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.
We Luv Deez Hoez
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the fake nails, down to the toes
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
From the weave to the fake eyes
To the fake nails, down to the toes
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
Don't lie you love them, if you don't you like them hoez a whole lot
Just like your mama Sunday cookin' turkey necks in the pot
You ready to drop your load like prop planes be droppin' that cocaine
You ready to turn your fro, from natural straight to a cold wave
Dat ho name Betty Big Shoez, she wore them Herman Munster heels
Popped a pill, now she's in your Coupe De Ville, passenger seat
I made her eat my meat while I was rubbin' her coochie
Injection in her top and bottom lip straight from her booty
So Do Re, blow me, Fa So La Ti Da Ha I'm tellin' the truth
You suckin' your tooth you treatin' her like a star boy
From a Figueroa to a herringbone
From droppin' her off to takin' her home
She tried to pull my rubber off with her pussy muscles that was wrong
The bitch is no good like lesbians with no tongues
You fucked around and knocked her up and now you say she the one
Nigga you dumb, you should have pulled it out and squirted on her eyelash
And let her face be holdin' the baby, now she after yo ass!
Yeah, I told y'all niggas
About god damn takin' them hoez to the cheeseacake Factory
Lettin' them hoez order strawberry lemonade and popcorn shrimps
They ain't goin' do nuthin'
But try to take all your motherfuckin' cheese! (Yeah!)
From the weave to the fake eyes
To the fake nails, down to the toes
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
From the weave to the fake eyes
To the fake nails, down to the toes
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
Ay, ay, what's up lil' girl I see you workin' them Valente
She walk wit a fly Sashay
Look here say, I'm just a Fat Face I come through swervin' (ay, ay)
You love the way the leather grippin' your butt
Conversation kill 'em, drippin' em up
Relax Shawty, oh lordy, I quote the facts
Whippin' convertible with Daddy Fat Sax
I stay G sharp as a note of music
Call me fresh baked bread, make a broad lose it
I'm just sayin' they just can't stand to see me execute game plan
I slow it down, she like it speed it up
She poked it out, I beat it up like that
Hit 'em from the back, had to increase that ho vocabulary
From the weave to the fake eyes
To the fake nails, down to the toes
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
From the weave to the fake eyes
To the fake nails, down to the toes
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
Yeah, yeah, Gipp keep it double loco
Met up in Cafe Intermezzo for some late night pastry
Conversation hasty cause I was ready to dip
Sweatsuit velour so I ordered Kahlua
Fell in, hit her with the garden hose
Left her with the pokahose, got up and didn't say goodbye
Her face wrinkle up and froze
Why you leavin' so soon, supposed to
And ain't no question about that
They call me Big Gipp on the southside
Mr. Get Down in the veins so what's the word
Don't fall in love with good pussy off the top
Better leave for two months come back and pop, "study the shit"
From the weave to the fake eyes
To the fake nails, down to the toes
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
From the weave to the fake eyes
To the fake nails, down to the toes
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
The lyrics of “We Luv Deez Hoez” by Outkast is an explicit depiction of the rapper's attraction towards women who put on excessive artificial enhancements to their physical appearance. The lyrics are quite controversial as they objectify and disrespect women, referring to them as “hoes” throughout the song. In the chorus, the repeated line “From the weave to the fake eyes, To the fake nails, down to the toes, Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez” refers to the appreciation for the women who invest in artificial enhancements and present themselves as more desirable.
Throughout the song, the objectification and belittlement of women are apparent. The lyrics suggest that the appreciation for women comes from their physical appearance, with terms like “You ready to turn your fro from natural straight to a cold wave” and “I made her eat my meat while I was rubbin' her coochie.” The lyrics represent a culture where women are valued based on their looks rather than their individuality, personality or intelligence.
Overall, “We Luv Deez Hoez” is not about promoting women's empowerment, self-respect or self-confidence. Rather it's about the promotion of a particular ideal of beauty, which is achieved through artificial enhancements, and a culture that objectifies and belittles women for their physical appearance.
Line by Line Meaning
From the weave to the fake eyes
We're enamored by the artifice of these women, from their false hair to their artificial eyes.
To the fake nails, down to the toes
They even carry the facade all the way down to their fake nails and fake toes.
Ha ha ha ha! We luv deez hoez
We can’t help but laugh at our own obsession with these women.
Don't lie you love them, if you don't you like them hoez a whole lot
Even if you claim you don't love these women, you undoubtedly carry a strong attraction towards them.
Just like your mama Sunday cookin' turkey necks in the pot
There’s something familiar and comforting about our attraction to these women, like the tradition of a home-cooked meal on a Sunday afternoon.
You ready to drop your load like prop planes be droppin' that cocaine
We’re eager to release our belonging onto these women like planes dropping illicit drugs.
You ready to turn your fro, from natural straight to a cold wave
We’re willing to sacrifice our own personal style and conform to societal norms in pursuit of these women.
Dat ho name Betty Big Shoez, she wore them Herman Munster heels
We love these women so much that we can even recall their names and the specific details of their appearance.
Popped a pill, now she's in your Coupe De Ville, passenger seat
These women have an effect on us that is so strong that they can easily persuade us into giving them what they want.
I made her eat my meat while I was rubbin' her coochie
We engage in sexual acts with these women while disregarding our own integrity and self-respect.
Injection in her top and bottom lip straight from her booty
We are willing to disregard these women's health and well-being if it means they will comply with our desires.
So Do Re, blow me, Fa So La Ti Da Ha I'm tellin' the truth
We're confident in our addiction to these women, and nothing can convince us otherwise.
