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{{Refimprove|date=October 2007}}
{{Infobox musical artist
|Name = OutKast
|Img = OutKast 2001.jpg
|Img_capt = OutKast performing in 2001.
|Background = group_or_band
|Origin = [[East Point, Georgia]], [[United States]]
|Genre = [[Alternative hip hop]]<br>[[Southern hip hop]]<br>[[Experimental music|Experimental]]<br>[[Funk]]
|Years_active = 1991 &ndash; present
|Label = [[LaFace Records|LaFace]], [[Arista Records|Arista]]
|Associated_acts = [[Dungeon Family]], [[Purple Ribbon All-Stars]], [[DJ Drama]]
|URL = [http://www.outkast.com www.outkast.com]
|Current_members = [[Big Boi|Antwan "Big Boi" Patton]] <br> [[André Benjamin|André "André 3000" Benjamin]]
}}

'''OutKast''' are a popular [[United States|American]] [[Grammy]] award winning [[hip hop music|hip hop]] [[duet (music)|duo]] based out of [[East Point, Georgia]], a city south of [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. Their original musical style was a mixture of [[Dirty South]] and [[G-Funk]]; since then, [[funk]], [[soul music|soul]], [[pop music|pop]], [[electronica]], [[rock music|rock]], [[spoken word]] poetry, [[jazz]], and [[blues]] elements have been added to the group's musical palette. The duo consists of Atlanta native [[André 3000|André "André 3000" Benjamin]] (formerly known as "Dre") and [[Savannah, Georgia]]-born [[Big Boi|Antwan "Big Boi" Patton]].

The duo is one of the most successful hip-hop groups of all time, having received six [[Grammy Awards]]. Over 20 million copies have been sold of OutKast's eight releases: six studio albums, a [[greatest hits]] release, and ''[[Speakerboxxx/The Love Below]]'', a [[double album]] containing a solo album from each member. ''Speakerboxxx/The Love Below'' is one of only four hip-hop albums to be certified [[RIAA certification|Diamond]] in the U.S. for shipping over 10 million units. Despite OutKast's commercial success, they have maintained an experimental approach in their music and are widely praised for their originality and artistic content.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/04/15/outkast/index.html OutKast propels hip-hop to new heights], CNN.com, April 19, 2004</ref>

==History==
===Pre-debut===
Benjamin and Patton met in high school when Andre's parents were divorced and Andre was visiting his father. Meanwhile, Patton had to move with his three brothers and two sisters from Savannah to Atlanta. Benjamin and Patton went to Tri-Cities High School together in [[East Point, Georgia]], and became musical rivals, challenging each other to [[freestyle battle|freestyle MC battles]] on a regular basis.<ref> Bush, John (2000). "OutKast". ''Allmusic.com''. Retrieved from http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=OUTKAST&sql=11:yns9kebtjq7q~T1 on July 12, 2006.</ref> They eventually teamed up and were pursued by [[Organized Noize]], a group of local producers who would later make hits for [[TLC (music)|TLC]] and [[Xscape (band)|Xscape]]. While searching through a dictionary, Big Boi and André 3000 came across the word "outcast" and decided this would be a perfect group name because at the time, the hip hop industry was dominated by [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] and [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] rappers who saw southern rappers as outcasts. 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 labelmate [[TLC (music)|TLC]]'s "What about your friends". In 1993, they released their first [[Single (music)|single]], "[[Player's Ball]]". The song's [[funk music|funky]] style, much of it accomplished with live instrumentation, was a hit with audiences."Player's Ball" hit number-one on the ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Rap Tracks]] chart.

===''Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik''===
Their full-length debut, ''[[Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik]]'', was issued the next year. This initial effort is credited with laying the foundation for southern hip hop and is considered a classic by many of their southern fan base. 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 [[pimp]]s and [[gangster]]s 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.

===''ATLiens''===
''[[ATLiens]]'' was OutKast's second album, released in 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 [[Mr. DJ|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:<ref>Vernon, Polly (Sept 18, 2005). "'I'm addicted to creating': Polly Vernon talks to Andre 3000". ''The Observer.'' Retrieved from http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,1572394,00.html on July 12, 2006. Excerpt: Early success sent Benjamin off the rails a little. He exploited his growing fame, he says. "I did. And then I got guilty about it and pulled back. I used drugs and drink a lot, and then I went cold turkey. Ten years ago."</ref> "No drugs or alcohol/so I can get the signal clear," he rhymes about himself. "Elevators (Me and You)," OutKast's first self-produced single, became the group's first Top 20 hit the same year.

