"Outkast is one of the reasons why I'm in Atlanta, you dig me? I remember driving to Atlanta in '94 with my pop, first listening to Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. I've been a fan ever since. So 13 years later, to be in a position to have who I consider the greatest group of all time on my album, it's a blessing," he noted.
"Months ago, even before 'Idlewild,' I was in the process of working on a mixtape with them. We had been talking back and forth, and it came to the point where they was like, 'Dram, we want to do it, it's just a lot going on, but you got us on your album.' You can't beat that. My intention from the beginning was to have Outkast sound like people love to hear Outkast. They're so respected and artistic, and they go in so many directions, and I love that. But for me, I was trying to get Outkast back to that ATL type of sound — that core sound that they come up with."
source: www.HipHopDX.com
World Premiere
Featuring Big Boi of OutKast as well as artists of Purple Ribbon Entertainment
Choreography by Lauri Stallings
April 10 – 13, 2008
We are very excited to announce that in the spring of 2008 Atlanta Ballet will present a world premiere collaboration featuring Big Boi of OutKast as well as artists of Purple Ribbon Entertainment and the cutting-edge-style of choreographer-in-residence Lauri Stallings. Daring, progressive and soulful, these very talented artists will perform a stunning collaborative piece, LIVE on stage with Atlanta Ballet's exquisite dancers.
Big Boi is part of OutKast, the Atlanta-based super duo that has pushed hip-hop by expanding its musical boundaries through their unique blend of jazz, blues, soul, rock and world music for the past ten years, and has kept the world on its ear.
Choreographer Lauri Stallings has been named by Dance Magazine as one of the 25 to watch in 2007. Her work for Atlanta Ballet has included The Great Gatsby , co-choreographed with artistic director John McFall and the world premieres bekken / the drum also waltzes and Shoo Pah Minor .
Single tickets will go on sale mid-August.
source: http://www.atlantaballet.com
Andre Benjamin, half of the OutKast outfit and also known as Andre 3000, has always been a rather animated artist. But now the rapper/singer/producer/actor has taken that characteristic even farther.
Benjamin is the producer, co-creator, and star of a new series on Cartoon Network: “Class of 3000,” a play on his stage name.
The new show follows Benjamin’s character, Sonny Bridges, who leaves an unfulfilling career in the music business to return to his old high school in Atlanta to take the music teacher gig. There he leads a group of seven musical prodigies in their journey in learning and loving music.
Yet another project for the Renaissance man, Benjamin told the EUR that this latest outlet is just another place for him to showcase his love of music.
“I don't think it just lends itself to being a rapper or a country artist, [or] some rock stars.” Benjamin said about his smooth transition into acting. “I think it's just another way to express yourself, another way to be free. And that's all, you know, that musicians are living for, just an avenue to do it, basically.”
Benjamin and the producers at the network have been working on this project for more than two years. It was an idea that sparked more of an “Adult Swim” (mature audiences) type series based on the “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” disc and molded into the more primetime “Class of 3000.”
“What we wanted to do was make something really creative and something like a place for artists, musicians, and actual, like, visual artists. So I think we've kept that going, you know, for the two years, and it's finally about to blast,” Benjamin said.
The show expects a lot more development as there's talk that the series will feature guest appearances from some of Benjamin’s music star friends. He also said that a soundtrack disc is certainly something they're talking about, too, since every episode will have a song that the kids perform. Benjamin said that at the end of the season or perhaps the middle, there will be a collection of the songs written, produced, and performed by him. Plus, as it takes place at a performing arts school, Benjamin revealed that episodes will also delve into the art of drama, writing, etc. It’s kind of like “Fat Albert” meets “Fame.”
“Yeah. I think making it in a performing arts school makes the setting more exciting because even though this class is about music, I think, you get to see other characters that are in drama, that are in science fiction, you know, like class so it just makes it a more fun surrounding,” Benjamin said. “It kind of mirrors the school that I went to. Like a lot of these characters were made out of kids I knew growing up. Like even Lil' D is little version of me, and I went to a school in Atlanta called Sutton, and I was in a drama class doing that kind of thing. And it was just a fun environment so I just wanted to recreate it in the cartoon.”
