OutKast possessed the lyricism of New York emcees while being able to flow over beats like rappers from the West Coast. They could represent the player motif similar to Memphis’ 8Ball & MJG, and Port Arthur, Texas’ UGK. And they were also as eclectic as New York’s A Tribe Called Quest and California’s Hieroglyphics. OutKast delivered rap verses through thick Southern accents that embodied our reality of being young, black, and from Atlanta. The group did not seek to appease other regions that, at the time, had a strong- hold on rap. OutKast introduced the rap industry to Atlanta and, in a sense, the rap industry would eventually become headquartered in Atlanta.
“I remember life in Atlanta before OutKast, and it’s nothing like it is now,” T.I. shared with me during an interview. “Although we appreciate Sammy Sam, MC Shy D, and Kilo Ali, until OutKast, So So Def, and LaFace came, we weren’t recognized and appreciated abroad like we are now. I believe they got it here.”
Quavo of Migos also shared his thoughts on OutKast’s impact on rap. “Atlanta builds and creates when it comes to music,” Quavo said during an interview in 2016. “We come from the North Side and Atlanta em- braced us as the young wave and young creators. I feel like they created us and we’re just keeping it going. At- lanta has always been creative. The city became what it is because of legends like OutKast.”
OutKast would prove their greatness over the decades after initially being shunned by New Yorkers. During the infamous Source Awards on the night of Aug. 3, 1995, OutKast endured heckles and boos at the Madison Square Garden Paramount Theater. The ceremony amplified the bicoastal rap beef between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Entertainment and OutKast were likely victims of the intensity in the room that night. Following their win for the Best New Artist of the Year award, Dre challenged the rowdy New York crowd with the declaration, “The South got something to say!”
A.R. Shaw, Executive Editor
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