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.
The Way You Move
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ready for action, nip it in the bud
We never relaxin', OutKast is everlastin'
Not clashin', not at all but see my nigga want to do a little acting
Now that's for anyone askin' give me one pass 'em
Drip, drip, drop there goes an eargasm
Now you cumin' out the side of your face
So click it our ticket, lets see your seat belt fastened
Trunk rattlin' like two midgets in the back seat wrasslin'
Speakerbox vibrate the tank, make it sound like aluminum cans in the bag
But I know y'all wanted that 808 can you feel that B-A-S-S, bass
But I know y'all wanted that 808 can you feel that B-A-S-S, bass
I like the way you move
I like the way you move (woo)
I love the way you move
I love the way, I love the way
I love the way you move
I love the way you move (woo)
I love the way you move
I love the way, I love the way
Then the whole room fell silent
The girls all pause with glee
Turning left, turning right are they looking at me?
Well, I was looking at them, there, there on the dance floor
Now they got me in the middle feeling like a man whore
'Specially the big girl, big girls need love too no discrimination here squirrel
So keep your hands off my cheeks, let me study how you ride the beat
You big freak
Skinny, slim women got the camel toe within them
You can hump them, lift them, bend them, give them something to remember
Yell out timber when you fall through the chop shop
Take a deep a breath and exhale
Your ex male friend, boyfriend was boring as hell
Well, let me listen to the stories you tell
And we can make moves like a person in jail on the loco
I like the way you move
I like the way you move (woo)
I love the way you move
I love the way, I love the way
I love the way you move
I love the way you move (woo)
I love the way you move
I love the way, I love the way
Hey baby, girl don't you stop
Come on baby, dance all around me
You so fine (you so fine) you so fine
You drive me outta my mind (outta my mind) ooh baby
If I could I would, just be with you baby
Ooh, 'cause you like me and excite me
And you know you gotta leave, baby
Ooh
I like the way you move
I like the way you move (ooh so sexy baby)
I love the way you move
I love the way, I love the way (ooh)
I love the way you move
I love the way you move (ooh you're so sexy baby)
I love the way you move
I love the way, I love the way
I like the way you move
I like the way you move (woo)
I love the way you move
I love the way, I love the way
I love the way you move
I love the way you move (woo)
I love the way you move
I love the way, I love the way
In Outkast's song "The Way You Move," the lyrics express appreciation and admiration for the way women dance and move. The opening lines, "Boom, Boom, Boom / Ready for action, nip it in the bud / We never relaxin', OutKast is everlastin'" express the high energy and readiness to perform that the artists have. Here, they are acknowledging their status, explicitly stating that they never stop and are always working. The next lines that follow, "Drip, drip, drop there goes an eargasm / Now you cumin' out of the side of your face / We tapping right into your memory banks (thanks) /So click it our ticket, let's see your seat belt fastened," use sexual innuendo to describe the feeling of hearing the music, how it stimulates the listener's senses, taps into their memories, and considers the potential of their response.
The next verse features the artists admiring women's bodies and dancing. They discuss how they are watching the women dance and how it excites them, especially the "big girl" who needs love too. This indicates a sense of body positivity, as it celebrates all women's bodies and their ability to move. The lyrics "Skinny, slim women got the camel toe within them / You can hump them, lift them, bend them, give them something to remember / Yell out timber when you fall through the chop shop / Take a deep breath then exhale / Your ex male friend, boyfriend was boring as hell," indicate a sense of humor as well as appreciation for all types of women's bodies.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Way You Move" are playful and celebratory of women and their bodies. Outkast is admiring and excited by the women's movements and shapes, and their excitement is conveyed through the high energy of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Boom, Boom, Boom
We are ready to get the party started
Ready for action, nip it in the bud
We are always prepared and don't waste time
We never relaxin', OutKast is everlastin'
We are always working hard and striving for longevity.
Not clashin', not at all but see my nigga want to do a little acting
We're not causing any problems, but my friend wants to show off a bit.
Now that's for anyone askin' give me one pass 'em
If anyone asks, we'll let them know what's up.
Drip, drip, drop there goes an eargasm
Our music is so good, it's like an eargasm.
Now you cumin' out the side of your face
Our music is so good, it's causing a physical reaction.
We tapping right into your memory banks (thanks)
Our music is so good, it's memorable and we're thankful for that.
So click it our ticket, lets see your seat belt fastened
Come along for the ride, make sure you're buckled up.
Trunk rattlin' like two midgets in the back seat wrasslin'
The bass is so intense, it's like two people wrestling in the back seat.
Speakerbox vibrate the tank, make it sound like aluminum cans in the bag
The sound is so loud, it's shaking the car and rattling like cans in a bag.
But I know y'all wanted that 808 can you feel that B-A-S-S, bass
We know what you came for, the 808 and bass, and we're delivering it.
Then the whole room fell silent
Everyone stopped and took notice.
The girls all pause with glee
The women in the room are excited and feeling it.
Turning left, turning right are they looking at me?
I'm wondering if they're looking at me or someone else.
Well, I was looking at them, there, there on the dance floor
I was watching them dance on the floor.
Now they got me in the middle feeling like a man whore
Now I'm surrounded by them and feel like a player.
'Specially the big girl, big girls need love too no discrimination here squirrel
I don't discriminate against bigger women, they need love too.
So keep your hands off my cheeks, let me study how you ride the beat
Don't touch me, let me watch you dance and feel the rhythm.
You big freak
You're wild and free, and I love it.
Skinny, slim women got the camel toe within them
Thin women have a physical feature which we won't describe here.
You can hump them, lift them, bend them, give them something to remember
You can dance with them in many ways and make it memorable.
Yell out timber when you fall through the chop shop
When you can't keep up with the dance moves anymore, fall over in excitement.
Take a deep a breath and exhale
Take a breath and relax.
Your ex male friend, boyfriend was boring as hell
Your previous partner was really dull.
Well, let me listen to the stories you tell
Tell me about yourself and I'll listen.
And we can make moves like a person in jail on the loco
Let's dance like crazy people.
Hey baby, girl don't you stop
Keep dancing, don't stop now.
Come on baby, dance all around me
Dance in front of me and around me.
You so fine (you so fine) you so fine
You look amazing and beautiful.
You drive me outta my mind (outta my mind) ooh baby
You're so attractive, it's driving me crazy.
If I could I would, just be with you baby
I wish I could be with you right now.
Ooh, 'cause you like me and excite me
You're interested in me and it's exciting.
And you know you gotta leave, baby
You have to leave soon, unfortunately.
I like the way you move
I enjoy the way you dance.
I love the way you move
I really love the way you dance.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Antwan Patton, Carlton Jr Mahone, Patrick Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yolondawyatt4922
It's February 2024 and this is still the shit. 🔥 OUTKAST = GOAT ❤
@TwoTimes289
2024 and sill listening
@nataliehenderson8657
The 2000s were the Holden era o can’t believe I’m saying this
@DerSteppenwolf99
No doubt, one love 4ever💥💜🔥
@user-pm7pg9ko7h
Rob head bad day
@poopiebandit
still groovin!
@LILHOWLORD
I can’t believe this came out 20 years ago!! This here is TIMELESS!!!
@mrsinister8943
I was thinking the same thing with Hey Ya and how that album is 20 years old! Man time flies so damn fast it seems. Great times and great music.
@sashafierce183
@mrsinister8943 the best ever !! A good tune to shake your arse too 😂😂😂
@angeelkitty
LOVE IT nothing can beat music like this nowadays!