Fellow co-creator and co-executive producer Tom Lynch agreed that the series grew out of Benjamin’s experiences.
“The influence was really more about Andre's beginnings. When I went down to Atlanta and we met, he took me around his world as we started building layer and layer upon the show."
With the recent movie “Idlewild” under his belt and now the premier of the Cartoon Network show coming soon, Andre 3000 fans find it no wonder the artist hasn’t toured. But Benjamin said that it’s not the projects that have taken him from the music stage – it’s love lost.
“I stopped touring before any of this happened. I stopped touring maybe -- what? -- two, two and a half years ago. And it's just because after a while you don't feel the same, the same kind of passion that you did when you first started, but I still love to make music and I think it's in me. I'll make music forever, but I just wanted to take my time to do other things that I really love instead of being on stage and kind of going through the motions and knowing I'm not really in it,” he explained.
However, fans will get a chance to get into this latest project tonight. A promo for the series, “Sunny Bridges: From Bankhead to Buckhead” airs this evening on Cartoon Network at 7pm (E/P). The show premieres Friday, November 3.
source: www.EURweb.com
Listen to what Dre had to say about this baseless rumor:
"Yesterday I got a phone call from Big Boi and he said that on some hip-hop Web sites that the headlines were reading something to the effect of, 'It's Official: Outkast Is Broken Up,' or something like that," Andre said. "And man, we're looking at it like, where is this sh-- coming from? I was on 'TRL' today to release a new video, and I meant to say something [about the situation] on the air. But the way they had the questions set up, I didn't have a chance to do it."
Andre says that the rumors are not just on the Internet, but very much in the streets.
"N---as hit me in the street like, 'Yeah man, I heard the bad news. Sorry to hear about that,' " Andre continued. "I'm like 'Man, what are you talking about?' Everything is still tight, most definitely."
Chat about this on the World Famous Stank Board
Outkast returns with a brand new album, Idlewild (to be released August 22nd on LaFace/Zomba) with a movie of the same title hitting theatres on August 25th. The first single, Mighty O is now available for download, but you can preview this track now on Real Audio or Windows Media. And why not watch the movie trailer here as well? Because they are keepin the dream alive against the backdrop of a 1930s southern speakeasy. That is why.
The late Cab Calloway must be walking around heaven with a little extra swagger and a smile on his face. Outkast have flipped a piece of his "Minnie the Moocher" for their new single, "Mighty O," the first official offering from the "Idlewild"
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1531470/20060510/outkast.jhtml?headlines=true
The late Cab Calloway must be walking around heaven with a little extra swagger and a smile on his face. Outkast have flipped a piece of his "Minnie the Moocher" for their new single, "Mighty O," the first official offering from the "Idlewild"
Calloway famously yelled, "Hi-de-hi-de-hi-di-hi! Ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho!" in his classic.
Andre 3000 sings "Mighty-I-de-I-de-I/ O-de-o-de-o-de-o" on the record's hook. Fans of vintage Kast will be pleased to know that that's the only singing he does on the track. As promised, Andre is back to rapping and addressing doubters.
"You ain't a hater? Can't tell," he rhymes. "Either wish me well, go to hell or go to Yale/ Study human behavior/ So you know who the hell you dealing with."
Big Boi is no less belligerent on his verse, which comes second in the song, declaring, "Slam your back to the curb, bruh, like sanitation workers/ 'Cause you're trash.
"That n---a the B.I.G. go hard every time," he continues. "Dungeon Family and biological intact/ Talk bad about the fam, catch diabolical attacks."
The beat sounds as if it were created with live instrumentation. It has the skittish bounce of the ragtime era, which is appropriate as the long-awaited "Idlewild" film is set during that time (see "Outkast's Manager Swears Idlewild Is Almost Done; Group Plans Rosa Parks Tribute"). According to Outkast's reps, Dre and Big Boi will be filming a video for "Mighty O" soon. The soundtrack is due August 22, and the movie is slated to hit theaters August 25.
