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.
International Playas Anthem
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 and
I hate to see y'all frown but I'd rather see her smiling
Wetness all around me, true, but I'm no island
Give up all this pussy cat that's in my lap no lookin back
Spaceships don't come equipped with rearview mirrors
They dip as quick as they can
The atmosphere is now ripped
I'm so like a Pip, I'm glad its night
So the light from the sun would not burn me on my bum
When I shoot the moon high, jump the broom
Like a premie out the womb
My partner yellin "Too soon! don't do it! Reconsider!
Read some litera - ture on the subject
You sure? F*** it
You know we got your back like chiroprac - tic
If that b**** do you dirty
We'll wipe her a** out and send detergent
Now hurry hurry, go on to the altar
I know you ain't a pimp but pimp remember what I taught ya
Keep your heart 3 stacks, keep your heart
Aye, keep your heart 3 stacks, keep your heart
Man, these girls is smart, 3 stacks, these girls is smart
Play your part
Play your part"
(Pimp C)
Sweet jones
My b**** a choosey lover, never f*** without a rubber
Never in the sheets, like it on top of the cover
Money on the dresser, drive a compressor
Top notch hoes get the most, not the lesser
Trash like to fuck for 40 dollars in the club
F***** up the game, b**** you gets no love
She be cross country givin all that she got
A thousand a pop, I'm pullin Bentleys off the lot
I smashed up the grey one, bought me a red
Every time we hit the parking lot we turn heads
Some hoes wanna choose but them b****es too scary
Your b**** chose me, you ain't a pimp you a fairy
Ooooooohhh Ooooooohhh
I choose you girl
(Bun B)
Baby you been rollin solo, time to get down with the team
Because its greener on that other side if you know what I mean
I'll show you shit you've never seen
The 7 wonders of the world
And I can make you the 8th if you wanna be my girl
When I say my girl I don't mean my woman, that ain't my style
Need a real street stalker to walk a green mile
We pilin up the paper on the dining room table
Cause you able to realize I'm the truth and not a fable
We rockin precious sable, keep that chilla on the rack
What I look like with some thousand dollar shit up on my back
I'm a million dollar mack, need a billion dollar b****
Put my pimpin in your life, watch your daddy get rich
Easy as A be see, simple as 1 2 3
Get down with UGK, Pimp see & be you N be
Cause what's a hoe with no pimp, and what's a pimp with no hoe
Don't be a lame, you know the game and how it goes
We tryin to get chose
OOOooooohhh Ooooooohhh
I choose you girl
(Big Boi)
Eeny mini decisions with precision I pick
Or make my selection on who I choose to be with
Girl don't touch my protection, I know you want it to slip
But slippin is something I don't do, tippin for life? (Mmm mmm!)
That's like makin it rain
Every month on schedule (mmmHhmm!) Let me tell you
Get your parasol umbrella cause its gonna get wetter
Better prepare you for the see-Support
She supposed to spend it on that baby but we see she don't
(Chopped & Screwed)
Ask ask Paul McCartney the lawyers couldn't stop the
Slaughter slaughter of them pockets, had to tie her to a rocket
Send her into outer space, I know he wish he could
Cause he payin 20K a day, that b****is eating good
Like an infant on a double D titty just getting plump
Cause he miscalculated the next to the last pump
(Chopped & Screwed)
Dump dump in the gut, raw from the giddy up
Better chose the right one or pick pick the kiddies up
Ooooohhhhh Ooooooohhh
I chose you girl
IIIIiiii
I chose you baby
The lyrics to OutKast's song "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)" detail the intertwined stories of three men who are in love with different women. The first verse, delivered by Andre 3000, tells of his choice to be with a certain woman and the consequences it has for the other women he's dated. He apologizes for any hurt feelings but is ready to move on. The chorus proclaims "I choose you" repeatedly in a catchy, celebratory manner. The second verse, delivered by Pimp C, describes his lifestyle as a pimp, but also hints at the insecurity and danger that come with that life. He boasts about the women he has but also feels the need to put down those who are of lower status. Bun B's verse provides an alternative perspective, inviting a woman to join him in a life of luxury and travel. He emphasizes their partnership, rather than his control over her. Finally, Big Boi's verse reinforces the importance of choosing wisely, as he describes a woman who took advantage of her partner's wealth and was ultimately left with nothing.
