Updated: 6:51 p.m. ET Aug 25, 2006
There are two kinds of OutKast fans in the world: B.H.Y. (Before “Hey Ya!”) and A.H.Y. (After “Hey Ya!”). For those who somehow expunged the infectious tune from memory, Hey Ya!” was the insanely popular hit from OutKast’s 2003 breakthrough double LP “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” (La Face). You couldn’t escape it. The delirious genre skipping song straddled radio formats, from hip-hop to hard rock to adult contemporary to Disney radio. It spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 singles chart, and was briefly displaced by the album’s other hit, “The Way You Move.”

“Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” was groundbreaking as well — selling more than five million copies and becoming the first hip-hop LP to win Grammy’s Album of the Year. But record’s biggest distinction is that it’s actually two solo works packaged under the duo’s single moniker. Instead of working together as they had since their high school years in Atlanta, Antwan “Big Boi” Patton and André “3000” Benjamin separately recorded two visionary — but very different — records. Patton’s “Speakerboxxx” is a cohesive set of solid hip-hop/funk. And Benjamin’s “The Love Below” is a gleefully disjointed set of musical styles, and not very hip-hop at all.

Despite the raves, “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” kicked up a dust storm of rumors among hardcore B.H.Y. fans. Were these solo efforts the beginning of the end? OutKast denies an imminent break-up (but hey, so did Brad and Jennifer). Mixed reviews for the new OutKast movie vehicle “Idlewild,” and its accompanying soundtrack fire the debate. Will one of the most innovative musical partnerships continue to make great music — or will Big Boi and André 3000 go the way of Simon & Garfunkle?

Meanwhile, the evidence for the argument either way is only circumstantial (and not very objective at that). Here, you be the judge:


OutKast is over

The “Idlewild” soundtrack stinks! On the Web site Straight.com, critic Martin Turenne describes this rag time/rap pastiche as both an “overblown conceptual miscarriage” and “the latest installment in the ongoing disintegration of rap’s best group.” One unimpressed Amazon reviewer complains, “they need to go back to being dope Southern M.C.s instead of this corn hop they droppin.”

The movie stinks too! It’s a rap musical set in the 30s — that’s just stupid (some say). Patton’s tough-guy speakeasy owner and Benjamin’s tortured piano player are two-dimensional, and neither has the acting chops to make up for it. Director Bryan Barber comes from music videos, and his nausea-inducing jump cuts make it show. Plus, all the female characters are either harpies or hos.

André only wants to sing and be weird. “L.A.” Weekly reporter Earnest Hardy describes Benjamin’s “Idlewild” character as an “unintentional confirmation that André’s own public persona over the past few years — one in which his eccentricity and expression of artistic otherness (he’s a post-hip-hop, electro-jazz retro-futuristic seeker) feels increasingly contrived.” Whether he’ll return to the rap he abandoned on “The Love Below” remains to been seen. “I just had an idea for a song called ‘Mid-Rap Crisis,” Benjamin joked in a recent AP interview. “Our music don’t sound like what’s going on.”

They haven’t really worked together for six years. All their outside interests keep them from the hip-hop that made previous releases like “Aquemini” and “Stankonia” so great (it’s been said). Benjamin is developing a clothing line and working on a Cartoon Network series. This fall, Patton releases his second solo record on his own label, Purple Ribbon. Both are pursing acting careers. (Besides “Idlewild,” Benjamin’s been in “Four Brothers” and “Be Cool” and Patton got great reviews in “ATL.”)

High school couples never stay together. Ask Dr. Phil



OutKast is forever

The “Idlewild” soundtrack is misunderstood. “This album is what I wanted it to be,” raves one Amazon reviewer. “Completely different and unpredictable.” Another points out that there’s “not much good rap out these days so this is a welcome release from a group that experiments with its sound. That’s what music should be.” Some online apologists ask fans to remember that “Idlewild is a soundtrack that supplements the movie, not an album supplemented by a movie.”

