The group's original musical style was a mixture of Dirty South and G-Funk. Since then funk, soul, pop, electronic music, rock, spoken word poetry, jazz, and blues have been added to the group's musical palette. The duo consists of Atlanta native André "Andre 3000" Benjamin (formerly known as Dré) and Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is one of only four hip-hop albums to be certified Diamond in the U.S. for shipping over 10 million units. Along with Outkast's commercial success, they have maintained an experimental approach in their music and are widely praised for their originality and artistic content.
Benjamin and Patton met while attending Tri-Cities High School, a Visual and Performing Arts School. Benjamin's parents were divorced and he was living with his father. Meanwhile, Patton had to move with his four brothers and six sisters from Savannah to Atlanta. Benjamin and Patton eventually teamed up and were pursued by Organized Noize, a group of local producers who would later make hits for TLC. The duo initially wanted to be called "2 Shades Deep" or "The Misfits", but because those names were already taken they later decided to use "OutKast" based on finding "outcast" as synonym for "misfit" in a dictionary. OutKast, Organized Noize, and schoolmates Goodie Mob formed the nucleus of the Dungeon Family organization.
OutKast signed to LaFace Records in 1992, becoming the label's first hip hop act and making their first appearance on the remix of label mate TLC's "What About Your Friends". In 1993, they released their first single, "Player's Ball". The song's funky style, much of it accomplished with live instrumentation, was a hit with audiences. "Player's Ball" hit number-one on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart.
Their debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, was issued on April 26th, 1994. This initial effort is credited with laying the foundation for southern hip hop and is considered a classic by many hip hop aficionados. Every track on Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik was produced by Organized Noize and featured other members of the Dungeon Family. Follow-up singles included the title track and "Git Up Git Out", a politically charged collaboration with Goodie Mob that was later sampled by Macy Gray for her 1999 hit "Do Something." On this early material, both André and Big Boi contrast lyrical content reflecting the lifestyles of pimps and gangsters with politically conscious material commenting on the status of African Americans in the South. OutKast won Best New Rap Group at the Source Awards in 1995. In the same year, the group contributed "Benz or a Beamer" to the popular New Jersey Drive soundtrack.
ATLiens was OutKast's second album, released on August 27th, 1996. The album exhibited more self-consciousness, and further solidified OutKast as the flagship representatives of the 1st generation Dungeon Family and the Southern hip hop movement. The album helped the group earn more recognition among East Coast hip hop fans in the East and West coasts.
For this album, OutKast joined with partner David "Mr. DJ" Sheats to form the Earthtone III production company, which allowed the group to produce some of their own tracks. "ATLiens" was the group's second Top 40 single (following "Player's Ball" from their first album), and reflected the beginning of André's increasingly sober lifestyle: "No drugs or alcohol/so I can get the signal clear," he rhymes about himself. "Elevators (Me & You)," OutKast's first self-produced single, became the group's first Top 20 hit the same year.
OutKast's third album Aquemini was released on September 29, 1998 and also reached the number-two position on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States; its title was a combination of the zodiac signs of Big Boi (an Aquarius) and André (a Gemini). The album was widely praised as possibly the group's best material to date: when reviewed by popular hip-hop publication The Source, it received the much-coveted "5 Mics" (out of five) rating.
Producing more material themselves, both Big Boi and André explored more eclectic subject matter, delving into sounds inspired by soul, trip hop, and electro music. The album featured production by Organized Noize and collaborations with Raekwon, funk pioneer and musical forebear George Clinton, and Goodie Mob.
In 1999, OutKast and LaFace Records were sued by Rosa Parks over the album's most successful radio single, which bore Parks' name as its title. The lawsuit alleged that the song misappropriated Parks' name, and also objected to some of the song's obscene language.
The song's lyrics were largely unrelated to Parks, save for a line in the chorus: "Ah ha, hush that fuss / Everybody move to the back of the bus". The song, which OutKast maintained was intended partly as homage, only refers to Parks as a metaphor: the purpose of the song's chorus is to imply that OutKast is overturning hip hop's old order, that people should make way for a new style and sound. The initial lawsuit was dismissed. Parks' representation hired lawyer Johnnie Cochran to appeal the decision in 2001, but the appeal was denied on First Amendment grounds. In 2003, the Supreme Court allowed Parks' lawyers to proceed with the lawsuit.
