OutKast

Released: August 27, 1996

Songwriter: André 3000 Big Boi Witchdoctor

Producer: OutKast

[Intro]
Something's gotta give!
Yeah, you know what I'm sayin? Uhh
Herndon Homes, unh, Martel Homes, Carver Homes, Techwood
Martin Luther King, Bankhead

[Verse 1: Big Boi]
Undercover, over the hills and through the woods I go
Like green lights, a Southern nigga that's comin' for your throat
But not no guillotine see, we be them Southern playas
Remember the football socks, aerobic Reeboks and Decaturs, now
You up to par and ready for your lesson
I got an ounce of dank and a couple of drinks so let's crank up a session
Like Tri-Cities High School, was pulling 'em in a broke down Rabbit
I spit a couple of words and laying em down was just a habit
Just like Smokey, choking off da pee-wee that we rolled up
Talking about the clique will get you nathaniel but swolled up
Hootie Hoo slapped you boys across the cheek with Isotoners
And went to tell yo momma and yo pop that you was a goner
Tell 'em Big Boi did it; I swear that nigga be rhyming
Every lyric that he spit be turning charcoals into Diamonds and Pearls
Girl, when you giving up them drawers, 'cause
I got a couple of niggas down the hall
That wanna hit it too, I'm not the type to be acting selfish
Set it out and let it out and I'll be right back just like Elvis
'Cause the postman rings twice...
Hey Mr. Postman...

[Hook: Witchdoctor]
Power, power, I come, gimme some
The deadly voice over drums, we from, ATL
Put tha SWATS SWATS on yo' car
Let's travel far, tha Southern star shines
Power, power, I come, gimme some
The deadly voice over drums, we from, ATL
Put tha SWATS SWATS on yo' car
Let's travel far, tha Southern star shines

[Verse 2: André 3000]
Everybody wanna get signed, but (I'm here to tell you)
Record companies act like pimps
Getting paid off what we made when we the ones that's fly like blimps
But ain't no Goodyear, I tell it like it is so I'm like look here
Just willing to get what I deserve, my kids do have a mother
And a little house, with a dog in the backyard going "woof-woof"
Who knows what I must face when I leave this recording booth?
Poof, back in the real world where birds fly
From Miami by way of Cuba to whoever wants to get that high
There's clouds of clowns, seas of G's
Pro-jects, packed with playas meditating on their knees
Just to make them ends meet, like ground beef, you won't believe
The shit that niggas attempt 'cause they got other mouths to feed
Besides they own

[Hook: Witchdoctor]
Power, power, I come, gimme some
The deadly voice over drums, we from, ATL
Put tha SWATS SWATS on yo' car
Let's travel far, tha Southern star shines
Power, power, I come, gimme some
The deadly voice over drums, we from, ATL
Put tha SWATS SWATS on yo' car
Let's travel far, tha Southern star shines

[Verse 3: Big Boi]
It's some hoes in this house, damn right
I'm thinking about the way you skull me, girls be
Sucking me dry like deserts Mojave, Gotti, hotties and honeydips
Liking the way you do me, screw me and make my money flip
Shaking that ass for daddy, putting this gas off in my Cadi-llac
Back, don't ever snap, packing the gats and pimping whores
Hors d'oeuvres, swerve, hit the curb because I'm reckless
Back in the days when I was broke I'd snatch your fucking necklace
You ol' pussy-ass nigga... yeah

Atlanta, Georgia natives André “André 3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton are OutKast, one of the most successful rap groups of all time. Along with the production crew Organized Noize and the Dungeon Family collective, André and Big Boi helped popularize and expand the sound of rap in the “Dirty South.”

The duo connected at Tri-Cities High School and after the names “2 Shades Deep” or “The Misfits” didn’t work out, they went with OutKast as a synonym of “misfit.” They signed to LaFace Records in 1992 prior to finishing high school and their first official appearance came on a remix to TLC’s hit single “What About Your Friends.” This led into their debut single “Player’s Ball” being released in 1993 and their debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik following in 1994. They had a pivotal moment early in their career as they were named New Artist of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards, leading them to be booed by the New York crowd and André responding with his iconic “The South got somethin' to say.”

Their next two albums, ATLiens (1996) and Aquemini (1998), have sparked debates as to which album is superior. ATLiens saw the duo begin to produce their own music and increase their profile while Aquemini received a perfect “5 Mic” rating from The Source magazine. Their next album, Stankonia (2000), further solidified their superstar status with the hit singles “B.O.B.,” “So Fresh, So Clean” and “Ms. Jackson,” which won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group while Stankonia won a Grammy in the Best Rap Album category.

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