The movie has a lot going for it. “One of the weakest and most ridiculous aspects of popular culture is its narcissistic now-ness,” writes “Village Voice” movie critic Michael Atkinson. His “Idlewild” review goes on to say, “the movie assembles a Depression morphed and tickled with hip-hop, digital animation, and movie memories. But “Idlewild” has a sober, loving respect for history and the old South, and there by grants itself a measure of distinction.” So there.

OutKast is, was, and will always be about experimentation. “Their name should tell you their story,” says one online fan. “They have actually grown more into that name now than ever before.” According to an Amazon reviewer, “Followers of OutKast know that Big Boi and André 3000 always push the envelope.” And as Patton says in the “L.A. Weekly” interview, “We’re still students of music. We’re still learning, still looking for that moment.”

Big Boi and former presidential candidate Wesley Clark agree. In a 2003 campaign ad, Clark tells some young constituents, “I don’t care what the other candidates say, I don’t think OutKast is really breaking up.” And in a recent Associated Press interview, Patton confirmed it. “All them haters would love for us to break up … sorry haters!”

Interesting article with some valid points

The end of OutKast?
Does ‘Idlewild’ mark hip-hop duo’s demise? Let’s examine the evidence
COMMENTARY
By Helen A.S. Popkin
MSNBC contributor

“Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” was groundbreaking as well — selling more than five million copies and becoming the first hip-hop LP to win Grammy’s Album of the Year.

Was "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" not a hip-hop album? She even said in her acceptance speech it was hip-hop!

“Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” was groundbreaking as well — selling more than five million copies and becoming the first hip-hop LP to win Grammy’s Album of the Year.

Was "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" not a hip-hop album? She even said in her acceptance speech it was hip-hop!

WAIT A MINUTE! Didn't Speakerboxx/Love Below signal the end for Outkast too?!

At least that's what I remember being the buzz when that album dropped.

Under The Cherry Idlewild doesn't signal the end, it's just not the sort of album the public wanted Outkast to make.

Shouldn't the two types of Outkast fans be before Stankonia and after Stankonia?

lyecry said:

That's a good point because wasn't Stankonia a turning point for Outkast?

silverchild said:

Speakerbox/The love below sold over 11 million copies.. that was the true turning point for Outkast.

silverchild said:

Speakerbox/The love below sold over 11 million copies.. that was the true turning point for Outkast.

Meloh9 said:

Yeah I know that was such an commercial achievement, but I don't agree. Wouldn't you say Stankonia was their first slab into commercialism? I mean, with Stankonia, they came up with their first crossover hits like Ms. Jackson and So Fresh, So Clean and not only that they won their first 2 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album and Ms. Jackson. Not a bad resume if you ask me, but I thought they should've definitely got a Grammies long before Stankonia and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

silverchild said:

If we are going to judge things in those terms then there was no turning point. They always had hit songs and each album continued to outsell the last one. So fresh so clean isn't anymore commercial than Atleans (not the album but its title track).

Their first slab into commercialism would've been their first album, Southernplayalisticcadillacmusik. It was far less experimental and most of the subject matter was about being a player or a baller and driving cadillacs.



The Hit - Players Ball

Artist Title Cert. Date Label Award Desc. Format Category Type
OUTKAST PLAYER'S BALL 05/12/94 LAFACE G SINGLE GROUP Std
OUTKAST SOUTHERNPLAYALISTICADILLACMUZIK 06/28/94 LAFACE G ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST SOUTHERNPLAYALISTICADILLACMUZIK 04/05/95 LAFACE P ALBUM GROUP Std



The Hits - Elevators Atliens

OUTKAST ELEVATORS 09/13/96 LAFACE G SINGLE GROUP Std
OUTKAST ATLIENS 11/06/96 LAFACE G ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST ATLIENS 11/06/96 LAFACE P ALBUM GROUP Std


The Hits Rosa Parks/ Swew it On The Bar B

OUTKAST AQUEMINI 11/01/98 LAFACE G ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST AQUEMINI 11/06/98 LAFACE P ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST AQUEMINI 07/02/99 LAFACE M (2) ALBUM GROUP Std


The Hits BOB/Ms Jackson

Now at this point the quirkiness of BOB grabbed more mainstream listeners and white audiences and word started to spread about Outkast innovative production style, so in a way this could be considered a turning point.

