Personalities | Outkast | Twenty-First Century | Rock

(Rap duo, 1992–present)

Smooth dressing, slick talking and devastatingly cool, Outkast – the duo of Antwan ‘Big Boi’ Patton and Andre ‘Andre 3000’ Benjamin – rapped their way out of Georgia in the mid-1990s. Their first four collaborative album efforts (released between 1995 and 2000) contained everything from straight Snoop Dogg gangsta rap, albeit with more brains, to near-George Clinton parody, and plenty of attitude.

But it was not until 2003’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, a double album divided equally between the two, that the duo found hitherto unknown adoration – largely thanks to, it must be noted, the Andre 3000 single ‘Hey Ya’. The track was a fast-paced, goodtime practically R&B tune, with Benjamin’s infectious southern drawl laced on top. It reached No. 1 in the US and Austria, and hung around the charts for months. To this day, Andre 3000 (now also an actor and clothes designer) reluctantly admits he will probably never better it.

Styles & Forms | Twenty-First Century | Rock
Personalities | Papa Roach | Twenty-First Century | Rock

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

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