In 2004, the judge in the case appointed an impartial representative for Parks after her family expressed concerns that her caretakers and her lawyers were pursuing the case based on their own financial interest. Later that same year, the members of OutKast were dropped as co-defendants, and Parks' lawyers continued to seek action against LaFace and parent company BMG. In 2003 André told UK journalist Angus Batey that, following a Detroit concert in the midst of the legal battle, relatives of Parks had approached him and implied that the case was less to do with Rosa than with the lawyers. The suit was finally settled on April 14, 2005, with neither OutKast nor their label having to admit any wrongdoing. The group did, however, have to agree to perform some sort of tribute to Parks.
Originally titled "Sandbox", the pair's fourth album, "Stankonia", was released in October 2000 to excellent reviews. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., and would eventually be certified quadruple-platinum. Stankonia's first single was "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)", a high-tempo jungle-influenced record. The second single, "Ms. Jackson," combined a pop hook with lyrics about divorce and relationship breakups, particularly André's breakup with singer Erykah Badu; the titular "Ms. Jackson" character being a doppelgänger for Badu's mother. It was at this time that André changed his stage name to the current "André 3000".
The single became their first pop hit, landing the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the number-two position on the UK Singles Chart. The album's final single was the Organized Noize-produced "So Fresh, So Clean", featuring a credited guest appearance from regular guest vocalist and Organized Noize-member Sleepy Brown and garnered a remix featuring Snoop Dogg. All three singles' videos had heavy MTV2 airplay, and Outkast won two 2001 Grammy Awards, one for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Ms. Jackson", and another for Stankonia as Best Rap Album.
During the recording of Stankonia, OutKast and Mr. DJ began producing tracks for the artists on their Aquemini Records imprint through Columbia, including Slimm Cutta Calhoun and Killer Mike, who made his debut on Stankonia's "Snappin' & Trappin."
Webzine Pitchforkmedia.com named Stankonia the 4th greatest album released between 2000 and 2004 in its 2005 feature. In 2009, B.O.B. was chosen as the number one song of the decade.
In December 2001, OutKast released a greatest hits album, Big Boi and Dre Present...OutKast, which also contained three new tracks. One of these new tracks was the single "The Whole World," which won a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Killer Mike also was featured on the song, gaining some exposure among areas outside of his native Atlanta. The other two new songs were called "Funkin' Around" and "Movin' Cool (The After Party)"
The same year OutKast participated in the only Dungeon Family group album, Even in Darkness, along with Goodie Mob, Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown, Witchdoctor, and Backbone among others, and featuring Bubba Sparxxx, Shuga Luv and Mello. In 2002, the group and Killer Mike contributed the lead single "Land of a Million Drums" to the Scooby Doo soundtrack.
In September 2003, OutKast released a double album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. It is essentially two solo albums, one by each member, packaged as a single release under the OutKast banner; the two members also appear on each others' discs for a few songs apiece. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx is largely a funk and Dirty South blended party record; André 3000's The Love Below features only brief instances of hip hop, presenting instead elements found in funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and R&B.
The album is also OutKast's biggest commercial success yet, having debuted on the Billboard 200 albums chart at number-one and stayed there for several weeks. The album eventually sold over five million copies, and, as double-album sales count double for Recording Industry Association of America certification, the album was certified diamond for 10 million units shipped in December 2004. Its latest certification, in May 2006, reaches 11 million copies in shipping.
The first two singles from the album(s), which were released nearly simultaneously, were Big Boi's "The Way You Move" and André 3000's "Hey Ya!" The video for "Hey Ya!" is based on The Beatles' landmark appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The video's storyline has "The Love Below"—a fictional band with all members, through the use of special effects, played by André—performing in London. "Hey Ya!" was the number one song on the very final weekend of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem. It was also number one a week later on the very first weekend of American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest. The singles spent ten weeks at number one on the Hot 100 singles chart, with "Hey Ya!" spending nineteen weeks and "The Way You Move" briefly taking over in February 2004. These singles were seen as a breakthrough for the hip-hop industry, being among the first hip-hop songs to be widely played on adult contemporary radio stations.
