{{{Reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, reprinted here http://news.modernrock.com/2368

Here's the text of the article, with the relevant excerpt in bold:
OutKast 'Growing Up, Not Growing Apart'

By: SONIA MURRAY, Staff - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
September 21st 2003 4:00am }}}

So far, it's pretty much Stankonia as usual around here.

Parked in front of the strangely titled recording studio in northwest Atlanta are late-model metallic blue and slate-gray Land Rovers --- among the benefits of being part of a multimillion-selling rap group.

In the lounge, "The Rugrats" fills the wide-screen television as Antwan "Big Boi" Patton's sons Bamboo, 3, and Cross, 2 --- both with platinum chains around their necks --- tear through a box of new toy trucks and helicopters that dad has just dumped out of a shopping bag.

And two doors back, in what's known as ''the A Room," completing the usual paradox that is OutKast, several women are in various states of undress as Andre "Dre" Benjamin tries his hand at photography for a Playboy.com shoot.

"Here's a good one here," a male voice instructs. "He put a little oil on her."

There are no signs of discontent. No clue to all the changes afoot.

The Atlanta rap duo that has been reconfiguring listeners' expectations of hip-hop since it debuted almost a decade ago has now turned its magic wand on itself.

On Tuesday, the members of OutKast will reappear as solo acts, as Patton and Benjamin release individual efforts in a double CD titled "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below."

A flurry of magazine covers have hinted that this signals the breakup of the longtime friends, both 28. But as Benjamin explains for what sounds like the 9,000th time, "We are just growing up, not growing apart."

Still, there's no denying the tremors these headlines have caused; after all, it's been these two against the world since before they got into the music business.

Tenth grade. Tri-Cities High School in East Point. 1990. Patton and Benjamin knew of each other because they were among the few on campus who preferred button-down shirts and preppy Tretorn tennis shoes over the more street-ready labels like Damaged and Ellesse, favored by their classmates. And when they happened to strike up a conversation on the way to Lenox Square, they found that they had in common their admiration for New York rap groups A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, when other Tri-City kids were cranking local bass music acts.

(Given the emerging duo's out-of-stepness with their peers, it's surprising that they cycled through several names --- calling themselves ''2 Shades Deep,'' then ''Black Wolf'' and ''Black Dog'' --- before coming up with ''OutKast.'')

When Benjamin and Patton were still teenagers flipping through the Ralph Lauren racks, Antonio "L.A." Reid signed them to LaFace Records --- inadvertently setting them up for cultural battle.

In 1994, the hip-hop world was becoming enamored of the ''gangsta'' rhythms of newcomers Snoop Doggy Dogg of Los Angeles and proud New Yorker the Notorious B.I.G. Rappers from the South, such as XXX-rated Luke, were pretty much discounted as novelty artists. But Benjamin and Patton introduced themselves --- and the legitimacy of their neighbors' skills --- with "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik," an album that employed the same languid, George Clinton-inspired funk that Dogg rhymed over.

Instead of gang wars and drug sales, however, OutKast spoke --- at a just-as-witty, rapid-fire pace --- about smoking marijuana but not spending all their time aimlessly. The record sold a surprising 1.2 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The pair's 1996 follow-up, "ATLiens," revealed them to be even stronger lyricists, able to shoot New York machismo with the best of them ("Two Dope Boyz --- In a Cadillac") and still illustrate their commonality with the average record buyer ("Elevators --- Me and You"). About 1.7 million listeners bought into it.

Two years later, OutKast released "Aquemini," arguably its first album that was, start to finish, brilliant. Acclaimed New York rapper Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan shared verses with the duo on "Skew It on the Bar-B," but the Georgia natives held fast to their native sounds, infusing handclaps and harmonicas into the front-porch rouser "Rosa Parks."

By the time the OutKast album "Stankonia" was released in 2000, hip-hop was in full "bling" mode, meaning that lists of such things as diamond-studded jewelry, luxury cars and designer-label clothes were frequent (and poor) substitutes for real lyrics.

So, of course, OutKast made a hard left again. Benjamin started wearing blond wigs. The two took a page from the newspapers and came up with the high-speed single "Bombs Over Baghdad." Thanks to a still-stronger knack for melody, the well-known urban drama of unwed mothers became the pop hit "Ms. Jackson."

"Stankonia" sold 5 million copies and became the first all-rap record to contend for the top Grammy Award: album of the year.

"What I love about OutKast is they are chance-takers," says Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, a pioneering producer in his own right.

"Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" has "chance-takers" written all over it, with exclamation points.

"I don't know what to call this album," said Reid, now president of Arista Records, as he introduced it to a theater full of employees, retailers and reporters a few weeks ago in New York.

"Speakerboxxx" pretty much lines up with the duo's previous four albums in terms of its warm funk, diverse stories and clever rhymes. But "The Love Below" has little rapping at all. Instead, Benjamin sings over spacey jazz backdrops, hyperkinetic drums and spare, Beatles-like rhythms.