— Shaheem Reid
....Greg Street, good looking out for dropping that new Outkast joint this week. So just incase you forgot, Dre and Big still have this ATL game on lock. No need for dances, finger-snapping...none of that.
From the sound of their first single we can look for Andre 3000 to get back to simply spitting again. And Big Boi, he spits a crazy 32 bars or so, they only run one verse each but they are killin' it. Real talk.
They use the old Cab Calloway hook, "Heidi-Heidi Hi/Heidi-Heidi-Ho" (I don't know how to spell it but you feel me) with a little altering of the hook a little bit for the "Idlewood" title. The album drops in September, just in time to gain momentum by early 2007 and grab more Grammy's. Timing is err'thing you know that...
source:www.sohh.com
NEW TRACK LOCATED IN MESSAGE BOARD!!!
The highlights were "Morris Brown" (paying tribute to the college who's marching band is featured on the song), containing an inescapable "My heart is like a marching band..." hook by Purple Ribbon R&B wunderkind Scar, and a woozy, "Whole World"-style banger mixing live drums and loops with juke-joint instrumentation. Both were being considered as lead-off singles to the soundtrack...but then Andre decided he wanted to rap again, and it's back to the lab. ANDRE 3000 IS RAPPING AGAIN. STAY TUNED.
Vibe reports:
Yes, we are talking about the same guy who used to hold an umbrella over P. Diddy’s head.Farnsworth Bentley, who’s now a rapper on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label, told MTV that his album will be ready for a release this summer. Bentley is already collaborating with Kanye West and Andre 3000, and, in addition says his album will feature several talented up-and-coming producers.
Andre + Animation + Spongebob = Class of 3000... According to TV.com:
In Class of 3000, Outkast singer Andre Benjamin, aka Andre 3000, has crafted a tale about a group of musically gifted kids at a performing arts school. When a former student returns to the school after becoming famous, he brings sunshine and music into the lives of the kids. Benjamin will contribute music and his voice talent to the series, which will also feature Tom Kenny, the actor who voices a little guy named SpongeBob SquarePants.
More info here
Outkast's Antwan "Big Boi" Patton recently received a Fine Arts Award from Savannah, Georgia's King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation for his accomplishments in the arts.
The foundation's aim is to research and preserve black history and culture in Savannah. Big Boi received the award in a ceremony this past Saturday.
"It feels great," he told The Associated Press. "It's been a long time coming. After 13 years, I appreciate it."
With their upcoming musical feature film on its way, rap duo OutKast are set to release the film's soundtrack, Idlewild, on December 6th.
"It's like an OutKast record on film," Big Boi says of the movie, with the same tentative title. Set in the Depression-era South, the film, which will be released in theaters on January 6th, follows the story of a struggling musician (played by Andre 3000) and a lovable Lothario (Big Boi).
"Since it's in the Thirties, we didn't want to use too many synthesizers and keys," says Big, who adds that the duo mined its vault of unreleased and unfinished tracks for the album.
The first single, "Idlewild Blues," is a jazzy romp loaded with drum stomps, muffled trumpets and piano; Dre gives his best Cab Calloway impersonation, and Big flips his hallmark spitfire rhymes. "It's a juke-joint jam," says Big. "I don't know if you can categorize it as a rap song."
At tonight's Los Angeles premiere of Ira Sachs' Sundance Award-winning film "Forty Shades of Blue," I had the chance to speak with André Benjamin, half of the talented OutKast, who was kind enough to answer a few quick questions about the upcoming OutKast movie.
Written and directed by Bryan Barber, who worked with André and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton on their videos "The Whole World", "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move," the new film is a musical set in the Prohibition-era American South, where Rooster (Patton), a speakeasy performer and Percival (Benjamin), the club's piano player, contend with gangsters who have their eyes on the club.
Outkast is also producing the soundtrack, which Patton has stated is a true OutKast album instead of a basic soundtrack loaded with guest appearances.
Georgio Armani has recently declare he prefers to listen to a wide range of music, but rock and rap are among his favorites.
