André 3000's music-video wedding

After the funky, neo-soulful croonings of 2003's The Love Below and the Prohibition-era revivalism of Idewild, André 3000's detour into musical Never Never Land seemed to be nearing completion. It was hard to knock him for evolving beyond his Southernplayalistic roots because he continued to make great music, but there was a lingering sense that eclecticism's gain was emceeing's loss. Then, something remarkable happened. Out of nowhere, Dré steamrolled into 2007 with a series of guest verses that had message boards and blogs across the 'net heralding his return to rap as hip-hop's second coming (listen here and here).

Thankfully, there's now a video to mark this epoch in the evolution of André 3000, which currently sees him reincarnated as some sort of silver-tongued street griot sent from outer space to spread a message of love and joy to his thugged-out compatriots. The video is for UGK's "International Player's Anthem," in which the Southern rap luminaries invite OutKast into a timeless debate about what happens when true love and a pimp's code collide. It's a marriage of talents that few rap fans would argue against. (For more UGK, check out their recent appearance on Dizzee Rascal's ''Where's Da Gs"; Dizzee will return the favor with a collabo on their forthcoming Underground Kingz, due in mid-July).

More reason to give thanks: Bryan Barber — who also directed Idlewild and the Beatles-inspired "Hey Ya" video — does not take the obvious route suggested by the song's title and throw the foursome into a strip club for the afternoon. Instead, he imagines André 3000's wedding, a fittingly bizarre affair with a colorful cast of characters filling the aisles (keep your eyes peeled for Fonzworth Bentley, T-Pain, Don Magic Juan, and a very excited David Banner). How does it all turn out? Watch the video for yourself and then check back in for more after the jump.

The clip begins with a good-humored roasting of André 3000's wedding day attire by his close circle of friends, including Three 6 Mafia's DJ Paul and Juicy J (stars of MTV's reality show Welcome to Hollyhood). As the lovely bride strides down the aisle, André beams cheerfully and begins his offbeat, impressionistic love paean: "So, I typed a text to a girl I used to see/Sayin' that I chose this cutie pie with whom I wanna be/And I apologize if this message gets you down/Then I CC'd every girl that I'd see see round town..." (I hope my wedding vows are that hot!) The playfulness of André's delivery, his clever turns of phrase ("I'm so like a Pip, I'm glad it's night"), and the crooning of Willie Hutch's "I Choose You" in the background provide a perfect musical compliment to the wacky church scene, full of lip-synching groomsman and fur-clad pimps.

As soon as the rings have been exchanged, the drums kick in, and no time is wasted in getting the party started. There's a lot to celebrate: Pimp C somehow manages to dress even more outlandishly than Dré, Bun B offers a candid counterpoint to André's romantic flourishes, and Big Boi expresses his empathy for Paul McCartney's legal woes while two women inexplicably fight in the wedding cake. (Incidentally, it must be tough being André's running mate; Big Boi has also been particularly on-point as of late, dropping great verses on UNK's "Walk It Out Remix" and Rich Boy's "And I Love You," but he often gets washed out in Mr. 3000's technicolor glow.)

While I'm not saying that "International Player's Club" is in anyway an antidote to the rash of misogyny in rap (isn't that a pleasant phrase?), it's definitely a breath of fresh air, and Barber delivers the type of video that makes me fall in love with the genre all over again. Moreover, it makes me realize that I need to befriend some Southern rappers and comedians if I want my wedding party to be awesome. I also need gospel singers and a small child who looks like T.I.

What do you think of André's nuptials, PopWatchers? And what pop culture icons would you most like to invite to your wedding?