and spot-on homage back to its World Cup theme.