===''Aquemini''===
OutKast's third album ''[[Aquemini]]'' (1998) also reached the number-two position on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States; its title was a combination of the [[zodiac sign]]s of Big Boi (an [[Aquarius (astrology)|Aquarius]]) and André (a [[Gemini (astrology)|Gemini]]). The album was widely praised as possibly the group's best material to date: when reviewed by popular hip-hop publication [[The Source (magazine)|''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 music|soul]], [[trip hop]], and [[electro music]]. The album featured production by Organized Noize and collaborations with [[Raekwon]], [[funk music|funk]] pioneer and musical forebear [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]], and Goodie Mob.

In 1999, OutKast and [[LaFace Records]] were [[lawsuit|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 [[obscenity|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 of the United States|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 [[United Kingdom|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.<ref>"[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,20029-2302431.html The Times, August 2006]"</ref> 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: as of August 2006, the nature of this tribute had not been decided, and OutKast had not completed it.

===''Stankonia''===
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 [[RIAA certification|quadruple-platinum]]. ''[[Stankonia|Stankonia's]]'' first single was "[[B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)]]", a high-[[tempo]] [[Oldschool jungle|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 dropped 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 Award]]s, 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 Records|Columbia]], including [[Slimm Calhoun|Slimm Cutta Calhoun]] and [[Killer Mike]], who made his debut appearance on ''Stankonia's'' "Snappin' & Trappin."

===''Even in Darkness'' and ''Greatest Hits''===
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 first and only [[Dungeon Family]] group album, ''[[Even in Darkness]]'', along with Goodie Mob, Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown, [[Witchdoctor (rapper)|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 (film)|Scooby Doo]]'' [[soundtrack]].

===''Speakerboxxx/The Love Below''===
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 music|funk]], jazz, electronica, 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 [[RIAA certification|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 nine 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{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. The video for "Roses" is loosely based on the musical [[West Side Story]]. 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. The final singles were André 3000's "Prototype", which was paired with a [[science fiction]]-themed video about alien visitors, and ''Speakerboxxx's'' "Ghetto Musick," which featured both members of OutKast and a [[Sampling (music)|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 [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|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 (funk musician)|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 dancers moving wildly around a green [[teepee]] in war paint and feathered [[headdress]]es, was criticized by the Native American Cultural Center, who called for a boycott of OutKast, Arista Records, [[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences|NARAS]], and of [[CBS]], the broadcaster of the awards show. CBS later apologized.<ref>Ryan, Joal (Feb. 11, 2004). "Native Americans rap OutKast". ''E! Online''. Retrieved from http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,13487,00.html on July 12, 2006.</ref>

===''Idlewild''===
Between OutKast albums, Big Boi and André 3000 ventured into [[film]] projects. André co-starred in [[John Singleton]]'s action film ''[[Four Brothers (film)|Four Brothers]]'' and also had a part in ''Be Cool'', while Big Boi took a featured role in the [[T.I.]] movie ''[[ATL (film)|ATL]]''. Both members also began working on a joint film, ''[[Idlewild (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 (album)|Idlewild soundtrack]] was released [[August 22]], [[2006]]. Its lead single, "The 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.

===Future projects and breakup rumors===
Aquemini Records folded in 2004, and Big Boi founded a new record label, [[Purple 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 ''[[Got Purp? Vol 2|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'' dropped, 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.<ref>Watson, Margeaux (June 2006). "The end of OutKast?" ''EW.com''. Retrieved from http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1195670_4_0_,00.html on July 12, 2006.</ref> André has recently 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.

Big Boi has openly addressed the media and fans' coverage of the rumors in various songs; on "Hollywood Divorce" from ''Idlewild'', he addresses journalists and "[[Eminem]]s/M&Ms with no nuts," referring to gossip-prone white teens with internet access. On "Tomb of the Boom," a song from ''Speakerboxxx'', he recorded the lines "They say Big Boi can you pull it off without yo nigga Dre?" with the reply "I say people stop the madness cuz me and Dre will be okay." He also adds the question, "We've been spittin damn near 10 years why the fuck would we be quittin?"

