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.
You
OutKast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heh, Heh.
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
We tapping right into your memory banks (Thanks!)
So click it our ticket, lets see your seat belt fastened
Trunk rattlin' like two midgets in the back seat grasping
Speakerbox vibrate the tank, make it sound like aluminum cans in the back
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 (Who!)
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 (Who!)
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?
Cause 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, and let me study how you ride the beat
You big freak!
Skinny, slim women got the camel toe within them
You can fuck them, lift them, bend them, give them something to remember
Yell out timber when they fall through the chop shop
Take a deep a breath and exhale your ex male friend, boyfriend was boring as hell
Now 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 (Who!)
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 (Who!)
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 on the top of me
You so fine (you so fine) you so fine
You drive me outta my mind (my mind, outta my mind!) Oh baby!
If I could I would, just be with you baby
Oh Cause you like me and excite me and you know you gotta leave baby!
Oh
I like the way you move
I like the way you move (Who!)
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 (Who!)
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 (Who!)
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 (Who!)
I love the way you move
I love the way, I love the way
The song "The Way You Move" by OutKast featuring Sleepy Brown is a classic hip hop song that has been hailed as one of the best songs of the 2000s. The lyrics of the song focus on the dance floor and how people move their bodies to the music. The rappers describe how the beats are so good that they penetrate the audience's memory banks and make them tap their feet. The song also has sexual undertones as the rappers sing about the women they see on the dance floor.
The chorus repeats the same lyrics twice with minor variations, highlighting how much the rappers are affected by the dancing. As the song progresses, the rappers describe the different types of women they see on the dance floor and how they move. They are drawn to larger women, skinny women, and all kinds of women as long as they move well. The rappers seem to be encouraging people to let go of their inhibitions and dance like no one is watching.
Overall, the song celebrates the energy and excitement of the dance floor, and the way it brings people together in a fun and carefree way. It also celebrates diversity and inclusivity, reminding listeners that all kinds of people can be beautiful and sexy.
Line by Line Meaning
Boom, Boom, Boom.
We are ready to start the action and get the party going.
Heh, Heh.
We are excited and having a good time.
Ready for action, nip it in the bud
We are prepared and eager to start the fun, and deal with any potential problems quickly.
We never relaxin', OutKast is everlastin'
We are always bringing the energy and our music will never die.
Not clashin', not at all but see my nigga want to do a little acting
We are not trying to cause any conflicts, but my friend is interested in pursuing an acting career.
Now that's for anyone askin' give me one pass em'
I am giving you permission to ignore any drama that may arise.
Drip drip drop there goes an eargasm
Our music is so good that it brings an intense pleasure to the listener.
Now you cumin out the side of your face
Our music is so good that it is causing physical reactions like open-mouthed astonishment or excitement.
We tapping right into your memory banks (Thanks!)
Our music is powerful enough to make a lasting impression on your mind.
So click it our ticket, lets see your seat belt fastened
Let's get ready for a wild ride with our music, and buckle up for the energy that is about to come.
Trunk rattlin' like two midgets in the back seat grasping
Our music is so loud and powerful that it feels like two small people are shaking in the back of your car.
Speakerbox vibrate the tank, make it sound like aluminum cans in the back
Our music is so strong that it makes the entire car shake, and the bass sounds like cans rattling in the distance.
But I know y'all wanted that 808 can you feel that B-A-S-S, bass
We know listeners are looking for that heavy bass sound and we are delivering it with our 808 beats.
I like the way you move
I appreciate the way you dance or carry yourself.
I love the way you move
I am even more impressed by the way you dance or carry yourself, and it has caught my attention.
Then the whole room fell silent
The energy and attention has shifted towards something new or interesting.
The girls all pause with glee, turning left turning right are they looking at me?
Women in the room are now looking at me, and I am unsure of why.
Cause I was looking at them, there, there on the dance floor
I was admiring them as they danced, but now it seems like they are returning the favor to me.
Now they got me in the middle feeling like a man whore
I am now at the center of attention and feeling like people are objectifying me.
Specially the big girl, big girls need love too no discrimination here squirrel
I am attracted to a larger woman, and I want to make it clear that everyone deserves love and respect regardless of their size.
So keep your hands off my cheeks, and let me study how you ride the beat
Don't touch me, but I will continue to admire how you dance.
You big freak!
I admire your dancing and energy, and I am praising you for it.
Skinny, slim women got the camel toe within them
Thinner women have a certain physical feature which is considered sexy and desirable.
You can fuck them, lift them, bend them, give them something to remember
I am listing sexual acts that may impress or satisfy women.
Yell out timber when they fall through the chop shop
I am jokingly advising men to take caution or be prepared when a woman falls for them.
Take a deep a breath and exhale your ex male friend, boyfriend was boring as hell
I am suggesting that women should leave their boring or dissatisfying partners and find new, exciting relationships.
Now let me listen to the stories you tell
I am interested in listening to the experiences and stories that women have to share.
And we can make moves like a person in jail on the loco
I am suggesting that we can make bold moves or decisions in our relationship, just like a person in jail who is acting reckless and bold.
Hey baby, girl don't you stop
I am addressing a woman and encouraging her to continue dancing or performing.
Come on baby dance on the top of me
I am requesting more closeness and intimacy with the woman I am interested in.
You so fine (you so fine) you so fine
I am complimenting the woman's beauty and aesthetics.
You drive me outta my mind (my mind, outta my mind!) Oh baby!
I am expressing how attracted I am to this woman and how I can't stop thinking about her.
If I could I would, just be with you baby
I wish that we could be together and have a romantic relationship.
Oh Cause you like me and excite me and you know you gotta leave baby!
I am expressing that this woman is attracted to me and excites me, but I know she can't stay for long.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BlakeDaGreat12
If you’re listening to this in 2024, you’re a true legend.
@andreachristine2419
This still bangs today. GOD I miss the flow that OutKast had, there's nothing like it anymore. This that music you can vibe to, relax to, and dance too. OutKast is a genre itself.
@ao8878
Yeah literally, it’s so hard to find music that is soooo chill but you could also dance to, nothing out now is as good as the 90s sounds and especially outkast
@pickeerose4129
Outkast Music
@jrhunt5293
Frfr
@jeromepurgerson3093
I'll never forget being like 9 years old hearing so fresh so clean for the first time,back when you use to go around the corner to that shady ass spot on the corner for dvds and cds that just dropped for the low low 😆
@xg2922
Earthgang!
@MySuperman78
This was so far ahead of its time that I remember when it first dropped in 1996, I couldn’t understand their vision at the time. This is the true art of storytelling and intelligence infused into hip hop.
@HUGG0
Eminem fez o clipe fuck feito por esse clipe ai
@ShiftyShifts
I remember being shocked hearing this on MTV in tge middle of the night when they played upcoming artists thinking they were amazing but so niche sounding that they'd never be that big. I was wrong.