You suckin' your tooth you treatin' her like a star boy
We treat these women like celebrities, catering to their every whim.
From a Figueroa to a herringbone
Our attraction to these women transcends economic class, from a cheap street to a more luxurious area.
From droppin' her off to takin' her home
We can't get enough of these women and are willing to spend any amount of time and money on them.
She tried to pull my rubber off with her pussy muscles that was wrong
These women have such a strong hold on us that they'll do anything to keep us close to them.
The bitch is no good like lesbians with no tongues
We acknowledge that these women might not be good for us but continue to indulge our attraction to them.
You fucked around and knocked her up and now you say she the one
We'll ignore our better judgment and even impregnate these women if it means we get to keep them close.
Nigga you dumb, you should have pulled it out and squirted on her eyelash
We don't make wise decisions when it comes to these women, even putting ourselves at risk of unwanted pregnancy or disease.
And let her face be holdin' the baby, now she after yo ass!
Our attraction to these women can come back to haunt us in the form of unwanted responsibility, commitment, and drama.
Yeah, I told y'all niggas
We're open about our obsession with these women and unapologetic about our behavior.
About god damn takin' them hoez to the cheeseacake Factory
We'll spend extravagant amounts of money on these women, chasing a fantasy.
Lettin' them hoez order strawberry lemonade and popcorn shrimps
We'll indulge these women's every whim, even if it means spending ridiculous amounts of money on frivolous items.
They ain't goin' do nuthin'
We're aware that these women might not reciprocate our feelings or loyalty, yet we still indulge them.
But try to take all your motherfuckin' cheese!
These women are only interested in us for our money, and we're powerless to resist.
Ay, ay, what's up lil' girl I see you workin' them Valente
We're constantly on the lookout for more women to indulge our addiction.
She walk wit a fly Sashay
We're attracted to these women's confidence and ability to captivate those around them.
Look here say, I'm just a Fat Face I come through swervin'
We present our best selves to these women, even if it means compromising our values.
You love the way the leather grippin' your butt
We're attracted to these women's physical attributes and are willing to objectify them.
Conversation kill 'em, drippin' em up
We're skilled at engaging these women in conversation, enticing them to indulge our addiction further.
Relax Shawty, oh lordy, I quote the facts
We'll say and do anything to keep these women close to us, even if it means lying or manipulating the situation.
Whippin' convertible with Daddy Fat Sax
We'll go to great lengths to impress these women, even if it means presenting a false image of ourselves.
I stay G sharp as a note of music
We're acutely aware of these women's wants and needs, and we're skilled at satisfying them.
Call me fresh baked bread, make a broad lose it
We're confident in our ability to attract these women, using our charm and charisma.
I'm just sayin' they just can't stand to see me execute game plan
We have a strategy for indulging our addiction, and we'll execute it no matter what.
I slow it down, she like it speed it up
We're adaptable to these women's desires and will change ourselves to please them.
She poked it out, I beat it up like that
We're aggressive and relentless in our pursuit of these women's attention and affection.
Hit 'em from the back, had to increase that ho vocabulary
We're skilled at sexual acts and can adapt to any situation, even if it means using degrading language.
Yeah, yeah, Gipp keep it double loco
We're unapologetic about our behavior and recognize that it's dangerous and destructive.
Met up in Cafe Intermezzo for some late night pastry
We'll do anything to keep these women close to us, even if it means spending large amounts of money on expensive dates.
Conversation hasty cause I was ready to dip
We'll abandon these women once we get what we want, and we're always on the lookout for the next fix.
Sweatsuit velour so I ordered Kahlua
We'll present any image of ourselves to these women if we can get closer to them.
Fell in, hit her with the garden hose
We're skilled at seducing these women, and they're powerless to resist.
Left her with the pokahose, got up and didn't say goodbye
We'll abandon these women as soon as we get what we want, disregarding their feelings and well-being.
Her face wrinkle up and froze
These women are hurt and confused by our behavior, but we're indifferent to their emotions.
Why you leavin' so soon, supposed to
These women expect more from us, but we're unwilling or unable to provide it.
And ain't no question about that
We're confident in our ability to indulge our addiction, and we're unwilling to change.
They call me Big Gipp on the southside
Our addiction to these women is well-known and accepted in our community.
Mr. Get Down in the veins so what's the word
We're so addicted to these women that they're in our blood and we can't escape them.
Don't fall in love with good pussy off the top
We're aware that our addiction to these women is misguided and destructive, and we try to warn others from making the same mistake.
Better leave for two months come back and pop, "study the shit"
We're unable to control our addiction to these women, but we're willing to advise others on how to do so.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andre Benjamin, Patrick Leroy Brown, Cameron F. Gipp, Raymon Ameer Murray, Antwan Andre Patton, Bolivar Troncoso, Rico R. Wade, Jamahr Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@freddieherdman3882
If you are reading this know that we have brilliant music taste
@AaronHarkonnen
If this was Aquemini or Southern Playalistic, then you got even better taste
@DNyCe36
I am from and live all the way in the Bronx NY and am playin this right now fam. The south in this (our day) was flames!! ATL is the SHIT
@mariadrinkstea2297
fuck yea
@VIDE_005
Thank u, I may be 15 but I listen to alot of OutKast
@VIDE_005
@@AaronHarkonnen I listened to both
@lewyy10
This is a gem. So underrated.
@alimajed-3803
Idk about that
@mauricedoss5339
Big Boi killed his verse🔥🔥🔥🔥
@meechy9166
This is another one that gets overlooked too!!! So many timeless tracks off this album!!! Glad I revisited this album!!! Easily one of the greatest albums to ever come out!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