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.
Ghettomusick
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cut me up, don't let me down
(Find, find a way)
Find a way to get out, without a hit out
You dig in, you dig out, you get out
Ghettomusick, GhettoMusick
Find a way to get in, to fit in, to get on
Ghettomusick, GhettoMusick
Climbing out this hole (climbin' out this hole)
With a frown on my face
(In the place to be) in the place to be
And not to be at the same time
G-H-E-T-T-O-M-U-S-I-C-K, stay down
O-U-T-K-A-S-T, just know that we won't play 'round
If it don't stank like they stank then they can't swallow that down
Your battleship is sunk, I wish grandma could see us
Find a way to get out, without a hit out
You dig in, you dig out, you get out
Ghettomusick, GhettoMusick
Find a way to get in, to fit in, to get on
To get out, without a doubt
Ghettomusick, GhettoMusick
I just want you to know how I feel
Feeling good, feeling great (how I feel)
Feeling great, feeling good, how are you? (Oh, I)
I just want you to know how I feel
Feeling good, feeling great (how I feel)
Feeling great, feeling good, how are you? (Oh, I)
Hot tub, bad to the bony, I'm Tony
As my Grandmama Edna Mae Kearse, she showed me
How to be the smooth operator, dominator
In the state of Georgia, hip-hop standard destroyer
Leave a motherfucker open like a foyer
He from the dirty, now here come the paranoia
A lawyer couldn't object or disrespect the technique
Sweat me, wipe off the sweat
Fight off the shit and flush the waste down
The pipes of my life flow deep into the ground
Find my purpose on the surface of this Earth, this
Planet's standards trust and the purpose
Campaign in vain for the same lame fame
You've obtained, you ought to be detained
By the hip-hop sheriff, locked up, no possibility
Of getting out because the shit you make is killing me
And my ears and my peers
I hear the end is near, no fear, we disappear
Then reappear again in a fresh new light
I hope it's peaceful and cloudy
'Cause if it's not, we gotta fight like (fight like)
G-H-E-T-T-O-M-U-S-I-C-K, stay down
O-U-T-K-A-S-T, just know that we won't play 'round
If it don't stank like they stank then they can't swallow that down
Your battleship is sunk, I wish grandma could see us
Find a way to get out, without a hit out
You dig in, you dig out, you get out
Ghettomusick, GhettoMusick
Find a way to get in, to fit in, to get on
To get out, without a doubt
Ghettomusick, GhettoMusick
I just want you to know how I feel
Feeling good, feeling great (how I feel)
Feeling great, feeling good, how are you? (Oh, I)
I just want you to know how I feel
Feeling good, feeling great (how I feel)
Feeling great, feeling good, how are you? (Oh, I)
The lyrics to Outkast's song Ghettomusick explore the experience of living in the ghetto and trying to find a way out. The opening lines of the song - "Turn me up, don't turn me down, Cut me up, don't let me down" - set the tone for the rest of the track, which is full of energy and urgency. The chorus - "Find a way to get out, wit out, hit out, You dig in, dig out, you get out, Ghetto musick, ghetto musick" - encourages the listener to find a way to escape the difficult circumstances of the inner city, while the verse lyrics talk about the struggles of living in poverty and the need to fight to survive.
