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.
Land of a Million Drums
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the land of a million drums
There is always something going on, on, on, on
If you can't locate your thought off
Might as well go on take your dead home, home, home, home
In the land of a million drums
I catch a pattern that spit rings around you like Saturn
This one for Scooby, pass the doobie I'mma do me one, do me one
Only you clean over
I pick up the mic and rock it while I'm sober
For the rated G exposure if you listen to what I'm tryin' to told ya
We fathers with seeds of our own
We're talking about sons and daughters boy, not roots and clones
Now that the theory gone wrong
An embryo with no soul
Stuck in this green mini-van with my lungs in a choke hold
Shaggy, pass the bombastic
Daphne said, "Don't do that"
Freaky Fred smashed the gas and slammed us into traffic
Now Scrappy want to box and throw them bows
So I had to sic the pitbull on him before he could pass one blow
Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo (Scooby-Doobie-Doo)
In the land of a million drums
There is always something going on, on, on, on
[Chorus]
Woke up from a long night of hanging out with Shaggy
Oh no, lost my last baggy of Scooby snackies
Shaggy, wake up, we've been had
Our Scooby snacks, they got the whole stash
He said, "Who who, I don't have a clue"
I suspect the thirteen ghosts of Scooby-Doo
Call Vincent Price up on the Nextel
Tell him to send another package right through the mail
In the meantime, I'mma call Thelma to tell her
To get the Mystery Machine ready
I'm two-wayin' Daphne and Freddy
Me and Shaggy dressed in all black, strapped
Dippin' through the flash, tryin' to get our stash back
Roundin' up suspects, collectin' clues
I got a question, where the hell is Scooby-Doo when you need 'em
The hound's only found when you feed him
In fact he probably got my sack
Tell him holler back
In the land of a million drums
There is always something going on, on, on, on
If you can't locate your thought off
Might as well go on take your dead home, home, home, home
Break it down, break it down baby, 'til the flow jumps off the ground
Oh break it down, lookin' over yonder 'til the walls come tumblin' down
Oh, yes lord why ain't gotta tell me two times but you know I know
Oh, break it down, break it down baby, cause I want why y'all all to know
We rock the world
[Chorus]
[Repeat: x5]
I could of got away with it, if it wasn't for ya meddlin' kids
(Oh no, oh no)
"Land Of A Million Drums" by Outkast feat. Killer Mike is a song full of references to classic cartoon characters, including Scooby-Doo and his team. The song is about the search for Scooby Snacks, a drug reference, and how all the characters are always up to mischief. The chorus states that in the land of a million drums, there is always something going on, which could be interpreted to mean that in the world of drug use, there's always something happening. The lyrics also mention picking up the microphone and rocking it sober, possibly implying that one doesn't need drugs to be creative or have fun.
The verses in the song are full of references to classic cartoon characters from the '70s and '80s. The lines referencing the thirteen ghosts of Scooby-Doo, with a call to Vincent Price, are from the cartoon series of the same name. The line, "we rock the world," is a nod to Hanna-Barbera's classic cartoon rock band The Banana Splits. The song uses these references to create a fun, lighthearted vibe that positions the drug culture within a cartoonish context.
Overall, "Land Of A Million Drums" by Outkast feat. Killer Mike is a playful song about drugs and mischief in the world of cartoons. The use of classic cartoon references adds a fun layer of nostalgia while also highlighting the theme of always being up to something in the land of a million drums.
