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.
Two Dope Boyz
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the bottom of my lungs a nigga be blowin', spittin' his game
Comin' up on ya from the South, the A-T-Liens ain't changed
Cooler than most players claim to be
A nigga that's from the A-Town see
The home of the Bankhead Bounce, Campbellton Road and other city streets
Enough of the verality, fallacy, butter we speak not fiction
Every time I rhyme for y'all, I'm lookin' to prove a point
Kickin' a freestyle every now and then
But mostly after joint
See I smoke good cause see it go good wit them flows, why
The nigga the B-I-G like Tony Rich nobody knows why
But me and my folks, cause y'all niggas jokes like the joker
I'm sick of these wack ass rappers like I'm tired of hoes in chokers
Who them boys that be havin' the crunk every occasion
This side niggas dustin', that side niggas lacin'
But in the middle we stay calm, we just drop bombs
Askin' where we come from, South Post slums
It's just two dope boys in a Cadillac
It's just two dope boys in a Cadillac
This ol' sucka MC stepped up to me
Challenged Andre to a battle and I stood there patiently
As he spit and stumbled over clichés, so called freestylin'
Whole purpose just to make me feel low, I guess you wilin'
I say, "Look boi, I ain't for that fuck shit, so fuck this"
Let me explain on this child style so you don't miss
I grew up to myself not 'round no park bench
Just a nigga bustin' flows off in apartments
Now who them boys that be havin' the crunk every occasion
This side niggas dustin', that side niggas lacin'
But in the middle we stay calm, we just drop bombs
Askin' where we come from, South Post slums
It's just two dope boys in a Cadillac
It's just two dope boys in a Cadillac
It goes chromes to the Fleetwoods, coupes to the 'Villes
Hittin Girbauds and off these flows we havin' the player chill
In this atmosphere this ain't no practice here we cuttin' the fool now
I'm doin' ya at the house and throwin' you out because I'm through now
Don't you love the way we claimin' Bankhead, stankhead
Lookin' around the SWATS for the herb that's never tainted
Fainted when you heard the bourbon servin' on the block
And all you bitin' individuals need to check yourself and stop
Yeah tight like nuts and bolts, sluts and hoes that get evicted
I'm dealin' with Queens in my castle ain't worth it to risk it
Now tricks be lookin' at me like I'm they way up out the pro-jects
Can't put you on my payroll, and no I ain't got no Rolex
Or no diamond at the exit with a sign sayin' "We'll rap for food"
My face is bawled up 'cause I ain't in a happy mood
While my partner got the squeegee and the Windex
'Cause somewhere in my life I done went wrong just like a syntax
Error, bring the terror to your dome like P.E.
Prone to finish this out because this be a free-style (ow, oh)
Now who them boys that be havin' the crunk every occasion
This side niggas dustin', that side niggas lacin'
But in the middle we stay calm
We just drop
These lyrics are from Outkast's song "Two Dope Boyz in a Cadillac." The song is a testament to the duo's roots in Atlanta, Georgia. The lyrics are full of references to the geography, people, and culture of Atlanta. The song is a mix of upbeat, energetic rhythms and more laid-back, chill tones.
The song is about two drug dealers cruising around in a Cadillac, talking about their lives and the Atlanta rap scene. They're bragging about their skills, their money, and their ability to get women. They're also commenting on the state of the rap game at the time, saying that they're tired of wack rappers and cliches.
