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.
Call the Law
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Wow first come the love
Now then comes the marriage
1-1-1 baby 2 baby 3 baby carriage baby
Welcome to my world
Oceans vs. mountains
Oceans versus mountains)
Call me the poor girl
Cause I love to fight them
(Call her the poor girl
Cause she loves to fight them)
I'm quite sweet
If you take the time to get to know me
Deep down my heart rattles around
Like a bone lost deep inside
See I'd like to fall in love
But not that type of guy
you got my clouds on fire
We're tightrope walking
And the world's the wire
Remember kissing on Broadway
You'll die
I was bein' your baby
And ticking your tock in yo' clock
See we done jumped the broom
And now you're no good
And I was dreaming about children
Emily and, oh darling baby
With the daddy's eyes
And it meant so much to me
(It meant so much to me)
And I needed your good love
Baby how could you just go
And change it all
You turned my spring to fall
I needed you, you know
But when the love is gone
It's time to go
If you don't think I mean it
Then you'll feel it when I'm gone
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I'm up until 3 o'clock in the morning
While you party until the dawning
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I said I'm done, enough of your love
Darlin', ain't no feeling left
It's just the killin' oh
Just grab my gun and let's go out
Just grab my gun and let's go out
It ain't no fool for love
It's just this burnin' got me reelin'
Call the law and hold the applause
Call the law and hold the applause
Oh baby, its mo baby, workin on the 6
We was only in our teens
Our dreams was simplistic
Jumped the broom
But it seems I tripped
I must have slipped
After exchanging of the rings
These things, you give me lip
But not the kissing of the bride
The dipping of the groom
The shit that make a nigga
Up and leave up out a room
More like "boohoo" then Boo
"Fuck who?" then "fuck you too"
(Fucking bitch) kids, cover them ears
It appears that your mama want drama We need a comma
Or some space between words
For better or for worse
This is not what I deserve
The worst that I can take
Actually I want the cake and eat it too And plus your plate
But wait now,
Don't you get the house kids cars
Everything we built together was ours
Now it's all yours!
That's hard it's all yours,
Good God!
If you don't think I mean it
Then you'll feel it when I'm gone
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I'm up until 3 o'clock in the morning
While you party until the dawning
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I said I'm done, enough of your love
Darlin', ain't no feeling left
It's just the killin' oh
Just grab my gun and let's go out
Just grab my gun and let's go out
It ain't no fool for love
It's just this burnin' got me reelin'
Call the law and hold the applause
Call the law and hold the applause
You coming home (Zora)
But the birds are gone (Zora is that a pistol?)
With they sad songs (What you goin' to do with that?)
They showing off (C'mon baby put the gun down)
But they might be wrong (Shitting me!)
I really wish you could change baby
(Well if my best ain't good enough
I don't know what to tell ya)
Reclaim your throne
(I'm the king of this castle)
Down here in the darkness
(C'mon baby hold up!)
If you don't think I mean it
Then you'll feel it when I'm gone
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I'm up until 3 o'clock in the morning
While you party until the dawning
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I said I'm done, enough of your love
Darlin', ain't no feeling left
It's just the killin' oh
Just grab my gun and let's go out
Just grab my gun and let's go out
It ain't no fool for love
It's just this burnin' got me reelin'
Call the law and hold the applause
Call the law and hold the applause
The lyrics of Outkast featuring Janelle Monae's song "Call The Law" tell a story of a couple's love and their subsequent breakup. The first part of the song paints a picture of a couple deeply in love and expecting a baby. However, as the song progresses, the tone changes as the singer feels they have been done wrong and are ready to leave the relationship. The lyrics speak of feeling betrayed and hurt as the lover has left and taken everything that the singer helped build together. Eventually, the singer is left with nothing but a strong desire for revenge and walking away from the relationship.
The use of several different vocal ranges and pausing at strategic points in the song adds an emotional depth to the lyrics. The tension and buildup throughout the song epitomize the singer's frustration with the relationship, which ultimately results in a violent imagery of "grab my gun and let's go out" by the end. The song is delivered through a haunting combination of three intertwining voices, each echoing a specific viewpoint in the dramatic story of a failed romance.
