http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1490806/20040907/outkast.jhtml?headlines=true

If Andre 3000 looked like an alien rubbing shoulders with Republicans at their convention last week, just wait until you see him in "Prototype," Outkast's new video, which premieres on "TRL" Wednesday.

In the clip, which is Dre's directorial debut, he plays an interstellar traveler who lands on Earth with his family and becomes smitten with a girl from our world. As the girl finds out, on Andre's planet, a kiss — especially a French kiss — is much more than just a kiss.

"I have to make the decision of, 'Do I stay here on Earth or do I go to my home planet?,' " Dre said last week in New York. "On Proto — that's where I'm from — you can get people pregnant from kissing for a long time."

As you might've guessed, 3000 and the earthly being make out, and she winds up with a big ol' belly. Hence the dilemma: He wants to be a father to his child, and as the song goes, he's in love again.

"My father comes over and changes me from Proto to human," he added. "We have the first-ever Proto/human baby. So check it out" (see "Outkast Tell Otherworldly Love Story In 'Prototype' Clip").

Dre's partner, Big Boi, is also locking down plans to shoot his own clip. Big's next video, according to his partner, will be for "Ghetto Musick." "We're working on concepts, trying to get it together," Dre said.

A few months ago, it was Big Boi talking up his running mate to MTV News. He told us to look out because, unlike The Love Below LP, Andre was focusing on ripping raps again as the duo prepare the soundtrack to their HBO original film (see "Outkast's Film Career Coming Into Focus") as well as a proper 'Kast album.

"I've never stopped rapping," Andre insisted. "An album like The Love Below, it was something that needed to be put out in order to put whatever is next out. I couldn't move forward until these songs were out. I guess what I was going through in my life, there was a lot of melody in my head. There's still a lot of melody in my head, and I don't know when the rhymes will come. But I never stopped rhyming."

3000 said he keeps notes and ideas in his Blackberry, which he jokingly refers to as the "Crackberry."

"I'm trying to create a new sound," he said. "I think that will spark some raps. But right now, there's nothing really exciting me, no inspiration. I don't know. But we're working on new albums right now. not Speakerboxx and The Love Below, but not Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik music either. So stay tuned."

Both new Outkast albums should come out in 2005. The soundtrack is first on tap, slated for a spring release.

"Prototype" is my favorite track from TLB and I'm glad he's putting it out there.