In an interview with the L.A. Times that came out right after "Idlewild" was released, OutKast confirmed that "10 The Hard Way" was still going to come out, but said they would keep it 'under wraps' until the album's release.<ref>Lee, Chris (August 23, 2006). "United They Plan-At Least for now". "latimes.com". Retrieved from "http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,20029-2302431_2,00.html" on September 23, 2006.</ref> 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. <ref>http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1564274/20070709/outkast.jhtml</REF>. Big Boi's solo album will be released first in 2008, with the first single planned to have been released on December 31st, 2007, but was not released on the announced date. <ref>http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6081/title.big-boi-speaks-on-his-solo-album</ref>

==Discography==
{{main|OutKast discography}}
*''[[Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik]]'' (1994)
*''[[ATLiens]]'' (1996)
*''[[Aquemini]]'' (1998)
*''[[Stankonia]]'' (2000)
*''[[Speakerboxxx/The Love Below]]'' (2003)
*''[[Idlewild (OutKast album)|Idlewild]]'' (2006)

==Grammy awards==
'''Wins'''
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Year
!align="left" width="250"|Category
!align="left" width="200"|Title
|-
|align="left"|2002
|align="left"|Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group
|align="left"|"Ms. Jackson"
|-
|align="left"|2002
|align="left"|Best Rap Album
|align="left"|''Stankonia''
|-
|align="left"|2003
|align="left"|Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group
|align="left"|"The Whole World"
|-
|align="left"|2004
|align="left"|Album of the Year
|align="left"|''Speakerboxxx/The Love Below''
|-
|align="left"|2004
|align="left"|Best Urban/Alternative Performance
|align="left"|"Hey Ya!"
|-
|align="left"|2004
|align="left"|Best Rap Album
|align="left"|''Speakerboxxx/The Love Below''
|}
'''Nominations'''
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Year
!align="left" width="250"|Category
!align="left" width="200"|Title
|-
|align="left"|1999
|align="left"|Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group
|align="left"|"Rosa Parks"
|-
|align="left"|2002
|align="left"|Best Short-Form Music Video
|align="left"|"Ms. Jackson"
|-
|align="left"|2002
|align="left"|Record of the Year
|align="left"|"Ms. Jackson"
|-
|align="left"|2002
|align="left"|Album of the Year
|align="left"|''Stankonia''
|-
|align="left"|2004
|align="left"|Producer of the Year Non-Classical
|align="left"|--
|-
|align="left"|2004
|align="left"|Best Short-Form Music Video
|align="left"|"Hey Ya!"
|-
|align="left"|2004
|align="left"|Record of the Year
|align="left"|"Hey Ya!"
|-
|align="left"|2007
|align="left"|Best Urban/Alternative Performance
|align="left"|"Idlewild Blue (Don't Chu Worry 'Bout Me)"
|-
|align="left"|2007
|align="left"|Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group
|align="left"|"Mighty 'O'"
|-
|align="left"|2008
|align="left"|Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group
|align="left"|"Int'l Player's Anthem (I Choose You)" w/ [[UGK]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.outkast.com/ OutKast's official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/outkast OutKast's official MySpace]
* [http://www.bandnews.org/band/Outkast Outkast BandNews]
* [http://www.stankonia.com/ Stankonia, an Outkast fan site]
* [http://www.dungeoneze.com/ Dungeoneze.com, the official home of the Dungeon Family]
* [http://www.loveboxxx.de/ Loveboxxx, a German OutKast news site]
* [http://www.breakin-records.com/Andrew3000Interview_1_mainPage_1.cfm André 3000 Interview]
* [http://www.everything-outkast.com Everything-Outkast]
* [http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/56868/outkast_movie_idlewild_goes_buckwild.html/ Idlewild Movie Review]
{{Dungeon Family}}

[[Category:American hip hop groups]]
[[Category:1990s music groups]]
[[Category:2000s music groups]]
[[Category:Dungeon Family]]
[[Category:Duos]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) musical groups]]
[[Category:Atlanta rap artists]]
[[Category:People from Atlanta]]
[[Category:Southern rappers]]

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Revision as of 19:29, 5 February 2008

fyck

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