OutKast
Big Boi (Antwan Patton)
Andre 3000 (André Benjamin)

OutKast Biography :

For the past nine years the Atlanta-based super duo, OutKast, has been consistently pushing hip-hop’s envelope by expanding its musical boundaries with every album they release. Their unique blend of jazz, blues, soul, rock and world music along with some good old-fashioned hip-hop laced with their Southern sensibilities has constantly set the world on its ear. And none of their albums have ever sounded alike.

OutKast started their luminous career in 1994 when their classic hit, "Player’s Ball," became an unlikely single on LaFace Records’ Christmas album, a label traditionally known for its suave R&B music. The reaction to the record persuaded Antonio “L.A.” Reid (LaFace President, CEO and co-owner) to sign the young duo as the label’s first hip-hop act. Their spectacular debut LP Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, with its sparse samples and live instrumentation reminiscent of the golden era of ‘70s soul, sold one million copies and help to lay a solid foundation for the current explosion of Southern hip-hop.

With their sophomore LP, ATLiens, Big Boi (née : Antwan Patton) and Dré (née : André Benjamin) showed the world that the South really did have something to say, and 1.5 million people were listening to ‘Kast’s trunk-rattling funk, gleaned from the spirit of Sly Stone, Mandrill, and George Clinton. In addition to their incredible commercial success, critics were praising both Dré and Big Boi for their silky southern flows and clever lyrics celebrating everything from “Growing Old” to the “Wheelz Of Steel.” The record cemented the duo’s position as one of the few groups on the cutting edge of hip-hop.

After the release of their third LP, Aquemini, the “two dope boys in a Cadillac” reached a major plateau in their career. Declared a “hip-hop classic” by several hip-hop publications including the Source and Rap Pages, Aquemini blended elements of ‘70s soul, funk, jazz and reggae with hip-hop to create a record that opened 3 million people up to new musical possibilities for the genre. To this day Aquemini remains one of the quintessential records in hip-hop. On Stankonia, OutKast pushed the envelope even further by revisiting the spirit of George Clinton, Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Hazel, dipping millions of listeners into some good old-fashioned psychedelic hip-hop funk. Once again, OutKast garnered rave reviews with their latest studio offering and, true to form, picked up a couple of million fans along the way. The record sold a whopping five million units worldwide.

For their fifth effort the two decided to take a break and release a greatest hits album, Big Boi and Dre Present...OutKast, as a retrospective for the new fans who just got hip to OutKast. The record contained three new songs, one of which, "The Whole World," earned them a coveted Grammy Award for Best Rap Song by a duo or group. Now with their sixth release, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below , André 3000 and Big Boi have taken a bold step forward by releasing an unprecedented dual CD containing their own individual musical statements, thus giving fans a glimpse into the creative minds of each member.

On The Love Below, André 3000 uses a musical canvas compiled of funk, rock, techno and straight-ahead jazz to explore the nexus between love and lust. It is perhaps the most intensely personal statement he has ever made musical or otherwise. “The Love Below started as four or five songs that I was doing at home,” says André 3000. “I had these songs and I was starting to see a theme. And maybe it was the way I was writing them or the mood I was in, but they were all revolving around relationships. And so I said ‘Hey, maybe I should do this side project,’ which will be all singing because I hadn’t really wrote any rhymes for it yet. So what I said was ‘Okay, I’ll do this side project and put it out and this will be like a soundtrack to an independent film project that I’ll do called ‘She Lives in my Lap’ but we decided that that title was too risqué for a movie. So we changed it to The Love Below." With Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, OutKast reaffirms their genius by adding another great album to their ever-expanding catalog of hits, further solidifying their legacy as one of the greatest groups of all time.

Outkast discography :

OutKast albums :
1994 : Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
1996 : ATLiens
1998 : Aquemini
2000 : Stankonia
2001 : Big Boi And Dre Present...OutKast
2003 : Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2006 : Idlewild

OutKast appearances
1991 : "What About Your Friend (Remix)" (TLC feat. Outkast)
1994 : "Benz or a Beamer"(from the New Jersey Drive Original Motion Picture Soudtrack)
1995 : "Phobia" (from the Higher Learning Original Motion Picture Soudtrack)
1997 : "In Due Time" (w/Cee-Lo, from the Soul Food Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
1997 : "Everlasting" (from the Nothing to Lose Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
1997 : "Dez Only 1" (Witchdoctor featuring Outkast)
1998 : "Gone Be Fine" (Monica feat. Outkast & Debra Killings)
1998 : "Black Ice" (Goodie Mob featuring Outkast)
1998 : "Watch For The Hook (Cool Breeze featuring Goodie Mob, Outkast & Witchdoctor)
1999 : "High Schoolin" (featuring Slimm Calhoun) (from the Light It Up Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
1999 : "Street Talkin’" (from Slick Rick’s The Art of Storytelling)
1999 : "Smokefest 1999" (Tash feat. Outkast, B-Real & Phil Da Agony)
1999 : "Funkanella" (featuring Killer Mike & Slimm Calhoun)
1999 : "Throw Your Hands Up" (with Eightball & MJG)
2000 : "Neck Uv Da Woods" (from Mystikal’s album Let’s Get Ready)
2000 : "Tough Guy" (with UGK, from the Shaft Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2001 : "Speed Ballin’" (from the Lara Croft : Tomb Raider Soundtrack)
2002 : "Hey Baby (Remix)" (No Doubt feat. Outkast & Killer Mike)
2002 : "Again (Remix)" (Lenny Kravitz feat. Outkast)
2004 : "I Can’t Wait" (Sleepy Brown featuring OutKast) (from the Barbershop 2 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2006 : "Roaches and Rats" (featuring DJ Drama & Project Pat)
2006 : "Walk It Out (Remix)" (DJ Unk feat. Outkast & Jim Jones)
2007 : "International Players Anthem" (UGK feat. Outkast)
2007 : "Art Of Storytelling Part 4" (DJ Drama feat. Outkast & Marsha from Floetry)

No profanity, or inaproppriate remarks.

Outkast, by Benjamin [2007-12-07 16:45:06]

I love this.......should’ve mentioned Speakerboxxx/The Love Below goin diamond though

Outkast, by Alien [2007-02-14 06:31:39]

I am looking for a picture on a Outkask Greatest Hits CD disc face for a tattoo, this Cd came out A while ago maybe in 97-00 I don’t know, if anyone can find this CD I will make it worth thier while $$ Do not send me any music information I don’t listen to music !!!!