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.
Tomb of the Boom
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just so you all know what time it is
It's your homeboy
Straight from the A-T
I ain't even going say the motherfucking rest
But you know
Dungeon Family, all day long baby
We finna break it off with some fresh new shit (ya, ya, ya)
This rap game lovely
Konkrete play a part 'cause the Feds want to bug me
Athletes want to be rappers, shawty, trust me
Bending corners in the Benz
Riding it like a bucket, nigga fuck it (fire another)
I know some hoes slutty
I optioned a bitch off like a nigga playing rugby
I done seen a ghetto meal, little buddy, trust me
Jump European, came clean through customs, no questions
Perpetrators in the booth, rapping lame like they drug related (what?)
It made me sick to my stomach, lost a two and a baby
You don't grind, you be lying
Should be castrated, Lorena Bobitt maybe
Tomb after tomb
Boom, boom after boom
Serving up emotion once you deep inside the tomb
Embryo to newborn, you can feel me in the womb (woo)
Cool, ooh, that's cool (alright)
You see, I cock back glocks, got more pull than slang shots
Hit G spots by giving hoes back shots
I'm a young country boy, long socks with flip flops
But I pull up on your block in the 500 Benz drop
Konkrete, Aquemini, we taking this here to the top
Bust like balloons, who gives a damn if it goes pop
You say it's hot, well let me turn it up another notch
To my real niggas, won't you pump this out your Speakerboxxx
Fuck the cops, we making noise and we won't stop
Bump, bump, there goes the boom and it's gon' drop
Old school, big shoes, nigga, no socks
We keep tools, see fools, bullets will flock (yeah)
They call me Mr. Ravioli, Mr. Strudel, Mr. Poke 'Em with the Noodle
Mr. Cockerspanielle in your poodle, after school tutor
Roto Rooter, addicted to follies
Like brown collies, stay soft fro grows
Swimming in the fallopian of an Ethiopian
Talking a different language, RBI fly wide
Come to me now, '84 hard, '84 soft wi't me now
Beautiful ladies, they want to walk wit' me now, talk wit me now
Pussy pop for me now, sell cock for me now
Fight a bitch, hit her in the eye for me now
See you when I see you, now I'm out wit' me now, yo
Tomb after tomb
Boom, boom after boom
Serving up emotion once you deep inside the tomb
Embryo to newborn, you can feel me in the womb
Cool, ooh, that's cool
I will never fall off, I haul off heavy weight
Fuck wit' me dog, I chop you up like Norman Bates
I'm true to this shit, I ain't new to this shit
Over a million sold on strictly weed and bricks
Flammable like gasoline when I'm lit up
I prefer my liquor dark and a mean white slut
It's over for you, cappin' ass rapper, get out the game
You can fool the record labels but not the streets man
I just tell it how I see it nigga, fact is fact
The first verse I ever wrote, I got a Platinum plaque
I've been to hell and back so nigga give me my props
Konkrete and Big Boi beating through your Speakerboxxx, yeah
Tomb after tomb
Boom, boom after boom
Serving up emotion once you deep inside the tomb
Embryo to newborn, you can feel me in the womb
Cool, ooh, that's cool (ha)
Ludacris, yeah I keep a glock, in case you like to leak a lot
Meanwhile, cranking the volume knob up on my Speakerboxxx (woo)
"So here he is, get the fuck on the ground"
Is just a phrase you might hear strolling through the A-Town (A-Town)
They don't believe I will stab them in the abdomen
From College Park, Georgia to College Park, Maryland (that's right)
So put your fist up boy, you want to romp
You can Bankhead Bounce or get Eastside Stomped (woo)
Thinking way back before I got mine
Putting bullet holes through neighborhood stop signs
Been a while, it's my adrenaline, yes, ladies and gentleman (ugh)
A hundred thou', bitch, diamonds shimmering
Catch me with a sack of Dro, reaching for the strap below
I'm with some nasty hoes, eating pistachios
Y'all driving Subarus, stuck in your cubicles
I'm stuck in the air with weed crumbs under my cuticles
Tomb after tomb
Boom, boom after boom
Serving up emotion once you deep inside the tomb
Embryo to newborn, you can feel me in the womb
Cool, ooh, that's cool
Fourth and goal
Should I take the three point field goal for the score or should I roll?
