Killer Mike Saved an André 3000 Verse by Showing Him the Hook

André 3000 made the right decision to stay on an upcoming Killer Mike collaboration after hearing another featured artist on the track. Ahead of his sixth solo album arriving later this month, Killer Mike went to Instagram on Monday (June 5) to detail how the 3000 and Future-assisted song “Scientists & Engineers” came about thanks to musician Eryn Allen Kane. Apparently, the Outkast member was fascinated with Kane’s contribution to the song, which made him want his verse to remain on “Scientists & Engineers.”

“André 3000, he’s in Japan right now as we talk, playing the flute,” Mike explained in a video. “He called me, he’s like, ‘Kill, I don’t know about the song, man. We just got a good rap record, man.’”

“And then Cuz [Lightyear] was like, ‘You sent him the final record?’ I’m like, ‘Nah.’ I sent it over with Eryn’s hook and stuff. He hit back with, ‘Yeah, yeah, you got the record. Who is that?!'”

He added, “So thank you, Eryn, I really appreciate you for that.”

“Scientists & Engineers” will be 3000’s first guest verse in nearly two years, as he last appeared on Kanye West’s “Life of the Party” from 2021 album Donda. A snippet of “Scientists & Engineers” also surfaced online after a listening party for Killer Mike’s upcoming album Michael in New York.

Along with Michael, Killer Mike will reconnect with El-P as part of hip-hop duo Run the Jewels for a 10th anniversary tour in Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles this fall.