Smooth funk basslines underpin Southern soul vocal hooks and brass instrumentation, and embellishments of electronic soundscapes and spacey psychedelia characterise OutKast’s productions. This bizarre combination allowed for a unique artistic vision to flourish, and OutKast created a new and cutting edge sound which relied primarily on live instrumentation instead of direct sampling. Big Boi’s into his hard-hitting funk, soul and early hip hop, whilst André idolises Prince and adores psychedelic music. Lyrically, André is more abstract and figurative than Patton who habitually ‘tells it like it is’ in typical Southern fashion. Big Boi’s rapping style is heavier and more aggressive in tone and timbre, and is often more frenetic than the smoother and more relaxed tenor of André. Though André and Big Boi are polar opposites in terms of style, technique, musical influences, and personality, they manage to jump-off and perfectly complement each other as performers, rappers, musicians and producers. Just as important as alternative rap innovators such as A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Beastie Boys and De La Soul, OutKast managed to create a unique and original style which sent shockwaves through America and beyond.
OutKast broke free of the constraints of hip hop, and the perceptions of what the genre could and should aspire to.
Alongside acts such as The Geto Boys, 2 Live Crew, Goodie Mob and UGK, OutKast helped to bring Southern hip hop to mainstream prominence and demonstrated that it could be as critically and commercially successful as West and East coast rap. With the strength and success of their debut single ‘Players Ball’ in 1993, and the release of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik a year later, OutKast quickly became a driving force in hip hop, swiftly building a cult following with several high profile releases. Soon enough, they had teamed up with the production squad Organized Noise and became the first hip hop act to be signed to Sony Records subsidiary LaFace records. They met in high school, and soon started participating in rap battles and making music together. The duo consisted of André ‘André 3000’ Benjamin and Antwon ‘Big Boi’ Patton. OutKast were formed in East Point, Georgia in 1991.
This article explores the importance and influence of OutKast, an analysis of each of their albums, their enduring influence and long-lasting appeal, and why they are not only one of the best hip hop groups of all-time, but one of the most important acts in music. Granted, ‘Hey Ya’ is an incredible slice of pop which reached dizzying heights of success, but there is far much more to the group than that. Each time I mention that OutKast are one of my favourite groups, usually it’s met with a response somewhere along the lines of “OutKast? Those one hit-wonders who did ‘Hey Ya’?”.