Around and take the ball up the middle up the gut, the what, the hole
Cranium overload, over throwed
Now we got seven more points on the board, for sure
B-I-G B-O-I, me oh my, I think he's blessing me
Excelling in harmonious melody, boy we got the recipe
Like Ragu, it's in there, giving you some of the best of me
Player, pimp, ganster, poet
We goin spit it, we going show it to your ass
"You're a champion" were my dad's last words before he passed
But I know one day we will once more cross paths
They say, "Big Boi, can you pull it off without your nigga Dre"
I say, "People, stop the madness 'cause me and Dre be okay"
OutKast, Cell Therapy to cell division
We just split it down the middle so you can see both the visions
Been spitting it damn near ten years, why the fuck would be be quitting
Fuck, nigga
The song "Tomb of the Boom," by OutKast featuring Konkrete, Ludacris, and Big Boi, talks about the rap game and how it has become corrupted over time. Konkrete opens up about the Feds wanting to bug him and how athletes want to be rappers. He talks about how he is riding corners in his Benz and how some women are slutty. The song shows the reality of the rap game and how some rappers are perpetrating in the booth rapping while trying to seem drug-related.
The chorus of the song talks about how Tomb after Tomb, Boom after Boom is serving up emotion, and once you are deep inside the Tomb, you can feel Konkrete from Embryo to Newborn, who is controlling the boom.
The song continues with Ludacris talking about all the guns, stabbing, and the violent nature of Atlanta's street, with several shout-outs to his hometown in College Park, Georgia. Big Boi jumps in on the last verse, and he mentions his dad's last words and how their partnership cannot be broken.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo
Hello
Just so you all know what time it is
Allow me to inform you of the current situation
It's your homeboy
I am your close friend
Straight from the A-T
Directly from Atlanta
I ain't even going say the motherfucking rest
I won't mention the rest explicitly
But you know
However, you are aware
Dungeon Family, all day long baby
We represent the Dungeon Family continuously
We finna break it off with some fresh new shit (ya, ya, ya)
We are about to present some new, exciting content
This rap game lovely
The rap industry is delightful
Konkrete play a part 'cause the Feds want to bug me
My involvement in illegal activities attracts unwanted attention from the authorities
Athletes want to be rappers, shawty, trust me
Famous sportspeople aspire to become successful rappers
Bending corners in the Benz
Safely maneuvering corners in the Mercedes-Benz car
Riding it like a bucket, nigga fuck it (fire another)
Driving the car carelessly, disregarding its value
I know some hoes slutty
I am acquainted with promiscuous women
I optioned a bitch off like a nigga playing rugby
I successfully negotiated with a woman as if participating in a rugby match
I done seen a ghetto meal, little buddy, trust me
I have witnessed poverty firsthand, believe me
Jump European, came clean through customs, no questions
Successfully crossed international borders without facing any complications
Perpetrators in the booth, rapping lame like they drug related (what?)
