Atlanta’s very own OutKast will be performing and inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on Nov 8, 2025.
Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton, also known for their stage names Andre 3000 and Big Boi, grew up in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The two met each other when they were 16 years old, attending Tri-Cities High School.
The duo was a coveted hip-hop group that had a unique blend of funk, soul, jazz, rock, afrofuturism throughout their catalog of music from 1992 to 2007.
Accomplishments
They were commercially successful, earning 16 Grammy nominations and winning six.
- Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Ms. Jackson” (2002)
- Best Rap Album for Stankonia (2002)
- Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “The Whole World” (2003)
- Album of the Year for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2004)
- Best Rap Album for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2004)
- Best Urban/Alternative Performance for “Hey Ya!” (2004)
One of their most impactful awards came from the 1995 Source Awards, held in New York City, winning Best New Artists.
Legacy
“I’m tired of folks, closed minded folks. The South got something to say,” Benjamin said at the podium as the group was being booed.
“I was just angry man,” Benjamin said during a sit down at Lebron James’ The Shop. I just knew niggas was hating on the South at that point. We just felt like y’all don’t get it, you have to just show people.”
During the mid-1990s when the east and west Coast hip-hop scene dominated, Outkast challenged that basis with their quick-witted rhymes and compelling storytelling of societal literature over extraordinary beats. Their music serves as a reminder where the recognition of respect for Southern hip-hop started from.
An uncommon sound, presentation and influence make them not only revered among Southern culture, but a quarter stone for hip-hop culture.
The duo’s performance and induction on Saturday night will echo a legacy, reminding everyone, the South still has something to say.