The 71-year-old Italian fashion designer, who also enjoys listening to Cole Porter, stated his musical choice for a good mood is most definitely Outkast.
Actually, it sounds like the title is up in the air, but what is for sure is that the film, starring Andre and Big Boi, will be in theatres!
UPI has this to say:
The untitled HBO Productions musical film starring Grammy Award-winning hip-hoppers OutKast has landed at Universal Pictures.
The movie, formerly called "My Life in Idlewild," was written and directed by Outkast's longtime music video collaborator, Bryan Barber, The Hollywood Reporter said.
The story is set in a 1930s Southern speakeasy and centers around the piano player played by Andre Benjamin, aka Andre 3000, and the club manager played by Andre Patton, aka Big Boi.
The cast also includes Ving Rhames, Terrence Howard, Faizon Love, Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray, Cicely Tyson and Ben Vereen.
According to this article, the new CD from Outkast, 10 The Hard Way will be out on October 11.
The Stanks on the Stankonia.com Stank Board don't think so...
Madonna has enlisted the talents of Andre 3000 on her new album, after meeting the Outkast star on the set of her husband Guy Ritchie's forthcoming movie Revolver.
Big Boi, best-known as one-half of the hip-hop superduo OutKast, will release at least two albums this year on his Purple Ribbon custom label through Virgin, it was announced today. The first releases under the arrangement will include a new album by Top 3-charting Southern rapper Bubba Sparxxx, and a Purple Ribbon All-Stars compilation album that will be previewed by the bumping posse track "Kryptonite," from the Purple Ribbon All-Stars featuring Big Boi, Killer Mike, C-Bone and Rock D, as well as the ingenious and melodic electronic R&B dance tune "U Got Me" by Scar featuring Big Boi.
Andre's latest flick, 4 brothers, is in theatres now. Go see it! Reviews on the Stank board have been positive with all pointing out that Andre's performance is superb.
More info at the official website: fourbrothersmovie.com
Happy 29th!!! Much love from everyone at Stankonia.com
Happy 29th!!! Much love from everyone at Stankonia.com
ip-hop duo Outkast have agreed to record a song for a tribute album in honour of US civil rights icon Rosa Parks as part of a settlement ending a dispute over the rappers' use of Parks' name in a song.
December 1, 2005 will mark the 50th anniversary of Parks' refusal to give up her seat to a white man in a bus in segregated Montgomery, Alabama. Her act of defiance in 1955 touched off a 381-day boycott that historians say marked the beginning of the civil rights movement.
Recent interview with Andre: Read more here
What Audiences Can Expect From “Four Brothers:” “John Singleton directed it. It’s a story about four brothers that grew up, we were adopted as kids. It’s myself, Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson and Garrett Hedlund. We grew up together. My three brothers left town. It takes place in Detroit. [They] left town [and] I’m the only brother that stayed and made something of myself. I have a family. I have a wife and two kids, and someone kills our mother who adopted us. My brothers come back into town for the funeral, but not only the funeral. They do a little investigation to see if the cop’s story is true. To see if it was a random shooting in a convenience store - and it wasn’t. It was a hit and so we have to find out who did it. There’s a lot of twists and turns and that’s all I can really tell you right now, but it’s fun. (Laughing) We’re in Toronto right now shooting on a frozen lake.”
For all the talk about the Outkast movie in recent years, few details have actually surfaced. But now that the HBO-produced movie starring Andre 3000 and Big Boi is finished shooting, we went after its director, Bryan Barber, the group's longtime
go-to video director, to fill us in. Here's what we discovered:
* Yes, it's really coming out. "Probably mid-June," Barber said. "The rumor is that it'll hit theaters first. I'm not supposed to spread the rumor, but I am."
* No, it's not really called "My Life in Idlewild." "I was kidding around when I said that title, because where it takes place is called Idlewild," Barber said. "I didn't think anyone would like it. Originally it was called 'Speakerboxxx' and I might still call it that. 'Speakerboxxx' is what the film is. It's actually the first part to another film I wrote, 'The Love Below,' which I wrote for Andre."
