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OutKast

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

OutKast was a hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1992 by Antwan Patton (Big Boi) and André Benjamin (André 3000). They met at sixteen in a shopping mall and held rap battles in the canteen of their high school. They chose the name because they dressed differently from their classmates. The local production team Organized Noize took them under its wing, and together with the group Goodie Mob they formed the core of the Dungeon Family.

Music and breakthrough

Their debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994) sounded funky, with many live-played instruments, and laid the foundation for Southern hip hop. When the duo received an award in 1995 and was booed by an audience that took only the East and West Coasts seriously, André said that the South had something to say too. ATLiens (1996) and Aquemini (1998) followed, the title of which merges the star signs of the two. On Aquemini, with Rosa Parks, they experimented with funk, soul and real instruments. Stankonia (2000) brought B.O.B. and the number 1 hit Ms. Jackson.

Influence

The double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) was really two solo albums, one by Big Boi and one by André 3000. It yielded the hits The Way You Move and Hey Ya! and won the Grammy for album of the year. In 2007 they split up. OutKast showed that hip hop from Atlanta could rival New York and Los Angeles, and that rap had room for psychedelia, jazz and humour.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Rosa Parks and notice the acoustic guitar and the hand claps. In the middle section, hear how a harmonica takes over, an instrument you rarely hear in hip hop.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsSouthern hip hop and crunk