Talk about famous hip-hop groups. Andre Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton are the famous duo known as Outcast! They have sold over twenty million copies of their six albums.
Both born in Atlanta, Georgia they met in high school. They challenged each other to freestyle MC Battles regularly. A local producer, Organized Noise wanted them on their label and followed them. Big Boi and Andre sat down trying to think of a name and while looking through Webster's dictionary, they came across "Outcast" and thought that would be perfect because the East & West Coast Rappers saw the southern rappers as outcasts.
Therefore, they were born and signed with LaFace Records in 1992. They were LaFace Records first hip-hop duo and made their first appearance on TLC's "What About Friends". They released their first single in 1993 called, "Player's Ball". This became an instant hit and topped the Billboard Charts at number one.
In 1994, they came out with their first full-length album titled, "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik".
In 1995, at the Source Awards, Outcast won best New Rap Group
In 1996, they released their second album titled, "ATLiens" which went to number two on Billboard. Since being released, they have gotten more recognition from the fans of the East and West Coast.
In 1998, they released number three titled; "Aquemini" and this went to number two on Billboard as well. The Source, a famous hip-hop magazine gave the boys "5Mics" out of five rating, saying this was probably the group's best work yet!
In 2000, number four was released. "Stankonia" got excellent reviews and hit the Billboard at number two once again.
The boys released a greatest hits album in 2001 titled, "Big Boi and Dre Present….Outcast".
In 2003, they did it again with "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" a double album, but it is really two solo albums together, one of each of the boys.
So what is left for these Grammy Award winning boys? Well, films of course. Andre co-starred in John Singleton's "Four Brothers" and had a small part in "Be Cool'. Big Boi had a featured role in "ATL". In 2006, they released a joint film called, "Idlewild" which is directed by their music director Bryan Barber.
While their record label folded in 2004, Big Boi founded a new label called Purple Ribbon Entertainment. Big Boi and Andre have become distant over the years and have denied rumors of never getting on stage together again.
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