OutKast's Andre 3000 appears on Esthero's Wikked Lil' Girls album, due this spring. The Grammy-winning hip-hop star agreed to sing on the Toronto-based singer's record -- a sexy, sophisticated blend of jazz, pop and R&B -- after she sent him four songs this summer.
"He called me a couple of days later," Esthero says, "and said, 'What are we doing, and when?'"
Esthero flew down to OutKast's Stankonia Studios in Atlanta in July, where Andre contributed vocals to "Jungle Book," which Esthero describes as "a fantasy song about being tired of your surroundings and moving to the jungle and living in a tree fort and dancing with fireflies."
After the two hung out in the lounge, Andre emerged with his animalistic, cannibalistic vocal part, featuring the line "I'll eat you alive."
"When I heard it, I thought he said, 'I'll eat you all night,' and I was laughing," Esthero says. "I said to him, 'I don't think you can say that,' and he said, 'Noooooo, I'm saying, 'I'll eat you alive -- like a cannibal.' . . . He's so talented, so humble and so fun. I'll remember the night in the studio with him forever."
Andre 3000 will join Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, John Cleese and Steve Buscemi in lending their vocal talents to the upcoming film adaptation of the classic children's book "Charlotte's Web." Production is scheduled to begin Jan. 31 in Melbourne Australia.
Andre 3000 will voice Elwyn the crow, Roberts will voice Charlotte the spider in the film, which will blend live action with CGI animation.
Hip-hop duo OutKast and R&B sensation Usher have shared top honours, scooping a combined five prizes at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rome which was broadcast to millions of viewers worldwide.
OutKast stars Andre 3000 and Big Boi, whose Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won the 2004 Grammy for album of the year, walked away with best group, best song and best video awards on Thursday.
OutKast has a leading five nominations for the 2004 MTV Europe Music Awards...
The awards will be presented Nov. 18 at the Tor di Valle Hippodrome in Rome.
Performers at the awards ceremony will include the Beastie Boys and Eminem, who will present his new single, "Just Lose It," from the upcoming album "Encore."
The Internet Movie Database has a little more info... keep checking their page for the latest.
Here's what's up there right now:
Speakerboxxx (2005)
Directed by Bryan Barber
Writing credits
Bryan Barber
Genre: Drama
Plot Outline: A musical set in the Prohibition-era American South, where a speakeasy performer (Big Boi) and his piano player (Andre 3000) contend with gangsters who have their eyes on the club.
Credited cast:
André 3000
Big Boi
Faizon Love .... Ace
Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks suffers from dementia and should not answer questions relating to her lawsuit against Hip-Hop stars Outkast, her doctor’s revealed.
Parks, 91, took the rap group to court over their 1998 hit song “Rosa Parks,” featured on their multi-platinum release, Aquemini.
According to her lawyers, her health is failing and she will not be able to take the stand and testify in the case. The civil-rights legend hired powerful lawyer Johnny Cochran to represent her in the case, as well as several other attorneys.
Parks claims Outkast’s song violated her trademark rights and accuses the group and their record label, BMG of exploiting her name. She also claimed that a gospel album she released was impaired by the song and that confused fans purchased the Outkast album, expecting a gospel themed record.
The group claims “Rosa Parks” is protected by the First Amendment.
Parks handlers agreed to release the documents in August, to prove that she was not able to take the stand. She has not been seen in public since 2001, when she was forced to cancel a meeting with President Bush.
OutKast won for world's best group, best pop group and best rap/hip-hop artist at the World Music Awards, which are based on Record Sales.
Big ups to Kast for hauling in more awards this year then they've got shelf space!
Superstar rap duo OutKast and hip-hop newcomer Kanye West garnered three nominations apiece.
The awards will be presented Nov. 14 at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, in a ceremony to be aired live on ABC and hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Omarion has added a big collaborator to his upcoming solo album — Big Boi, to be exact.
The Outkast rapper has lent a verse to the former B2K star's first single, "Never Gonna Let You Go (She's a Keepa)."