Individuals in the recording booth who rap poorly, pretending to be involved in drug-related activities
It made me sick to my stomach, lost a two and a baby
Their behavior disgusted me, causing me emotional distress
You don't grind, you be lying
You are not working hard, you are dishonest
Should be castrated, Lorena Bobitt maybe
You deserve to be emasculated, perhaps by Lorena Bobbit
Tomb after tomb
Successive failures or losses
Boom, boom after boom
Explosive or impactful events one after another
Serving up emotion once you deep inside the tomb
Eliciting intense emotions once you are deeply involved in a difficult situation
Embryo to newborn, you can feel me in the womb (woo)
From a developing fetus to a newly born baby, my presence can be sensed
Cool, ooh, that's cool (alright)
That's acceptable, satisfactory (expressing agreement)
You see, I cock back glocks, got more pull than slang shots
I prepare firearms, having more influence than small projectiles
Hit G spots by giving hoes back shots
I bring pleasure to women through sexual intercourse
I'm a young country boy, long socks with flip flops
I am a young rural man, wearing long socks with flip-flops
But I pull up on your block in the 500 Benz drop
Yet I arrive in my convertible Mercedes-Benz on your neighborhood
Konkrete, Aquemini, we taking this here to the top
Me and Aquemini are determined to achieve success in this endeavor
Bust like balloons, who gives a damn if it goes pop
We will experience rapid success, and it doesn't matter if it eventually ends
You say it's hot, well let me turn it up another notch
You claim it's already impressive, but I will make it even better
To my real niggas, won't you pump this out your Speakerboxxx
I encourage my genuine friends to play this music loud from their speakers
Fuck the cops, we making noise and we won't stop
We defy the police, making loud and rebellious statements, and we will continue
Bump, bump, there goes the boom and it's gon' drop
There it is, the impact and excitement will follow
Old school, big shoes, nigga, no socks
I represent the traditional style, wearing large shoes without socks
We keep tools, see fools, bullets will flock (yeah)
We possess weapons to intimidate foolish individuals, leading to their unavoidable consequences
They call me Mr. Ravioli, Mr. Strudel, Mr. Poke 'Em with the Noodle
I am known by various nicknames like Mr. Ravioli, Mr. Strudel, and Mr. Poke 'Em with the Noodle
Mr. Cockerspanielle in your poodle, after school tutor
I have the ability to attract women and provide them with knowledge or assistance after school
Roto Rooter, addicted to follies
I engage in risky behaviors and enjoy foolishness
Like brown collies, stay soft fro grows
Similar to brown collies, I maintain my Afro hairstyle in a soft and appealing manner
Swimming in the fallopian of an Ethiopian
I engage in sexual activities with an Ethiopian woman which is symbolized metaphorically as swimming in her reproductive system
Talking a different language, RBI fly wide
Speaking in a unique manner, my 'runs batted in' (RBI) fly widely
Come to me now, '84 hard, '84 soft wi't me now
Approach me immediately, referring to the 1984 model of my car as both powerful and comfortable
Beautiful ladies, they want to walk wit' me now, talk wit me now
Attractive women desire to accompany and have conversations with me now
Pussy pop for me now, sell cock for me now
Women display their sexual prowess, while men engage in the selling of their masculinity
Fight a bitch, hit her in the eye for me now
Get into an altercation with a woman, striking her in the eye on my behalf
See you when I see you, now I'm out wit' me now, yo
I will encounter you at a later time, for now, I am leaving
I will never fall off, I haul off heavy weight
I will always remain successful, carrying a significant burden
Fuck wit' me dog, I chop you up like Norman Bates
Don't mess with me, or I will harm you severely (referencing Norman Bates from Psycho)
I'm true to this shit, I ain't new to this shit
I am genuinely committed to this lifestyle, I am not a novice
Over a million sold on strictly weed and bricks
I have sold over a million records, focusing primarily on drug-related themes
Flammable like gasoline when I'm lit up
I am highly energetic and explosive when motivated
I prefer my liquor dark and a mean white slut
I enjoy strong alcoholic beverages and assertive Caucasian women
It's over for you, cappin' ass rapper, get out the game
Your career as a fraudulent rapper is finished, leave the industry
You can fool the record labels but not the streets man
You may deceive the record labels, but the streets will always know the truth
I just tell it how I see it nigga, fact is fact
I express my perspective honestly, the truth remains undisputed
The first verse I ever wrote, I got a Platinum plaque