The song is an example of the Dirty South subgenre of hip-hop, which was popularized in the late 90s and early 2000s by artists like OutKast. The song was released in 2007 as the lead single for OutKast's album "Idlewild." It samples the song "I Choose You" by soul band Willie Hutch, which contributes to its soulful sound. The song was well-received upon its release, with critics praising its catchy chorus and impressive list of guest features. In 2020, it was named the 10th best song of the 21st century so far by The Guardian.
Line by Line Meaning
So, I typed a text to a girl I used to see
I messaged an old flame, saying I've found someone new
Sayin that I chose this cutie pie with whom I wanna be
I informed her that I've picked a new sweetheart
And I apologize if this message gets you down
I feel bad if my message upsets you
Then I CC'd every girl that I'd see see round town and
I copied every girl I knew in town on the message
I hate to see y'all frown but I'd rather see her smiling
I care about my ex-partners, but my new girlfriend matters more
Wetness all around me, true, but I'm no island
I'm not entirely alone in my surroundings
Peninsula maybe, makes no sense I know, crazy
I might just be on my own and in a weird place
Give up all this pussy cat that's in my lap no lookin back
I'm leaving behind my past romantic encounters for my new love
Spaceships don't come equipped with rearview mirrors
I'm moving forward and not looking back
They dip as quick as they can
Good things come to an end quickly
The atmosphere is now ripped
Things have changed; the environment is different
I'm so like a Pip, I'm glad its night
I'm like a Gladys Knight and the Pips song - I'm relieved it's dark out to hide my emotions
So the light from the sun would not burn me on my bum
I don't want to get hurt by the truth being exposed in the daylight
When I shoot the moon high, jump the broom
I'm going to take a big risk and leap forward
Like a premie out the womb
Starting fresh and new with a new beginning
My partner yellin 'Too soon! don't do it! Reconsider!
My friend is warning me to think twice and not do something I might regret
Read some litera - ture on the subject
Do research and get some advice before making a major decision
You sure? F*** it
I'm sure; let's go for it
You know we got your back like chiroprac - tic
Your friends have your back and support you
If that b**** do you dirty
If your girlfriend does you wrong
We'll wipe her a** out and send detergent
We will get revenge and make sure she's punished
Now hurry hurry, go on to the altar
You need to get married as soon as possible
I know you ain't a pimp but pimp remember what I taught ya
You might not be a pimp, but remember my advice
Keep your heart 3 stacks, keep your heart
Keep your heart and emotions guarded like me (Three Stacks)
Man, these girls is smart, 3 stacks, these girls is smart
Girls are intelligent and know how to manipulate men's hearts
Play your part
Act like a true player
Sweet jones
A term of endearment given to a special someone
My b**** a choosey lover, never f*** without a rubber
My girlfriend is selective with her partners and always uses protection
Never in the sheets, like it on top of the cover
We don't have sex under the sheets, but on top of them
Money on the dresser, drive a compressor
There's money on the dresser, and I drive a luxury car
Top notch hoes get the most, not the lesser
High-class women get treated better than lower-class ones
Trash like to f*** for 40 dollars in the club
Low-quality women have sex for a small amount of money in nightclubs
F***** up the game, b**** you gets no love
You ruined the game, so I don't have any love for you
She be cross country givin all that she got
She travels far and wide, giving her all to make money
A thousand a pop, I'm pullin Bentleys off the lot
I'm successful and can afford expensive cars
I smashed up the grey one, bought me a red
I destroyed my old car and got a new one
Every time we hit the parking lot we turn heads
When we arrive somewhere, people notice us
Some hoes wanna choose but them b****es too scary
Some women want to pick their partners, but they're too scared
Your b**** chose me, you ain't a pimp you a fairy
Your girlfriend picked me, which means you're not a real pimp, but a weakling