OUTKAST STANKONIA 11/27/00 LAFACE P ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST STANKONIA 11/27/00 LAFACE G ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST STANKONIA 11/27/00 LAFACE M (2) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST STANKONIA 02/06/01 LAFACE M (3) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST B.O.B. / MS. JACKSON 05/01/01 LAFACE G VIDEO SINGLE GROUP Std



The Hits Hey Ya/The Way You Move - Roses

OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 10/23/03 ARISTA M (3) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 10/23/03 ARISTA P ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 10/23/03 ARISTA G ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST STANKONIA 11/03/03 ARISTA M (4) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 11/12/03 ARISTA M (4) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST THE WAY YOU MOVE / HEY YA! 12/02/03 ARISTA G VIDEO SINGLE GROUP Std
OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 12/10/03 ARISTA M (6) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 01/06/04 ARISTA M (7) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST THE VIDEOS 01/23/04 ARISTA G VIDEO LONGFORM GROUP Std
OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 01/29/04 ARISTA M (8) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 02/26/04 ARISTA M (9) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST THE WAY YOU MOVE / HEY YA! 02/26/04 ARISTA P VIDEO SINGLE GROUP Std
OUTKAST THE VIDEOS 03/24/04 ARISTA P VIDEO LONGFORM GROUP Std
OUTKAST HEY YA! 10/25/04 ARISTA G SINGLE GROUP Dig
OUTKAST ROSES 10/25/04 ARISTA G SINGLE GROUP Dig
OUTKAST THE WAY YOU MOVE 10/25/04 ARISTA G SINGLE GROUP Dig
OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 12/03/04 SO SO DEF M (10) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW 05/30/06 SO SO DEF M (11) ALBUM GROUP Std
OUTKAST MS. JACKSON 06/12/06 LAFACE G SINGLE GROUP Dig

Meloh9 said:

But did their first albums before Stankonia get play from a lot of mainstream radio stations? I'm sorry, but I think you've forgotten that Outkast is strictly an alternative rap group, no matter how many albums they have sold or how they have crossed over a little bit. I remember back in 1995 when they won Best New Rap Artist at the Source Awards. Most people that were in that building just booed them because they sounded different and at that time the East Coast and West Coast feud had reached an all-time high. And I do agree about what you said about the Southernplayalistic album, but at that time the biggest hype was the East Coast and West Coast feud, so people just considered them as a strictly underground act. After that album, the momentum was building because they wanted to push the boundaries and ATLiens not only pathed the way for them to do material that would somehow please all audiences, but sound different. Aquemini is their masterpiece and artistic peak to me, because it just perfected everything they were reaching for and it was a commercial success and critic darling, but when they got to Stankonia and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, MTV audiences just accepted it because it sounded like "pop" and it was polished for audiences who liked pop or rock music. So their audiences are different because before Stankonia, their albums sounded "alternative" and a lot of hip-hop heads loved that particular sound on their early albums, more than the albums they have done now. That's why Stankonia should stand as a turning point because at this point they somehow varied their fanbase, so it could be appreciated by everyone and heck, it sold over 4 million copies: so it was a big seller even though Speakerboxxx/TLB outsold it.
[Edited 8/31/06 13:21pm]

silverchild said:

The reason why they got booed is because they were from the South. The East Coast has always been sort of exclusive with Hip Hop.I think most Hip Hop heads liked Atliens and every album onward. One of the few groups that is able to grab the pop audeince, underground heads who listen to lyrics first, street cats, etc

Wheather East or West, Souternplayalistic had the respect of the "South" and this is the group that help put the South on the map and made GA a force to be reckoned with.

My point is that every album went platinum and every record had a hit. To me a turning point is when a group didn't do all that well in the first place and then boom! they have this hit song.

Meloh9 said:

You made a great point about Southernplayalistic and the East Coast! But when Stankonia hit, they had gained a great amount of respect and appreciation from a more mainstream audience who didn't really listen to rap music that much or just admired their innovative style. So can that be considered a miraculous turning point? That's all I'm saying...
[Edited 8/31/06 14:01pm]