OutKast's next official single was not released until the summer of 2004. "Roses", a track featuring both members from The Love Below half of the album, did not meet the level of success as either of its predecessors, but it became a modest-sized hit on urban radio and the American music video networks. The video for "Roses" is loosely based on the musical West Side Story and Grease. It featured sparring 1950s-style gangs, one representing Speakerboxxx, and one representing The Love Below, parodying the widespread arguing among critics and fans as to which half of the album was better and that the two members were estranged. The final singles were André 3000's "Prototype", which was paired with a science fiction-themed video about alien visitors, and Speakerboxxx's "Ghettomusick," which featured both members of OutKast and a sample from a song by Patti LaBelle, who also makes an appearance in the video.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won the Grammy Award for the 2004 Album of the Year, becoming only the second rap album to ever receive the honor (the first being The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill in 1999). OutKast was one of the headlining acts at the show, and gave two performances: Big Boi performed "The Way You Move" during a medley with George Clinton & P-Funk and Robert Randolph and the Family Band, while André 3000 performed "Hey Ya!" as the show closed. In February 2004, André 3000's performance, which featured female dancers moving wildly around a green teepee in war paint and feathered headdresses, was criticized by the Native American Cultural Center, who called for a boycott of OutKast, Arista Records, NARAS, and of CBS, the broadcaster of the awards show. CBS later apologized.
Between OutKast albums, Big Boi and André 3000 ventured into film projects. André co-starred in John Singleton's action film Four Brothers and also had a part in Be Cool, while Big Boi took a featured role in the T.I. movie ATL. Both members also began working on a joint film, Idlewild, directed by OutKast music video director Bryan Barber. Idlewild, a Prohibition-era musical film set to a blues-influenced hip-hop soundtrack, was released on August 25, 2006 by Universal Pictures. The Idlewild soundtrack was released August 22, 2006. Its lead single, "Mighty 'O'", features both OutKast members, and was briefly played exclusively on local Atlanta radio stations before being issued as a single in May 2006. They released and shot the video for "Morris Brown" instead. A video for "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry About Me)" soon followed.
Aquemini Records folded in 2004, and Big Boi founded a new record label, Purple Ribbon Entertainment, to be distributed by Virgin Records. Among its first signees were Sleepy Brown, Bubba Sparxxx, and Killer Mike, Big Boi has released a group album/compilation, titled Big Boi Presents... The Purple Ribbon All-Stars - Got Purp? Vol. 2.
One album remains on the band's LaFace contract. It was originally planned as a ten-track release called 10 The Hard Way; shortly after Idlewild was released, the duo confirmed the album is still in the works, though both have begun new projects without releasing any new information on the album. Due to both Big Boi and André's interest in separate projects such as movies, TV (André's Class of 3000) and solo albums, rumors of a split have turned up frequently in the media. André denied those rumors in a phone interview with MTV News, stating that even though they do not feel like performing on stage together, OutKast is "still tight". In an August, 2006, interview with UK journalist Craig McLean, after emphasizing that they would not split, the pair looked beyond music and film careers, Big Boi suggesting he may consider running for the job of Mayor of Atlanta in the future.
In 2007, Andre 3000 confirmed a new OutKast album would be released, but said that he and Big Boi released solo records first, stating the group album is still possibly two years away. Big Boi's solo album will be released first in June/July of 2009, with the first single, "Royal Flush" (also featuring Andre 3000, essentially making it an OutKast song), planned to have been released on December 31, 2007, but was not released on the announced date. Big Boi announced on his MySpace that the release date for Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty is now sometime in the summer of 2009.
On Nov 14, 2008, the Guardian reported that OutKast will release their follow-up to Idlewild in 2009 after Big Boi and Andre 3000 release their solo albums in the same year. As of August 2009, the albums have not yet been released.