Baby you been rollin solo, time to get down with the team
You've been alone for a while; it's time to join us
Because its greener on that other side if you know what I mean
The grass is greener on the other side (of the fence)
I'll show you shit you've never seen
I'll introduce you to experiences you've never had
The 7 wonders of the world
All the amazing things I can show you
And I can make you the 8th if you wanna be my girl
I can make you even more wondrous if you become my girlfriend
When I say my girl I don't mean my woman, that ain't my style
When I refer to 'my girl,' I mean my girlfriend, not just any woman I'm with
Need a real street stalker to walk a green mile
I need a tough, street-savvy partner to walk beside me
We pilin up the paper on the dining room table
We're accumulating wealth and stacking up cash
Cause you able to realize I'm the truth and not a fable
You understand that my success is real, not just a story
We rockin precious sable, keep that chilla on the rack
We're wearing expensive furs and storing them safely
What I look like with some thousand dollar shit up on my back
I don't want to look foolish wearing something so expensive on my back
I'm a million dollar mack, need a billion dollar b****
I'm successful enough to be a millionaire, but I need an even more successful partner
Put my pimpin in your life, watch your daddy get rich
Let me guide you on how to be successful, and you'll become wealthy too
Easy as A be see, simple as 1 2 3
It's easy, as simple as ABC and 123
Get down with UGK, Pimp see & be you N be
Join UGK and follow Pimp C's example
Cause what's a hoe with no pimp, and what's a pimp with no hoe
Prostitutes need pimps, and vice versa
Don't be a lame, you know the game and how it goes
Don't be uncool, you know the rules of the (pimp/romantic) game
We tryin to get chose
We're trying to be selected by the best possible partners
Eeny mini decisions with precision I pick
I make choices carefully and deliberately
Or make my selection on who I choose to be with
I carefully pick who I want to be with
Girl don't touch my protection, I know you want it to slip
Don't mess with my contraception, even if you want to
But slippin is something I don't do, tippin for life?
I never slip up with contraception; do you want to have a child with me?
That's like makin it rain
That's as risky as throwing money away or being frivolous
Every month on schedule (mmmHhmm!) Let me tell you
I'm very responsible with my contraception and make sure to use it regularly
Get your parasol umbrella cause its gonna get wetter
Prepare for a rainy day or future difficulties
Better prepare you for the see-Support
You need to be ready and strong for future struggles
She supposed to spend it on that baby but we see she don't
She's supposed to use the child support money on her child, but she doesn't
Ask ask Paul McCartney the lawyers couldn't stop the
Even wealthy people like Paul McCartney can't always avoid legal troubles
Slaughter slaughter of them pockets, had to tie her to a rocket
The expensive legal fees depleted his assets, and he had to get rid of her
Send her into outer space, I know he wish he could
He probably wishes he could send her far away
Cause he payin 20K a day, that b****is eating good
He has to pay her a lavish amount of money every day, and she's living a luxurious life
Like an infant on a double D titty just getting plump
She's living off his money like an infant breastfeeding on big breasts
Cause he miscalculated the next to the last pump
He made a mistake and has to pay her too much
Dump dump in the gut, raw from the giddy up
Having rough, unprotected sex
Better chose the right one or pick pick the kiddies up
Choose the right partner or suffer the consequences when it comes to raising children
IIIIiiii
I chose you baby
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Slickliquid
im gonna tell my kids this is the pledge of allegiance
Sincerely Lema
😂😂😂
Megan Turner
☠️
Rufus Walls
youre not lying.
Era Moi
Yes yes yes do that please
Em Jay II
I will 2 bro
Tiffany Scott
I don’t care what anybody says, I gotta use this song if I ever get married lol
Tattooed_Empath
I did use it as a wedding song! 🔥
F.G.W
❤️
Rosa Torres
@brianjonesart3d depp este p