OutKast

Biography

• The world hasn’t been the same since the Atlanta, US duo of Big Boi and Andre 3000 came together in 1992 and set about re-writing everything we thought we knew about Hip Hop.

  Originally showcasing textbook Southern style on their debut album ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’ they soon began to show just how broad their influences were. They began to incorporate elements of funk, soul and electronic music on subsequent albums ‘ATLiens’ and ‘Aquemini’ and as their popularity grew it slowly became clear how unlike anything else this duo was.

  They became known for their outrageous fashion and general, Funkadelic indebted aesthetic, a clear departure to what many had come to expect from Hip Hop and what many felt were tired “Gangsta” clichés. This all culminated in what has become their finest moment, the release of 2003’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below”.

  As well as spawning international mega-hit ‘Hey Ya’ the double album showed the increasingly fragmented personality of the act. ‘Speakerboxxx’ became Big Boi’s funky, ATL rap showcase whereas ‘The Love Below’ barely contained any Hip Hop, instead becoming Andre’s own personal RnB/Soul/Funk experiment.

  The album sold millions worldwide however it gave clues to the divided nature of the duo’s makeup and in 2007 Outkast announced a Hiatus. The Hip Hop world felt a great sense of loss – the world needed Outkast to continually challenge the status quo and show them that anything is possible.

  Thankfully in 2014 at Coachella festival, after years of hushed rumors, the dream came true for many and ‘Dre and Big Boi once again took to the stage. They have now been flying round the world playing a sold out tour and proving something we all worked out during their absence: There’s no one else quite like Outkast.

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