05. Wheelz Of Steel
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I sit in my B-boy stance
With flip-flops and socks, and sweatpants
We finna enhance your brain, check it out
Once upon a time not long ago
When the player from the Pointe didn't have no flow
A nigga hit me for my tennis shoes, walking to the sto'
Just like carbon, 'cause I got the heat in my rhythm
Mama nay not, never bragging just to stay knot
Even when I was a younger lad I learned my lesson
Never talked to strangers in the trap and answered questions
The Pope and his folks got us under a scope
But for unknown reasons 'cause we don't sell dope
That you distribute, we don't contribute, to your clandestine
Activity, my soliloquy, may be hard for some to swallow
But so is cod liver oil
You went behind my back like Bluto when he cut up Olive Oyl
Two things I hate lies and thieves they make my blood boil
Boa constricted, on my soul that they call
Touched by the wheels of steel (steel)
Now show me how you feel (feel)
Touched by the wheels of steel (steel)
Now show me how you feel (feel)
It took your mama nine months to make it
But it only took a nigga thirty minutes to take it
Cut that kronk clean up I did, but I did so not safely
Don't want no AIDS, no claps, or no rabies
Yo, we take no shit, like, stopped up commodes
Gotta collect call, they done locked up my folks
Low blow, hit me in the left ventricle
We won't be able to ride out 'til two thousand fo'
But not for long 'cause we got a better sack to serve
Tryna take you other people for your rims at the curb
Fore you swerve and bust ya forehead, go head, go head
More head for me, while you ride to the beat
Drop, like tears, like For fears, you know
Shout, shout let it all out, just for my peers
And pupils who feel like it's time to unwind
Like December 31st, on nineteen-ninety-nine
Touched by the wheels of steel (steel)
Now show me how you feel (feel)
Touched by the wheels of steel (steel)
Now show me how you feel (feel)
Okay, like this, yeah yeah
One time for my boy doing king shit
Two times, too legit and it don't quit
Three times for my folks in the drop top
Four times OutKast and it don't stop
One time for my girls doing Queen things
Dead fresh to the teeth eating chicken wings
Three times for my girls in the beauty shop
Four times OutKast and it don't stop
Touched by the wheels of steel (steel)
Now show me how you feel (feel)
Touched by the wheels of steel (steel)
In "Wheelz of Steel", Andre 3000 and Big Boi are reminiscing about their memories and experiences growing up in Atlanta. They describe sitting in a b-boy stance while wearing flip-flops, socks, and sweatpants, emphasizing their casual, laid-back style. The song begins with Andre 3000 rapping about the time he was robbed for his tennis shoes while walking to the store. He caught the thief slipping and took him down, just like carbon, which is known for its heat and strength.
The lyrics also touch on the Pope and his folks monitoring them, even though they don't sell drugs. Andre 3000 emphasizes this by saying "you distribute, we don't contribute, to your clandestine activity", saying that they don't want to be associated with any criminal activity. The song's chorus is "Touched by the wheelz of steel, now show me how you feel", referencing the transformative power of music and how it can touch people's lives.
The song continues with a reference to the Y2K scare of 2000, with the lyrics "we won't be able to ride out till two thousand fo'". The song also includes shoutouts to various people in their lives, including King, Legit, their friends in the beauty shop, and OutKast themselves. The song's overall message is to embrace life's experiences and let music move and inspire you.
Line by Line Meaning
As I sit in my b-boy stance
I am assuming a hip-hop pose while I stand.
With flip-flops and socks, and sweatpants
I am wearing casual clothing that is typical in the hip-hop culture.
We finna enhance your brain, check it out
We are going to stimulate your mind and entertain you.
Once upon a time not long ago
I am starting a story from my past.
When the player from the Pointe didn't have no flow
I didn't have any rhythm or style when I was younger.
A nigga hit me for my tennis shoes, walking to the sto'
Someone robbed me of my sneakers while I was walking to the store.
Caught a nigga slipping, but now I lay it to the flo'
I caught the thief off guard, and now I am flooring him with my performance.
Just like carbon, cause I got the heat in my rhythm
I am comparing my style to carbon, which ignites when heated, implying that my performance is fiery.
Momma nay not, never bragging just to stay knot
I don't boast about my wealth and status, even if I have it.
Even when I was a younger lad I learned my lesson
I have experienced a lot and have learned from my past mistakes.
Never talked to strangers in the trap and answered questions
I never interacted with people I didn't know and never gave them any information.