The second half of the song takes a more positive turn, with the lyrics "I just want you to know, how I feel, Feeling good, feeling great, How are you?" suggesting that despite the difficult circumstances, there is still room for hope and positivity. The final verse is a call to action, urging people to stand up and fight for their rights and their dreams: "I hear the end is near, no fear, We disappear, then reappear again in a fresh new light, I hope it's peaceful and cloudy 'cause if it's not we gotta fight like, fight like". Overall, Ghettomusick is a powerful statement about the challenges of living in poverty and the need to fight for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn me up, don't turn me down
Increase the volume of the music, don't decrease it
Cut me up, don't let me down
Remix and chop the music, don't disappoint the listeners
Find, find a way
Discover a path, a way to achieve your goals
Find a way to get out, wit out, hit out
Discover a way to escape or succeed, without violence or negative consequences
You dig in, dig out, you get out
Work hard, grind and hustle to achieve your goals and escape poverty
Ghetto musick, ghetto musick
Experience and celebrate the culture and music of the ghetto
Find a way to get in, to fit in the ghetto
Discover a way to belong and thrive in the ghetto, despite its challenges
You get out, wit out a dime
You succeed and leave the ghetto despite lacking resources or money
Climbing out this hole (climbin' out this hole)
Improving your situation and moving up in life
With a frown on my face
Despite the struggles and hardships, but determined to succeed
In the place to be, (in the place to be) and not to be at the same time
Being in a desirable place, but also facing challenges and obstacles there
G-h-e-t-t-o-m-u-s-I-c-k stay down
Stay true to the culture and music of the ghetto
O-u-t-k-a-s-t (oh yeah) just know that we won't play round
Outkast is serious and won't be taken lightly
If feet don't stank like they stank then they can't swallow that down
If you can't handle the truth or reality, you can't accept it
Your battleship is sunk, I wish grandma could see us
You've lost and there's no coming back from it; acknowledging the influence of their elders
Hot tub! Back to the bony I'm tony
Celebrating and having a good time with friends
Ask my grandmama Edna Mae kid when she show me
Learning valuable lessons from one's elders and ancestors
How to be the smooth operator, dominator in the state of Georgia
Knowing how to navigate life and achieve success in their environment
Hip hops there to destroy ya
Hip hop music can be a powerful force, that can have negative effects
Leave a mother fucker open like a foyer
Being vulnerable or exposed, can lead to harm or danger
He from the dirt now here come the paranoia
Growing up in the ghetto can lead to feelings of paranoia and distrust
A lawyer couldn't object or disrespect
The power and influence of their culture is undeniable and indisputable
The technique, sweat me, wipe off the sweat
Hard work, effort and dedication are key to success
Fight off the shit and flush the waste down
Overcome negativity and let go of toxic influences
The pipes of my life flow deep into the ground
The roots and foundations of their life and experiences are ingrained in them
Find my purpose on the surface of this earth this
Discovering one's calling and purpose in life
Planet's standards to me they have no purpose
Rejecting societal norms and expectations that don't align with their values and beliefs
Campaign in vain for the same lame fame, people obtain, you ought to be detained
Criticizing those who seek fame and success for superficial reasons, rather than genuine talent or hard work
By the hip hop sheriff, locked up
Being punished or ridiculed by their peers and culture for not staying true to its core values
No possibility of getting out cause the shit you make is killing me and my ears, and my peers
Being held back by the negativity and harmful influences of others
I hear the end is near, no fear
Acknowledging the challenges and obstacles, but staying confident and hopeful
We disappear, then reappear again in a fresh new light
Moving on from the old, and reinventing oneself for a better future
I hope its peaceful and cloudy cause if its not we gotta fight like, fight like
Struggling and fighting to overcome obstacles and achieve a better life
I just want you to know, how I feel
Expressing one's emotions and thoughts
Feeling good, feeling great (How I feel)
Being in a positive and happy state of mind
Feeling great, feeling good, how are you?
Asking others about their well-being and state of mind
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andre Benjamin, Antwan Patton, Bunny Sigler, Kenneth Gamble, Kenny Gamble
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DJheapzgood
Big Boi is literally one of the greatest musicians of all time. His originality is incredible.
@gmastergodofwar
It truly is
@Jimmy1982Playlists
Fr! Andre3000 may be in my list of top 2 or 3 MCs ever... but I'm constantly reminding people that Big Boi is one of the greatest of all time and don't you dare underestimate him! Not mad at anybody at all who favors him to Dre - who actually argued that Big Boi was the best in Outkast.
And the fact is, Big is continually putting out great music, still!
@Burst644
@@Jimmy1982Playlists fr!!! big boi needs more respect
@kembawalkins4504
Ive been sayin this for awhile, thank you
@Styl849
no joke Pattie's part was so clean. I can listen to this song just for that
@afrorap5135
Styl849 I was actually looking for this song for this part.
@alanajones9301
Same here!!!
@jwallace6158
Facts
@lrs1519
Same!