Outkast

OutKast is an American ^{United States} hip hop ^{hip hop music} duo ^{duet (music)} based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin ^{André 3000} (formerly known as Dré) and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton ^{Big Boi} . Since then, however, funk, soul ^{soul music} , pop ^{pop music} , electronic music, rock ^{rock music} , spoken word poetry, jazz, and blues elements have been added to the group's musical palette.

The duo is one of the most successful hip-hop groups of all time, having received six Grammy Awards. Over 25 million copies have been sold of OutKast's eight releases: six studio albums, a greatest hits ^{Big Boi and Dre Present...OutKast} release, and the Grammy Award-winning (for Best Album) Speakerbo***/The Love Below, a double album containing a solo album from each member. Along with their commercial success, OutKast has maintained an experimental approach in their music and are widely praised for their originality and artistic content.

 
Pre-debut

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 ^{TLC (music)} . 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 ^{TLC (music)} 's "What About Your Friends". In 1994, they released their first single ^{Single (music)} , "Player's Ball". The song's funky ^{funk music} style, much of it accomplished with live instrumentation, was a hit with audiences. "Player's Ball" hit number-one on the Billboard ^{Billboard magazine} Hot Rap Tracks chart. "No drugs or alcohol/so I can get the signal clear," he rhymes about himself in the single "ATLiens"


Aquemini

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 ^{Aquarius (astrology)} ) and André (a Gemini ^{Gemini (astrology)} ). The album was widely praised as possibly the group's best material to date: when reviewed by popular hip-hop publication The Source ^{The Source (magazine)} , 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 ^{soul music} , trip hop, and electro music. The album featured production by Organized Noize and collaborations with Raekwon, funk ^{funk music} pioneer and musical forebear George Clinton ^{George Clinton (funk musician)} , and Goodie Mob.

In 1999, OutKast and LaFace Records were sued ^lawsuit 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 ^obscenity 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 ^{First Amendment to the United States Constitution} grounds. In 2003, the Supreme Court ^{Supreme Court of the United States} turned down an appeal to overrule the lower court's decision.

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 ^{United Kingdom} 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: 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 quadruple-platinum ^{RIAA certification} . Stankonia's ^Stankonia first single was "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)", a high-tempo jungle ^{Oldschool 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 ^{Columbia Records} , including Slimm Cutta Calhoun ^{Slimm Calhoun} and Killer Mike, who made his debut on Stankonia's "Snappin' & Trappin."

Pitchforkmedia.com named Stankonia the 4th greatest album released between 2000 and 2004 in its 2005 . And B.O.B. was chosen number one song of the decade by this same webzine.
This was a pivotal recording for hip-hop as "Ms. Jackson" featured Andre 3000 singing in the middle of his verse.


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 only Dungeon Family group album, Even in Darkness, along with Goodie Mob, Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown, Witchdoctor ^{Witchdoctor (rapper)} , and Backbone among others, and featuring Bubba Spar***, Shuga Luv and Mello. In 2002, the group and Killer Mike contributed the lead single "Land of a Million Drums" to the Scooby Doo ^{Scooby-Doo (film)} soundtrack.


Speakerbo***/The Love Below

In September 2003, OutKast released a double album, Speakerbo***/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 Speakerbo*** 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 ^{funk music} , jazz, rock, electronic music, and R&B.


Idlewild

Between OutKast albums, Big Boi and André 3000 ventured into film projects. André co-starred in John Singleton's action film Four Brothers ^{Four Brothers (film)} and also had a part in Be Cool, while Big Boi took a featured role in the T.I. movie ATL ^{ATL (film)} . Both members also began working on a joint film, Idlewild ^{Idlewild (film)} , 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 ^{Idlewild (OutKast album)} was released August 22, 2006. Its lead single, "Mighty 'O' ^{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 ^{Morris Brown (song)} " instead. A video for "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me)" soon followed. 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 that a new OutKast album would be released, but said that he and Big Boi would release solo records first. Big Boi's upcoming solo album, titled Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, will be released first, with the first single being "Royal Flush ^{Royal Flush (song)} ". The song features Andre 3000 and Raekwon.

On Nov 14, 2008, the Guardian reaffirmed that OutKast will release their follow-up to Idlewild ^{Idlewild (Outkast album)} after Big Boi and Andre 3000 release their solo albums. This will be sometime in 2010.* Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994)
* ATLiens (1996)
* Aquemini (1998)
* Stankonia (2000)
* Speakerbo***/The Love Below (2003)
* Idlewild ^{Idlewild (OutKast album)} (2006)
* Outkast (2010)
Grammy Awards

'Wins'

'Nominations'