The Pope and his folks got us under a scope
The authorities are keeping a close eye on us.
But for unknown reasons cause we don't sell dope
The reason why we are being monitored is unknown, but we are not involved in illegal drug sales.
That you distribute, we don't contribute, to your clandestine
We are not involved in any underground activities that you may be involved in.
Activity, my soliloquy, may be hard for some to swallow
My speech may not be readily accepted by some people.
But so is cod liver oil
Just like cod liver oil, not everyone can accept my speech or style.
You went behind my back like Bluto when he cut up Olive Oyl
You betrayed me in the same way that Bluto betrayed Olive Oyl in the Popeye cartoon series.
Two things I hate lies and thieves they make my blood boil
I despise dishonesty and theft, which riles me up.
Boa constricted, on my soul that they call
I am feeling suffocated by the issues burdening my soul.
Touched by the wheelz of steel
I am influenced by the power and emotions of the music beats.
Now show me how you feel
I am inviting the audience to express themselves and their emotions.
It took your momma nine months to make it
Your mother carried you for nine months before giving birth.
But it only took a nigga thirty minutes to take it
But it took only a thief thirty minutes to steal something valuable from you.
Cut that kronk clean up I did, but I did so not safely
I cut someone cleanly, but not in a safe manner.
Don't want no AIDS, no claps, or no rabies
I don't want to catch any serious diseases through my unsafe actions.
Yo, we take no shit, like, stopped up commodes
We won't tolerate any nonsense, similar to clogged toilets.
Gotta collect call, they done locked up my folks
I have to make a collect call because my family members got arrested.
Low blow, hit me in the left ventricle
Someone attacked me in a painful manner, hitting my heart.
We won't be able to ride out till two thousand fo'
We won't be able to leave until the year 2004.
But not for long cause we got a better sack to serve
We won't be held back for long because we have a better product to offer.
Trying to take you other people for your rims at the curb
I am warning others to be careful about getting robbed of their expensive car rims while parked on the street.
Fore you swerve and bust ya forehead, go head, go head
Before you lose control of your car and crash your head, go ahead, go ahead.
More head for me, while you ride to the beat
I will enjoy more success while you struggle to keep up with the beats of the music.
Drop, like Tears, like For Fears, you know
My emotions are overflowing and dropping like tears, similar to the band Tears for Fears.
Shout Shout let it all out, just for my peers
I am encouraging my audience to shout and express themselves, especially for the people who are similar to them.
And pupils who feel like it's time to unwind
I am referring to the people who feel like they need to relax and loosen up.
Like December 31st, on nineteen-ninety-nine
Similar to the end of the year 1999, as if the millennium is about to change.
One time for my boy doing King shit
A tribute to my friend who is doing great work and behaving like a king.
Two times for Legit and it don't quit
Another tribute to Legit, who is not stopping his success anytime soon.
Three times for my folks in the drop top
Another tribute to my friends riding in expensive convertible cars.
Four times OutKast and it don't stop
I am referring to my rap duo OutKast, as we will continue to be successful and make music.
One time for my cause doing Queen things
A tribute to my female friend who is doing great work and behaving like a queen.
Dead fresh to the teeth eating chicken wings
She looks great and confident while enjoying some chicken wings.
Three times for my guhls in the beauty shop
Another tribute to my female friends who are hanging out in the beauty shop.
Four times OutKast and it don't stop
I am referring to my rap duo OutKast, as we will continue to be successful and make music.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, THE MUSIC GOES ROUND
Written by: Thijs Van Leer, Andre Benjamin, A. Patton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@munyamubaiwa4313
3:06 that scratching is out of this world. No pun intended.
@yungbila3394
🔥💯🔥
@r1ch22x2
#THATpart and to the beat...
@danbotlien
There is nothing else to say, this track is a fucking masterpiece! 🎧 🎼
@bearstokesful
The entire album is a masterpiece!
@ZenRyoku
THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THIS COMMENT AND REPLIES....
MASTERPIECE INDEED....ALWAYS AND FOREVER....
@lr7209
Hear Hear!
@JuliatteJ
Couldn’t agree more
@ticallianstallion9328
I can never turn this song up loud enough
@lawrencehan5591
My thoughts every time I play this song...