Outkast

Formed: 1992
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Genre: Hip Hop, Southern Hip Hop
Years Active: 1992 - 2007
Meaning of the Name: They initially wanted to be called 'The Misfits', as they knew their music was different than standard hip hop, but the name was already taken by the popular punk band.
Core Members: André 3000, Big Boi
Way of Working: Work with hip hop producers and live instrumentalists
Associated: Dungeon Family, Organized Noize

Essential Releases

ATLiens (1996)

Incorporates bass-heavy reggae and dub influences as well as an afro-futurism aesthetic.

Aquemini (1998)

A sprawling opus. Outkast handled much of the production themselves, working with live session musicians.

In the mid '90s, Outkast broke the vice grip of the coastal powers (East Coast–West Coast) to lay the foundation for Southern hip hop's future chart dominance. Not by making trap or crunk music themselves, but by introducing the South's distinct aesthetic and vernacular to an audience of millions.

Their track 'Player's Ball' (1993), for instance, namedrops crunk, "I gots it crunk", while 'Spottie...' (1998) mentions trap, "so now you back in the trap", years before the words were understood by people on a global scale as types of Southern hip hop in their own right.

Bursting onto the scene as teenagers, Outkast emblazoned the South's cultural fascination with whips/cars in the very title of their debut album: Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994). On the record, Big Boi and André portray super slick players and pimps, oozing a laid-back cool that stood in stark contrast to the sample-heavy aggression of the East Coast.

More importantly, the 'Southern' in Southernplayalistic... refers to the part of America with the most enduring and pervasive links to the slave trade. The remains of old plantations, for example, mark the landscapes of Georgia and Mississippi, instead of locations on the East and West Coasts. Additionally, the Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee, instead of Compton or Brooklyn, giving the South's cultural history of antagonism toward authority a foundation rooted in deep injustice that permeates their music.

It's in this context that the region's rappers adorn themselves with Confederate symbols to confront racism head-on and take ownership of their history, turning their bitter past into a source of pride and repurposing the image as a visual representation of endurance through hardship. For example, Ludacris performed at the 2005 Vibe Awards wearing an entire outfit made from the flag, while André displays it on his belt buckle in the music video for Outkast's culturally significant single, 'Ms. Jackson' (2000), that reached number 1 on the US chart.

The legacy of the US South manifests itself not only in Outkast's presentation and language but in their sound as well. Their early tracks especially are full of a thick, encompassing low-end that reflects the sweltering heat of their native Atlanta, Georgia ('Player's Ball'). The group's original Organized Noize production team achieved this by recording the live bass of session musicians, departing from the traditional approach of sampling, and the observant Outkast followed suit on later self-produced projects.

When Southernplayalistic... proved the group's commercial viability by going platinum in 1995 they were granted creative control over their music. The tone of future releases changed drastically. They were never really 'players' in the criminal sense, but it would be unrealistic for LaFace Records to give command of a debut studio project to two unproven teenagers.

The afrofuturistic ATLiens (1996), which features cover art in comic book style, exhibits the change by telling the story of two alienated rappers standing apart from the broader industry. On the track 'E.T. (Extra Terrestrial)', André raps: "floating in this game of life despite how out of place you may feel."

Achieving its out-of-this-world aura via synths, vocoder-like effects ('greetings Earthlings') and a mixture of psychedelic and dub influences, ATLiens didn't entirely abandon the whip/car culture of their earlier work, as seen on titles like 'Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac)'. Other entries, such as 'Millennium', however showed a growing sophistication in both sound and concept that would be fully realised on their next LP. On the track in question, André hopes God hears his prayers because he fell asleep before saying Amen:

"My prayers seem too long, I fall asleep before the ending. Don't even get to say Amen I hope He understands I be on bended knees."

By the very end of their almost entirely self-produced Aquemini (1998), Outkast were an amalgamation of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, and jazz, that arguably moved beyond the hip hop genre entirely. On 'Liberation', track 15 of 16, the rappers only appear for two minutes of a song that lasts for 8.46. The remainder is composed of singing, rapping, and crooning from a variety of guest stars, such as the nineties soul queen Erykah Badu and the larger than life CeeLo Green. It's like a traditional hip hop posse cut, only the rhymes are blended with spoken word, soul and R&B.

Therefore, the unique linguistic, musical, and cultural influences of the South coalesced with the boundary-pushing creativity of Outkast, a group whose scope and sheer ambition hasn't been matched before or since, at least when it comes to hip hop. Yes, they eventually became fodder for the charts, but any serious conversation about the best hip hop groups of all time should always include Outkast.

Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?

65

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.

65

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.

95

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.

95

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?

60

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.

85

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.

90

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.

90

Rapping

i Technical attributes.

95

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.

90

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?

80

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.

75

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.

80

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?

95

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.

65

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.

75

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards >>>

• Grammy Award WINNER! x6
• Grammy Award Nominee x10
• The Source Awards WINNER! x4
• The Source Awards Nominee x8

Certifications >>>

• Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik: Platinum in the US
• ATLiens: Platinum in the US & Canada
• Aquemini: Platinum in the US; Gold in Canada; Silver in the UK
• Stankonia: Platinum in the US, Canada; Gold in the UK & Australia
• Speakerboxxx/The Love Below: Platinum in the US; Gold in the UK & Canada
• Idlewid: Platinum in the US; Gold in Canada

Charts >>>

• ATLiens: Number 2 in the US
• Aquemini: Number 2 in the US
• Stankonia: Number 2 in the US; Number 4 in Canada; Number 6 in Germany
• Speakerboxxx/The Love Below: Number 1 in the US; Number 4 in Canada
• Idlewild: Number 2 in the US; Number 6 in Canada

Critics >>>

• Ego Trip: Southernplayalistic - Best Albums of 1994: 3rd
• Complex: ATLiens - The 50 Best Rap Album Titles Ever: 15th
• Newsweek: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below - Best Albums of the Decade (2000s): 1st
• Rolling Stone: Aquemini - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 49th
• Rolling Stone: Stankonia - 100 Best Albums of the 2000s: 16th
• Pitchfork: Stankonia - Top 200 albums of the 2000s: 13th

Similar Acts

• Goodie Mob
• Arrested Development
• UGK
• Parental Advisory
• Digable Planets

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