OutKast

Released: August 27, 1996

Songwriter: André 3000 Big Boi Organized Noize

Producer: Organized Noize

[Verse 1: Big Boi]
In the zone like Keyser Söze, always the Usual Suspect
No check, all I got in this game is my respect
And Southern pride, I'd be, checking my fucking head
Scared, looking up in your face, boy, I see dead
If you test like SAT, then I guess that we may be
Enemies in the P's, freestyles be freebies
I be that wrong nigga to fuck with, wouldn't I?
Wouldn't I be the wrong one to try, never eating chicken thighs
Only the twenty piece mojo, flows on like Flo Jo
I wanted to figure out, just how low could your hoe go
The beat hit like Beat Street, Krush Groove and Breakin'
Never baking, rebuking Satan, we had you waiting
For the Second Coming, funny how time flies when you're rhyming
LaFace Records, I think they got that perfect timing
To be doper than Saddam, believe the Nation of Islam
Fuck the police and the dogs, sniffing that dope up out your car
I think they overstep they boundaries
Huh, OJ, not guilty, that's how they found he

[Interlude: Cee-Lo]
Mmm, yeah, mmm, mmm
Mmm, yeah, mmm, mmm
Mmm, yeah, mmm, mmm
Mmm, yeah, mmm, mmm

[Verse 2: André 3000]
I felt the pressure like sun shining, while raining
At the same time, I kept on rhyming, not complaining
Storm braining cats and dogs, my catalog be the size of golf balls
Throw up your Daisy Dukes I'm Hazzard-ous to all you Boss Hoggs
And Rosco P. Col' people, who caboose my locomotive
But enough of that, everyone can rap but let's say gift, suppose if
I use my gift of gab to boast and brag in every rhyme I
Compose, won't y'all get sick of that, 'cause I know I do when I hear those
Flows that ain't hip-hop, you find that shit in the gift shop
But to each his own, my speech is born
Keep that shit up outta my zone
Long as you happy, then I'm happy
Even if you just hate my fucking guts, go 'head and dap me
'Cause I'm gon' dap you anyway
And then go home and pray for your ass later
'Cause we might need you in this war, I'm wailing on you traitors
Like that

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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