The famous rap duo Outkast first got together in 1992. The group includes Andre “Andre 3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton.
Outkast has played a major role in hip-hop from its inception to the 2000s. Coming straight out of East Point, Georgia the two rappers helped popularize Southern rap. Their unique sound and intricate lyrics surprised the hip-hop industry and made them one of the best hip-hop groups ever.
The group’s debut album “Southerenplayalisticcadillacmuzik,” was released in 1994. The single “Player’s Ball” from the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart. The album reached No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum.
The two were only teenagers when they wrote this album. Although the album is 26 years old, I find myself listening to it almost every day. My favorite track from the album is “Crumblin Erb.” The album’s raw sound helped the group rise to the top.
Two more influential albums from the group are “ATLiens” and “Aquemini.” “ATLiens” included galactic production sounds that were well received by the critics. Outcast’s ability to experiment with different sounds and correlate complex lyrics makes them a dominant rap group. The album was certified double platinum and reached No. 2 on the charts.
“Aquemini” was created by the two rappers’ zodiac sighs, Gemini and Aquarius. The album consisted of live instrumentation self-produced by the rappers themselves. “Aquemini” was certified platinum and double platinum. Rapper J. Cole even sampled the track “Da Art of Storytellin” from “Aquemini” for his song “Land of the snakes.” This album is also placed in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
The group doesn’t just stop at three great albums – try five. Their final two albums are “Stankonia” and “Speakerboxx/The Love Below.” “Stankonia” went triple platinum and introduced the world to one of the best rap songs ever, “Ms. Jackson!” Who wasn’t going around singing, “I’m sorry Ms. Jackson, I am for reallll!” DJ Khaled sampled “Ms. Jackson” in a hit song called “Just Us” featuring SZA. The song “So Fresh and So Clean” also became a monumental hip-hop song from the album in the 2000’s.
“Speakerboxx/The Love Below” was unfortunately the group’s last album. However it was their most award-winning album. The album had two sides; one featured songs written by Big Boi while the other featured songs written by Andre 3000. This album blessed the world with bangers such as “Hey Ya,” “Roses,” and “The Way You Move.” The ablum won a total of three Grammys including Album of the Year. There’s no doubt in my mind that Oukast is one of the best rap groups to ever grace a mic. Their sound was edgy, jazzy and different from any other artists we hear today.