OutKast

USA, 1992–now

Atlanta duo of André 3000 and Big Boi, formed in 1992. Blending Southern rap with P-Funk, soul and psychedelia across Aquemini, Stankonia and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below ('Hey Ya!'), they became one of the most acclaimed and inventive acts in hip-hop.

MusicRoots documents 4 artists who influenced OutKast and 4 artists OutKast influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced OutKast?

• George Clinton — George Clinton's P-Funk — its Afrofuturist vision and elastic funk — is central to OutKast's cosmic Southern sound; Clinton even recorded with them.
• Prince — Prince's genre-melting funk, sensuality and studio auteurism are a clear model for OutKast — especially André 3000's The Love Below.
• A Tribe Called Quest — A Tribe Called Quest's jazz-rap groove and lyrical dexterity shaped OutKast's early sound, which sat 'between the jamming madness of Parliament-Funkadelic and the bumping beats of A Tribe Called Quest'.
• Parliament-Funkadelic — OutKast's early sound sat between Parliament-Funkadelic's jamming and A Tribe Called Quest's beats.

Which artists did OutKast influence?

• Migos — Migos brought North Atlanta trap to the mainstream in the lineage of Atlanta hip-hop OutKast pioneered — they have called themselves 'the new Outkast'.
• CeeLo Green — CeeLo came up in Atlanta's Dungeon Family alongside OutKast, whose adventurous Southern hip-hop and Andre 3000's genre-blurring soul are close kin to his own.
• Gucci Mane — Gucci Mane emerged from the Atlanta hip-hop tradition OutKast pioneered, building his trap sound on that Southern rap foundation.
• Lil Wayne — OutKast's inventive Southern hip-hop helped open the lane for the New Orleans/Southern rap Lil Wayne came up in.