Line by Line Meaning
Zora and Rooster under peach tree
Zora and Rooster are under a peach tree
They K-I-S-S-I-N-G
They are kissing
Wow first come the love
First comes love
Now then comes the marriage
Then comes marriage
1-1-1 baby 2 baby 3 baby carriage baby
Children come next
Welcome to my world
Welcome to my life
Oceans vs. mountains
Choosing between two extremes
(Welcome to her world
Welcome to her life
Oceans versus mountains)
Choosing between two extremes
Call me the poor girl
Call me vulnerable
Cause I love to fight them
Because I love to fight my battles
(Call her the poor girl
Call her vulnerable
Cause she loves to fight them)
Because she loves to fight her battles
I'm quite sweet
I'm actually a sweet person
If you take the time to get to know me
If you take the time to understand me
Deep down my heart rattles around
My heart is restless
Like a bone lost deep inside
Like a lost cause
See I'd like to fall in love
I want to be in love
But not that type of guy
But not with that kind of person
you got my clouds on fire
You've made me feel ecstatic
We're tightrope walking
We're taking a risk
And the world's the wire
The world is unpredictable
Remember kissing on Broadway
Remember when we kissed on Broadway
You'll die
You'll regret it
I was bein' your baby
I was your loving partner
And ticking your tock in yo' clock
And making your life easier
See we done jumped the broom
We already got married
And now you're no good
But now you're worthless
And I was dreaming about children
And I was imagining a family
Emily and, oh darling baby
Our potential children
With the daddy's eyes
With your eyes
And it meant so much to me
And it was very important to me
(It meant so much to me)
(It was very important to me)
And I needed your good love
I needed your love
Baby how could you just go
How could you just leave me
And change it all
And ruin everything
You turned my spring to fall
You turned my life upside down
I needed you, you know
You know I needed you
But when the love is gone
But when love fades
It's time to go
It's time to move on
If you don't think I mean it
If you doubt my sincerity
Then you'll feel it when I'm gone
You'll regret it when I'm not around
I said I'm done, enough of your love
I said I'm done with your love
I'm up until 3 o'clock in the morning
I can't sleep
While you party until the dawning
While you enjoy yourself
Darlin', ain't no feeling left
Darling, there's no love left
It's just the killin' oh
It's just the pain
Just grab my gun and let's go out
Let's leave this pain behind
It ain't no fool for love
It's not foolish to love
It's just this burnin' got me reelin'
It's just this intense feeling overwhelming me
Call the law and hold the applause
Get the authorities involved
Oh baby, its mo baby, workin on the 6
Oh baby, it's momentous, working on this
We was only in our teens
We were very young
Our dreams was simplistic
Our dreams were simple
Jumped the broom
Got married
But it seems I tripped
But it seems I made a mistake
I must have slipped
I must have made a misstep
After exchanging of the rings
After getting married
These things, you give me lip
You talk back to me about these things
But not the kissing of the bride
But not the traditional parts of a wedding
The dipping of the groom
The lifting of the groom
The shit that make a nigga
The things that make a man
Up and leave up out a room
Leave the situation
More like "boohoo" then Boo
More like crying then happiness
"Fuck who?" then "fuck you too"
"I don't care about you either"
(Fucking bitch) kids, cover them ears
(Insulting me) Kids, don't listen
It appears that your mama want drama We need a comma
Your mother wants an argument, let's take a pause
Or some space between words
Or some distance between us
For better or for worse
In good times and in bad
This is not what I deserve
This is not what I expected
The worst that I can take
The worst I can handle
Actually I want the cake and eat it too And plus your plate
Actually, I want everything and more
But wait now,
But hold on,
Don't you get the house kids cars
Don't take the house, kids, cars
Everything we built together was ours
Everything we built together belonged to both of us
Now it's all yours!
Now it's all yours!
That's hard it's all yours,
That's tough, it's all yours
Good God!
Oh my God!
You coming home (Zora)
You're coming home (Zora)
But the birds are gone (Zora is that a pistol?)
But the birds have flown away (Zora, is that a gun?)
With they sad songs (What you goin' to do with that?)
Singing their sad songs (What are you going to do with that gun?)
They showing off (C'mon baby put the gun down)
They're presenting themselves (Come on, put the gun down)
But they might be wrong (Shitting me!)
But they might be mistaken (Are you joking?)
I really wish you could change baby
I really wish you could change, baby
(Well if my best ain't good enough
(If my best isn't good enough)
I don't know what to tell ya)
(I don't know what to tell you)
Reclaim your throne
Take your rightful place
(I'm the king of this castle)
(I'm the king of this castle)
Down here in the darkness
In this unhappy place
(C'mon baby hold up!)
(Wait, baby, hold on)
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ANTWAN PATTON, CHARLES L JOSEPH, JANELLE MONAE ROBINSON, NATHANIEL IRVIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
la Son
on Mainstream
@23 references psalm 23
A healthy portion of this song on all verses spits on spiritual