In the mid-90s, there was always talk about an East Coast-West Coast rivalry in hip hop. Basically, people claimed that certain regions ran the hip hop game, which essentially overlooked another region, the South.
At the 1995 Source Awards, rising act Outkast won for New Artist of the Year, but were met with a crowd of boos. So, when the group took the stage for their acceptance speech, André 3000 made sure he was heard, “It’s like this though … I’m tired of folks, those close-minded folks, you know what I’m saying? It’s like, we got a demo tape but don’t nobody wanna hear it. But it’s like this, the South got something to say and that’s all I got to say.”
That stance was loud and clear over the course of Outkast's career as André 3000 and Big Boi helped deem Atlanta as a major hub for hip hop. Outkast has always been known for being authentic, unique, and having their own sound, and eventually—people took notice.
To celebrate Outkast's illustrious legacy here are 25 songs that help showcase the group as one of the biggest influences hip hop.
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