"Basically, it's a realistic topic," Omarion said. "When I made my album, I wanted to talk about things that are real. I want somebody to hear my song and say, 'You know, man, I've been through that.' And 'She's a Keepa,' I mean, fellas, any time you got a good girl, even if she gets on your nerves sometime, she's worth keeping if you put that time in."
Omarion and Big Boi are shooting the video next week under the direction of Chris Stokes, who manages Omarion and directed several of B2K's videos.
The above pic is from the Prototype video, which is now playing on MTV and BET. Remember to call/email MTV and BET and request it!
Soul legend Aretha Franklin credits Outkast with giving her a liking for hip-hop.
The Respect singer admits she shies away from most rap, because she doesn't appreciate the lyrics, but she enjoys listening to the work of Hey Ya! hitmakers Andre 3000 and Big Boi.
She says: "OutKast I really love. They just have great energy.
"A lot of the rap I really don't enjoy because of the content. I care what the lyrics say and a lot of it is too negative and derogatory."
This website was the first to call "bullshit" on false media reports that Andre was performing for the Republicans. But apparently some fans have been confused, so here's Andre himself on the reality:
“The reason why I’m here is because I’m doing a documentary on youth and voting. I guess people got wind that I was coming here for the Republican convention, but they really don’t know the complete story. I wanted to clear it up. You had a lot of people around town, people in the streets, that heard I was supposed to be performing at the convention. A lot of people are riled up and upset, and that was never the case. It almost leads me to think, ‘who put it out there that I was performing?’ I don’t know if it was to bring heat to a certain party. I just want to let people know that this is a non-partisan documentary I’m doing,"
"Well, actually it wasn’t a big scare, because whoever was on the radio saying they’d never buy another Outkast album, they probably wasn’t true fans. True Outkast fans love the music. I understand the politics of it – it does matter who I vote for – but it’s none of their business. If they like the music that’s cool."
Contrary to what you may have heard in the media, Andre 3000 was not at the Republican convention to perform, he was there filming a documentary about voting. So don't get it twisted. According to British music mag NME:
"OUTKAST’s ANDRE 3000 is filming a documentary focusing on the rapper’s change from musician to voter registration activist.
The ’Hey Ya’ star appeared at the recent Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention to conduct interviews.
In the currently untitled project, Andre 3000, interviewed John Kerry’s daughters and on Tuesday (August 31), he interviewed President George W Bush’s daughters Jenna and Barbara."
REGISTER TO VOTE! at DeclareYourself.com
OutKast and their video "Hey Ya" stole the show with a surprisingly strong challenge that garnered Best Video, Best Hip Hop Video, Best Special Effects and Best Art Direction.
Stank Pimps are talking about and posting pics of VMA rehersals. Speculation is that the'll do Prototype... but maybe something else?
The Philly news says:
After four years of keeping relatively quiet and out of boldface type, First Twins Jenna and Barbara Bush are going to shake it like a Polaroid picture at the GOP convention in N.Y.C. The recent college grads will host the opening bash Sunday, Aug. 29, at Roseland with Outkast's sartorially splendid Andre 3000, Stephen Baldwin (the shy, Republican Baldwin), Barret Swatek (7th Heaven), Angie Harmon (Law & Order, Neutrogena) and defensive back hubby Jason Sehorn (no longer a Giant, now a Ram), and Bo "Still a 10" Derek.
However, the Washington Post says that Andre and P. Diddy are not part of the performance, but are shooting a documentary. What's up? Andre was spotted in 2000 with Gore t-shirts and was also reportedly at the Demo convention in Boston.
OUTKAST's BIG BOI will team with SLEEPY BROWN to headline the two-day SoulFest Atlanta 2004 held outside of Turner Field on September 4th and 5th. The inaugural festival will also feature performances by LL COOL J, ANGIE STONE, MOS DEF, CHAKA KAHN, and ANTHONY HAMILTON . . .
Outkast want to tell a love story in their next video — but since they're Outkast, this isn't your typical love story. Alien love is the order of the day for "Prototype," which the group plans to shoot next weekend, with Andre 3000 sitting in the director's chair.
