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 pimps and gangsters with politically conscious material commenting on the status of African Americans in the South. Every track on Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik was produced by Organized Noize and featured other members of the Dungeon Family. This initial effort is credited with laying the foundation for southern hip hop and is considered a classic by many. Their debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, was issued on April 26, 1994. 'Player's Ball' also topped the R&B charts for six weeks. It hit number-one on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart. The song's funky style, much of it accomplished with live instrumentation, was a hit with audiences. During the holiday season of 1993, they released their first single, ' Player's Ball'. And Babyface imprint prior to graduation which would later become LaFace Records in 1992, becoming the label's first hip hop act and making their first appearance on the remix of labelmate TLC's 'What About Your Friends'. Outkast, Organized Noize, and schoolmates Goodie Mob formed the nucleus of the Dungeon Family organization.

The duo initially wanted to be called '2 Shades Deep' or 'The Misfits', but because those names were already taken they later decided to use 'Outkast' based on finding 'outcast' as a synonym for 'misfit' in a dictionary.

Benjamin and Patton eventually teamed up and were pursued by Organized Noize, a group of local producers who would later make hits for the R&B girl group TLC. Meanwhile, Patton had to move with his four brothers and six sisters from Savannah to Atlanta. Benjamin's parents were divorced and he was living with his father. During school, Benjamin and Patton participated in rap battles in the cafeteria. The two lived in the East Point section of Atlanta and attended Tri-Cities High School. Meanwhile, they have garnered widespread critical acclaim, with publications such as Rolling Stone and Pitchfork Media listing albums such as Aquemini and Stankonia among the best of their era.Īndré 3000 and Big Boi met as teenagers at Atlanta's Lenox Square shopping center (pictured).īenjamin and Patton met in 1992 at the Lenox Square shopping mall when they were both sixteen years old. Between six studio albums and a greatest hits release, Outkast has sold over 25 million records. 7 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. The duo is one of the most successful hip hop groups of all time, having received six Grammy Awards. In 2014, Outkast reunited to celebrate their 20th anniversary by performing at more than 40 festivals worldwide, beginning at the Coachella Festival in April. In 2007, the duo went on hiatus and both members have since pursued solo careers. Outkast next released the soundtrack for the 2006 musical film Idlewild, which they also starred in. In September 2003, the duo released the double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which featured the number one singles ' Hey Ya!' and ' The Way You Move.' The album won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 2000, Outkast released the critically acclaimed Stankonia, which included the singles ' Ms. With successive releases including ATLiens (1996) and Aquemini (1998), the duo further developed their sound, experimenting with a variety of styles and achieving commercial success. Outkast released their debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik in 1994, which gained popularity after the single ' Player's Ball' reached number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart.

īenjamin and Patton formed the group as high school students in 1992. The duo achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, helping to popularize Southern hip hop while experimenting with diverse genres such as funk, psychedelia, jazz, and techno. Widely recognized for their intricate lyricism, memorable melodies and positive messages, Outkast is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential hip hop acts of all time. Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) were an American hip hop duo formed in 1992 in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta-based rappers André '3000' Benjamin (formerly known as Dré) and Antwan 'Big Boi' Patton.

Outkast album cover hey ya