OutKast x Pioneer Saturdays x THSNB

This article is about the hip hop group. For other uses, see Outcast.

OutKast
OutKast performing live at the Area:One music festival in 2001
Background information
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genres	Hip hop, R&B, g-funk, soul, neo soul
Years active	1992 – 2007
Associated acts	Dungeon Family, Organized Noize, Mr. DJ, Killer Mike, Goodie Mob, Sleepy Brown, Janelle Monae, Raekwon, George Clinton,UGK
Website	OutKast.com
Past members
Big Boi Andre 3000

Outkast (stylized as OutKast) is an American 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.^[1] 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.^[1] Since then, however, funk, soul, rock, electronic music, spoken word poetry, jazz and blues elements have been added to the group's musical palette.^[2][3]

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 releasedATLiens in 1996, which displayed stylistic differences from the band's debut and featured outer space-inspired themes. The albumsAquemini (1998) and Stankonia (2000) further expanded Outkast's musical experimentation. In 2003, the duo released a double albumentitled Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which featured the number one singles "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move". "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" won the Album Of The Year Grammy in 2004, the first and only for a hip hop group. Outkast next starred in and created the soundtrack for the 2006 musical film Idlewild. Since 2007, Outkast has been on hiatus and both members have pursued 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.^[3