OutKast

Biography

Outkast (stylized as OutKast) is hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin (formerly known as Dré) and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast. The group's original musical style was a mixture of Dirty South and G-funk. Since then, however, funk, soul, rock, electronic music, spoken word poetry, jazz and blues elements have been added to the group's musical palette.

After forming the group as high school students in 1992, Outkast released its debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994), which gained popularity after the single "Player's Ball" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart. The duo released ATLiens in 1996, which displayed stylistic differences from the band's debut and featured outer space-inspired themes. The albums Aquemini (1998) and Stankonia (2000) further expanded Outkast's musical experimentation. In 2003, the duo released a double album entitled Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which featured the number one singles "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move". Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2004, the first and only for a hip hop group. Outkast next created the soundtrack for the 2006 musical film Idlewild, which they starred in. Since 2007, Outkast has been on hiatus and both members have pursued their solo careers, although the group moved to Epic Records in September 2011.

The duo is one of the most successful hip-hop groups of all time, having received six Grammy Awards. Over 25 million copies have been sold of OutKast's eight releases: five studio albums, a greatest hits release, and the Grammy Award-winning (for Album of the Year) Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, a double album containing a solo album from each member. Along with their commercial success, OutKast has maintained an experimental approach in their music and are widely praised for their originality and artistic content.

Discography
	OutKast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik	LaFace Records	1994
	OutKast - ATLiens	LaFace Records	1996
	OutKast - Aquemini	LaFace Records	1998
	OutKast - Stankonia	LaFace Records	2000
	OutKast - Big Boi & Dre Present... OutKast	LaFace Records	2001
	OutKast - Speakerboxxx / The Love Below	Arista	2003
	OutKast - Idlewild	LaFace Records	2006
	OutKast - Original Album Classics	Arista	2012
	OutKast - Southern Slang'	GL Records, RGS Entertainment	2012
Guest Appearances
	Black Ice Goodie Mob - Still Standing	LaFace Records	1998
	Gone Be Fine Monica - The Boy Is Mine	Arista	1998
	Watch For The Hook (Dungeon Family Mix) Cool Breeze - East Points Greatest Hit	A&M Records	1999
	Throw Your Hands Up Eightball & M.J.G. - In Our Lifetime	Suave House, Universal	1999
	Street Talkin' Slick Rick - The Art Of Storytelling	Def Jam Recordings	1999
	Smokefest 1999 Tash - Rap Life	Loud Records	1999
	Neck Uv Da Woods Mystikal - Let's Get Ready	Jive	2000
	Again (Stankonia Remix) Lenny Kravitz - Lenny	Virgin	2001
	Akshon (Yeah!) Killer Mike - Monster	Columbia, Aquemini Records	2003
	I Can't Wait Sleepy Brown - Mr. Brown	Virgin Records America	2006
	Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose U) UGK - Underground Kingz	Jive	2007
	The Art Of Storytelling Drama - Gangsta Grillz: The Album	Atlantic, Grand Hustle	2007
	In Due Time Gnarls Barkley - A Trip To St. Elsewhere	CMP Entertainment	2007
Compilations
	Player's Ball Various - A Laface Family Christmas	LaFace Records	1993
	Phobia Various - Higher Learning (Music From The Motion Picture)	550 Music	1995
	Benz Or Beamer Various - New Jersey Drive Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)	Tommy Boy Music	1995
	Everlasting Various - Nothing To Lose (Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture)	Tommy Boy Music	1997
	In Due Time Various - Soul Food Soundtrack	LaFace Records	1997
	Neck Uv Da Woods Various - The Wood (Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture)	Jive	1999
	High Schoolin Various - Music From & Inspired By Light It Up The Movie	Elektra, Yab Yum Records	1999
	Rosa Parks Various - LaFace Records Presents Platinum Collection	LaFace Records	2000
	Tough Guy Various - Music From And Inspired By Shaft	LaFace Records	2000
	Soul Sunday Various - Any Given Sunday (Music From The Motion Picture)	Atlantic	2000
	Fresh And Clean (Remix) Various - Bones (Original Motion Picture Houndtrack)	Priority Records	2001
	Gangsta Shit (Remix) Greg Street - Six O'Clock Vol. 1	Slip-N-Slide Records	2001
	Speedballin' Various - Tomb Raider (Music From The Motion Picture)	Elektra	2001
	Player's Ball Various - More Music From 8 Mile	Shady Records, Interscope Records	2002
	B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) Various - Bad Company (Music From The Motion Picture)	Hollywood Records	2002
	Land Of A Million Drums Various - Scooby-Doo (Music From The Motion Picture)	Lava	2002
	Ms. Jackson Various - Afrika Bambaataa Presents Eastside	Obsessive	2003
	Black Ice Goodie Mob - Dirty South Classics	Arista	2003
	I Can't Wait Various - Barbershop 2: Back In Business - Soundtrack	Interscope Records	2004
	Throw Your Hands Up 8Ball And MJG - We Are The South (Greatest Hits)	Suave House Records, Koch Records	2008
	The Way You Move Various - Middle Man (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)	ABKCO Records	2010
	B.O.B. Various - Back In The Day (Hip Hop Classics)	Sony Music	2011
	Hey Ya! Various - Keith Lemon (Music From And Inspired By)	Sony Music	2012