Line by Line Meaning
From the bottom of my lungs a nigga be blowing, spitting his game
I rap with all my energy and authenticity
Coming up on ya from the South, the A-T-Liens ain't changed
We're from Atlanta, still making great music
Cooler than most players claim to be
We're more laid-back and confident than other rappers
A nigga that's from the A-Town see
We're proud of being from Atlanta
The home of the Bankhead Bounce, Campbellton Road and other city streets
Atlanta has a unique and vibrant culture, especially in its neighborhoods
Enough of the verality, fallacy, butter we speak not fiction
We don't make up stories, we speak the truth
Speaking of pulling yo' girl looking at Jheri curls you bitches
We're so cool, we can even steal your girl just by looking at her
Every time I rhyme for y'all, I'm looking to prove a point
We take our music seriously and want to make an impact
Kicking a freestyle every now and then
We're confident and skilled enough to rap off the top of our heads
But mostly off the joint
We smoke weed and use it to enhance our creativity
See I smoke good cause see it go good wit them flows, why
We believe smoking weed helps us make better music
The nigga the B-I-G like Tony Rich nobody knows why
We're not sure why we're so great, but we are
But me and my folks, cause y'all niggas jokes like the joker
We know we're talented and others can't match up
I'm sick of these wack ass rappers like I'm tired of hoes in chokers
We're fed up with bad rappers and fake women
Who them boys that be having the cronk every occasion
We're the guys who have the party going all the time
This side niggas dusting, that side niggas lacing
Some people are smoking weed, others are selling it
But in the middle we stay calm, we just drop bombs
We're always ready to drop great music
Asking where we come from, South Post Lodge
We're proud of our Atlanta roots in the South Post Lodge area
It's Just Two Dope Boyz In A Cadillac
We don't need anything fancy, just two cool guys in a car
This ol sucka MC stepped up to me
Another rapper challenged us to a battle
Challenged Andre to a battle and I stood there patiently
I waited patiently for my turn to out-rap him
As he spit and stumbled over cliches, so called freestylin'
The other rapper was trying to rap off the top of his head but failed
Whole purpose just to make me feel low, I guess you wilin'
The other rapper was trying to bring us down and boost himself up
I say look boi, I ain't for that fuck shit; so fuck this
We don't have time for people trying to bring us down
Let me explain on this child style so you don't miss
We'll explain our style of rap to make sure you understand
I grew up to myself not round no park bench
We didn't need to hang out with others to become great rappers
Just a nigga bustin' flows off in apartments
We spent a lot of time practicing our music in apartments
It goes chromes to the Fleetwoods, Coups to the Villes
We're into all types of cars and fashions
Hittin Girbauds and off these flows we having the player chill
We're so cool, we can just chill and hang out after rapping
In this atmosphere this ain't no practice here we cutting the fool now
We're not just practicing, we're really making great music and having fun
I'm doing ya at the house and throwing you out because I'm through now
We're done dealing with people who are just using us
Don't you love the way we claming Bankhead, stankhead
We're proud of being from Bankhead, a rough area of Atlanta
Looking around the SWATS for the herb that's never tainted
We're looking for the best weed around, without any adulteration
Fainted when you heard the bourbon serving on the block
Our music is so good, it'll make you faint when you hear it
And all you biting individuals need to check yourselfs and stop
Other rappers need to stop copying us and find their own style
Yeah tight like nuts and bolts, sluts and hoes that get evicted
We're tight and secure, unlike women who get kicked out of their homes
I'm dealing with Queens in my castle ain't worth to risk it
We're not interested in risky relationships, only with regal women
Now tricks be looking at me like I'm they way up out the pro-jects
Women are often interested in us thinking we can take them out of poverty
Can't put you on my payroll, and no I ain't got no Rolex
We can't pay for anyone's expenses, and we don't even have expensive watches
Or no diamond at the exit with a sign saying "We'll rap for food"
We're not so desperate for money we'll rap on the street for food
My face is bawled up cause I ain't in a happy mood
We're not always happy, despite our success
While my partner got the squeegee and the Windex
My friend is working as a window cleaner to earn a living
Cause somewhere in my life I done went wrong just like a syntax
I've made mistakes in life just like a grammatical error
Error, bring the terror to your dome like P.E.
We're not afraid to bring great music and rap to the masses
Prone to finish this out cause this be a free-style
We're confident in our ability to make great music on the spot
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andre Benjamin, Antwan Patton, Clarence Newton Burke, Curtis Mayfield, Gregory Fowler, Noize Organized, Patrick Brown, Raymon Murray, Rico Wade, Rico R. Wade
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Jreiles75
This world needs a new OutKast album. It's been almost twenty years.
@payten8103
Stick up a Square put it in the air and Picture Mee.
https://youtube.com/shorts/xNgD9ay8v9I?feature=share
@xeonxity3402
An OutKast album would be a rare fresh or fresh air in this day in time
@SkyBlew
Yessss! 😃🙌🏾 And I'm sure it would be nothing less than amazing 💙✌🏾🎨⛅
@wallyg1983
I think it’s coming, Big Boi teased an Outkast hashtag on his Instagram the other day.
@marc6602
@@wallyg1983 it won’t happen because Andre 3000 is done rapping, he said “it’s called hip hop for a reason, how can I make hip hop music if I’m not hip, young kids are hip, I’m too old to be hip” he said this more than a decade ago
@ginapayne744
25 years old and sounding brand new. Good music is timeless.
@billygude
😢😢😂😂❤
@GRANDKUSH
2 dope boys will forever be dope....ONE LAST OUTKAST album we need that BLESSING..
@user-ox3ts8ml9x
Last but not Least