My initial piece of lyrical composition earned me a highly esteemed award
I've been to hell and back so nigga give me my props
I have experienced and overcome great challenges, so I deserve recognition
Konkrete and Big Boi beating through your Speakerboxxx, yeah
Konkrete and I, Big Boi, have a significant impact through the music we create
Ludacris, yeah I keep a glock, in case you like to leak a lot
Ludacris here, and I possess a firearm in case you tend to talk excessively
Meanwhile, cranking the volume knob up on my Speakerboxxx (woo)
Simultaneously, I increase the volume on my speaker system (expressing excitement)
"So here he is, get the fuck on the ground"
Someone shouts, advising an individual to immediately lie down
Is just a phrase you might hear strolling through the A-Town (A-Town)
This is a common expression you may hear while walking around Atlanta
They don't believe I will stab them in the abdomen
People doubt my willingness to harm them in the stomach region
From College Park, Georgia to College Park, Maryland (that's right)
From my hometown in Georgia to another place called College Park in Maryland
So put your fist up boy, you want to romp
Raise your fist, boy, if you desire to engage in a fun, energetic activity
You can Bankhead Bounce or get Eastside Stomped (woo)
You can dance the Bankhead Bounce or face physical aggression from the Eastside
Thinking way back before I got mine
Reflecting on the time before I achieved success
Putting bullet holes through neighborhood stop signs
Engaging in destructive behavior by shooting at stop signs in the neighborhood
Been a while, it's my adrenaline, yes, ladies and gentleman (ugh)
It has been some time, my excitement levels are rising, addressing both women and men
A hundred thou', bitch, diamonds shimmering
Possessing a hundred thousand dollars, with diamonds sparkling
Catch me with a sack of Dro, reaching for the strap below
Find me with a bag of marijuana, while simultaneously accessing a firearm
I'm with some nasty hoes, eating pistachios
I am accompanied by promiscuous women, snacking on pistachios
Y'all driving Subarus, stuck in your cubicles
You all drive Subarus and remain confined to your office spaces
I'm stuck in the air with weed crumbs under my cuticles
I am elevated, in a euphoric state, with remnants of marijuana under my fingernails
Fourth and goal
In a crucial situation, near the end zone
Should I take the three point field goal for the score or should I roll?
Should I opt for a safe approach or take a risky chance for victory?
Around and take the ball up the middle up the gut, the what, the hole
Navigate through the middle, through the crowd, towards the goal
Cranium overload, over throwed
My mind is overloaded, overwhelmed
Now we got seven more points on the board, for sure
Now we have obtained seven additional points in the game
B-I-G B-O-I, me oh my, I think he's blessing me
Big Boi, me, oh my, I believe he is granting me favor or good fortune
Excelling in harmonious melody, boy we got the recipe
Thriving in melodic harmony, boy, we possess the secret formula for success
Like Ragu, it's in there, giving you some of the best of me
Just like Ragu sauce, it is all there, offering you the finest aspects of my skills
Player, pimp, ganster, poet
I embody the qualities of a charmer, a controller of women, a gangster, and a poet
We goin spit it, we going show it to your ass
We will deliver our message and perform it with great intensity
"You're a champion" were my dad's last words before he passed
"You are a champion," were the final words my father spoke before his death
But I know one day we will once more cross paths
However, I believe that one day our paths will intersect again
They say, "Big Boi, can you pull it off without your nigga Dre"
People question if I, Big Boi, can succeed without my partner Dre
I say, "People, stop the madness 'cause me and Dre be okay"
I respond, urging people to cease their irrational thoughts because Dre and I will be fine
OutKast, Cell Therapy to cell division
OutKast, from the song Cell Therapy to this current point of separation
We just split it down the middle so you can see both the visions
We have divided it equally so that you can appreciate both perspectives
Been spitting it damn near ten years, why the fuck would be be quitting
We have been rapping for nearly ten years, why would we ever consider stopping
Fuck, nigga
Expression of frustration or annoyance
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP, THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Antwan Patton, Christopher Bridges, Cameron F. Gipp, Nathaniel Elder, Corey Andrews, James Patton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
la Son
on Mainstream
@23 references psalm 23
A healthy portion of this song on all verses spits on spiritual