Line by Line Meaning
In the land of a million drums
The place where there is a lot of rhythm and excitement
There is always something going on, on, on, on
There is continuous activity with no dull moment
If you can't locate your thought off
If you can't find your way or purpose
Might as well go on take your dead home, home, home, home
You should probably leave that place
I catch a pattern that spit rings around you like Saturn
I observe and understand things better than you
Intergalactic tracks, I make 'em like magstrulium
I create superb, unique beats that are out of this world
This one for Scooby, pass the doobie I'mma do me one, do me one
This song is dedicated to Scooby and I'm going to smoke some weed in this moment
Only you clean over
You are responsible for keeping only positive things in your life
I pick up the mic and rock it while I'm sober
I can perform well without needing to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol
For the rated G exposure if you listen to what I'm tryin' to told ya
I'm trying to share a message that is appropriate for all ages
We fathers with seeds of our own
We are dads with our own children to raise
We're talking about sons and daughters boy, not roots and clones
We're talking about raising unique individuals, not replicating ourselves
Now that the theory gone wrong
Since things didn't go as planned
An embryo with no soul
A lifeless creation
Stuck in this green mini-van with my lungs in a choke hold
Stranded in a car while dealing with respiratory issues
Shaggy, pass the bombastic
Shaggy, pass the marijuana
Daphne said, "Don't do that"
Daphne warned us not to smoke weed
Freaky Fred smashed the gas and slammed us into traffic
Fred drove crazily and caused an accident
Now Scrappy want to box and throw them bows
Scrappy wants to fight aggressively
So I had to sic the pitbull on him before he could pass one blow
I had to sick my aggressive dog on him before he could hit me
Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo (Scooby-Doobie-Doo)
Reference to the character Scooby-Doo and his catchphrase
Woke up from a long night of hanging out with Shaggy
I woke up after spending the previous night with Shaggy
Oh no, lost my last baggy of Scooby snackies
I lost my last bag of weed
Shaggy, wake up, we've been had
I woke Shaggy up to tell him that we're in trouble
Our Scooby snacks, they got the whole stash
Our drugs have been stolen
He said, "Who who, I don't have a clue"
Shaggy doesn't know what happened
I suspect the thirteen ghosts of Scooby-Doo
I suspect the villains from the TV show, 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo
Call Vincent Price up on the Nextel
Call Vincent Price, the actor who voiced a character in the show, using a two-way radio device
Tell him to send another package right through the mail
Ask him to send us more drugs in the mail
In the meantime, I'mma call Thelma to tell her
In the meantime, I will inform Thelma of the situation
To get the Mystery Machine ready
To prepare the van that we ride in
Me and Shaggy dressed in all black, strapped
Shaggy and I are dressed in black and carrying weapons
Dippin' through the flash, tryin' to get our stash back
Quickly driving to retrieve our drugs
Roundin' up suspects, collectin' clues
Searching for the person responsible for stealing our drugs
I got a question, where the hell is Scooby-Doo when you need 'em
Where is Scooby-Doo when we need him the most?
The hound's only found when you feed him
Scooby-Doo only shows up when he smells food
In fact he probably got my sack
Scooby-Doo probably has my drugs
Tell him holler back
Tell him to get in touch
Break it down, break it down baby, 'til the flow jumps off the ground
Let's break it down and get the music started
Oh break it down, lookin' over yonder 'til the walls come tumblin' down
Keep breaking it down until everything falls apart
Oh, yes lord why ain't gotta tell me two times but you know I know
I don't need to be told more than once because I understand
Oh, break it down, break it down baby, cause I want why y'all all to know
I want everyone to know and hear this music
We rock the world
We create explosive music
I could of got away with it, if it wasn't for ya meddlin' kids
I could have succeeded if it wasn't for you interfering people
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: ANDRE BENJAMIN, PATRICK L BROWN, ANTWAN PATTON, MICHAEL SANTIGO RENDER, DAVID A SHEATS, David Sheats, Patrick Brown, Michael Render
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sheridanwoodrome1154
Warner Bros: we need a kid friendly song about smoking weed.
OutKast: hold my doobie
@channingayers3563
😆😆😆
@bondseanbond5190
Does Anybody care for McDonald’s or
Chipotle in the Philippines?
@DHGWHISKEY117
Best comment ever🤣🤣🤣👌
@austinlane6750
“What’s your favorite song by OutKast?”
I show them this one and no one has heard of it so far ... very underrated song
@alejandroramirez4470
I think this song had to be my introduction to Outkast. I didn't know too much music when I was younger though. I thought they had blown up because of "hey ya" when that came out. Now I'm listening to more stuff that was before this song.
@benbiggs8793
Land of a million drums the OST of Scooby-Doo the movie hope that answers your question
@nicholasjackson4382
@@alejandroramirez4470 Lol you ain't heard Ms.Jackson?
@alejandroramirez4470
@@nicholasjackson4382 at that time not sure. I was barely forming my music preferences from what was on the radio or in movies
@thomasgoldsmith8934
@@alejandroramirez4470 bombs over Baghdad and ms.jackson were the first 2 I heard