Patton completed "Speakerboxxx" last November. The hold-up on the release of the double album was caused by Benjamin. With a sheepish dimpled grin, he concedes that he finished "The Love Below" only about three weeks ago.

While waiting for Benjamin to finish his part of the project, Patton has been logging long hours at the Aquemini office near Buckhead --- across the street from their Stankonia studio --- where he steers the Aquemini label and oversees OutKast Clo. Co., all while being a father to his sons and 8-year-old daughter, Jordan.

"Since Dre really does none of the business, it all falls on my shoulders," says Patton, relaxed in a black-and-gray ensemble from their clothing line. "We built this. And I'm not going to just leave it in other people's hands. . . . So I've been sitting behind the desk like two years now."

Meanwhile, Benjamin has been picking up all kinds of instruments --- guitar, piano, saxophone and now clarinet --- in between nursing his filmmaking bug and helping ex-girlfriend Erykah Badu raise their 5-year-old son, Seven.

"It's always me holding things up, writing verses until the last minute," admits Benjamin, comfortable in a pricey Faconnable shirt, Barneys tie, Big Smith overalls and John Varvatos dress shoes.

Of Patton, Benjamin says, "I appreciate him for being a trouper. He wasn't mad at all. I could just tell he was impatient. His album was finished. But we weren't doing any shows. So it was like he was sitting at home like, 'Come on, man!' "

Part of the delay, and the reason behind the sound of his CD, Benjamin says, is that he just doesn't feel inspired by hip-hop these days.

"When I find a new angle to take on it, I'll do it. But right now I don't want to beat a dead horse. With rap, period, you've pretty much heard all the stories. Just like blues turned into rock 'n' roll and jazz into bebop, for hip-hop it's that time to change."

So as Benjamin waits for inspiration, Patton is gearing up to promote their entire catalog on the road. That means he'll be doing performances, album-release parties at nightclubs and all the other marketing footwork that artists do --- without Benjamin. Visibly slimmer, Patton says he has dropped fried foods and dairy products from his diet, "so I can have big wind out there onstage, without my man."

Revving Benjamin up at the moment is an interview he's scheduled to do with Prince, an idol he's never met, for Oneworld magazine. Two days later, he's getting together with brothers Albert and Allen Hughes (who directed "Menace II Society") about a Jimi Hendrix film they're planning to shoot, starring Benjamin as the legendary rocker.

"This OutKast thing just don't stop," insists Patton with a smile that shows all of his platinum-covered bottom teeth.

Be it music, movies or whatever other mogul moves they make, this twosome will stick to the formula that has kept them interesting: They change the formula every time.

Copyright 2003 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

NuPwrSoul said:

What? So Andre is interviewing Prince?
Wonder if P is going to charge him $1,000 for it?

Can't wait to read this!

dnaplaya said:

Maybe P will give Andre more love than he did D'Angelo...

chaz said:

Wouldn't that piss D'Angelo right off?

b-lieve that this would b a cool idea. Prince and Andre r both Gemini's and r very creative in their music, so this interview would b very interesting.

Not 2 mention, 'm also a fan of their work and their looks.

not sure if this was mentioned, but there is a quote in the latest edition of Rolling Stone with a review of Outkast's latest album trying to "Prince's Lovesexy".
Thought that was cool. that's all. byeee

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is GREAT!!! listening to it now!! buy it, buy it, buy it!! it's great!!

andre 3000 is a very talented boy, The Love Below is inspired... reminds me of old prince, all over the place, ideas bursting out all over, impossibly cute bits, spine-tinglingly thrilling imaginative twists..

so i discounted Big Boi's Speakerboxxx for the first week... whoa! don't overlook it! supernice.

there's far too much good music on both halves of this double album for me to outline, tired on a friday night... just see above and... BUY IT!!

Now THAT'S cool news

NuPwrSoul said:

Prayerfully if they are able to connect, this will do wonders for the both of their careers. There's no doubt that Dre's vines are growing as Jimmi's, Rick's, Little's, and now P's has grown. Its a wonderful thought. I just wish I had the priviledge of introducing them both.

Man, I tried telling you folks about this cd when it dropped. Lovebelow is fucking hot!!! It truly sounds like old Prince, (when he made happy, feel good music).

I like Andre and his new cut sounds like something Prince would have written for him not to mention the music.

$5 says he wets himself Dre be frontin like Prince isn't a major influence on him - give it up Dre, don't be scared to admit you one of Prince's bitches

CalhounSq said:

Sq. u gettin awful mean and testy n yo' old age!



but eye'd put a quarter on that wettin' himself bet, cause some ppl do it just cause Prince passed by!
and on the OTHER side of the room!


where is ur signature from?