OutKast

Released: October 31, 2000

Songwriter: André 3000 Big Boi Mr. DJ

Producer: Earthtone III

[Verse 1: André 3000]
Have you heard the news today?
They say a little 14-year old little girl had a baby on the way
Too much for her little mind to bear
And that type of news to her Mama she cannot spare

[Hook: André 3000]
Toilet Tisha, damn we miss you
Toilet Tisha is the issue
Damn we miss you, Toilet Tisha
Damn we miss you

[Interlude]
Tisha? Tisha! Tisha, girl what you doing?
Oh my god, oh, Tisha, Tisha!
Ah, no! Tisha! Tisha!
Ah, no! Not my baby!
Ah, no! I love you, no!
Ah, good Lord, ah!

[Bridge: André 3000]
Don't go away
Don't you dare go away from me, girl—I can help you
Don't go away dont you dare leave
Don't go away, it ain't a thang
Don't go away

[Verse 2: Big Boi]
Five thousand, one hundred ten days is a short period of time
A mere fourteen years on this precious mother earth
You see Tisha had issues
And her decision making skills were still in its early stages
You know what I'm talking about
Therefore she could not properly handle a blessing in which
She thought to be an obstacle in her path to adulthood
Pause, Just like a brother with a thousand pauses
Should I, shouldn't I, I can't, I have to, Mama will never see me the same
Daddy and Big Mama I know all of them gonna be ashamed of me
Are just a few thoughts racing through her cranium
As she sits on top of the pale, cold porcelain seat in the rear of the house
The unthinkable moments away from becoming reality, sadly with no clue
And no way of expressing her feeling to her mama or anybody else in her life
Tisha done came to the crossroads and now she got to choose
Fatality, fatality, fatality, fatality

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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