"If M. Night Shyamalan [writer/director of 'The Sixth Sense' and 'The Village'] had a wife who wrote romance novels, this would be it," Andre's treatment reads. "I'd like to make a love video that is as hauntingly beautiful as the track itself. So rather than try to tell some disingenuous love story about an ordinary man and woman, I'd like, instead, to set our narrative in a tableau of magic realism."
Norfolk, VA -- Andre 3000 of OutKast, who this spring became the first hip hop act to win a Grammy for album of the year, has now become the first hip hop star to be voted "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" in PETA’s annual online poll. Previous winners include Tobey Maguire, Shania Twain, Lauren Bush and Josh Hartnett.
Andre was recently asked how he would spend his last day on Earth, and he replied, “I’d have sex with a beautiful woman and then go for a great meal—some broccoli probably, because I’m a vegetarian.”
More than 12,000 people voted in the PETA poll. The complete list of the more than 180 vegetarian celebs who were in the running in this year’s poll is available on PETA’s Web site GoVeg.com.
Check your local listings for The Shield on FX this tuesday. Dre has a part in the exciting season Finale!
A lawsuit brought by civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks against a popular rap group has been set for trial.
OutKast's 1998 song "Rosa Parks" is about the entertainment industry and its lyrics do not refer to Parks by name. The chorus of the song goes, "Ah-ha, hush that fuss. Everybody move to the back of the bus."
A jury trial has been set for Jan. 10, but there are still procedural issues to deal with.
OUTKAST will make two albums and a movie in the next year, despite widespread rumours that they are on the verge of splitting.
When Andre 3000 and Big Boi worked separately on last year's 'Speakerboxx/The Love Below', and with Big Boi playing 'solo' dates, many believed that the writing was on the wall for the hip-hop pioneers.
However, Big Boi told MTV about the duo's plans for the next OutKast album, as well as a soundtrack album for a film in which they will both star.
He said: "You gonna get two albums within the next 365 days. The soundtrack (to the movie) will be released in May (2005), it's gonna be all brand-new songs, me and Dre on one CD together. But before we put the soundtrack, we're going to put another album out this November. It's gonna be a hardcore album, me and Dre letting Organized Noize produce the whole album. I can't give you the title of it yet, but it's coming together nicely."
As previously reported, Andre is making his starring movie debut in a project based on the 'Love Below' song 'Love Hater', but the pair will also star in a film together.
Big Boi added: "We will not be playing OutKast in the movie. It's set during the Prohibition era. Dre is the son of a mortician and I own a club… it's a devilish place. It's going to be a lot of action, adventure, romance."
Story from NME
11:35 Watch Dave L. to see a performance of ROSES
.jpg)
More info at the BET site: http://www.bet.com/awards/
OutKast star Andre 3000 is developing a new cartoon with the Cartoon Network in the US.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Andre and the cable channel are working on a half-hour special for the Cartoon Network's 'Adult Swim' slot; if both are happy with the results, a series will be greenlighted.
It is reported that the cartoon is expected to be inspired by Andre's life or will feature his alter ego Johnny Vulture from OutKast's 'Hey Ya!' video.
The singer is also expected to contribute music to the project.
Andre will next be seen in 'Be Cool', the sequel to hit movie 'Get Shorty', and is also set to star in a Jimi Hendrix biopic for the Hughes brothers, whose previous credits include 'From Hell' and 'Menace II Society'.
Thanks to Stank Square Peg for the Tip
Outkast is currently shooting the video to their next single, Roses. Check out the Stank On It Stank board for more info...
According to the official Polaroid Website, you should NOT shake it like a polaroid picture. In answer to the question of shaking, the site says:
The short answer is no, you don't have to (and shouldn't) "shake it like a Polaroid picture."
Shaking or waving a Polaroid picture to help the development process originated in the early days of peel-apart film. After peeling the negative, the image needed to dry before it could be handled, so waving the photo helped it to dry more quickly.
When using the integral films (600, Spectra, 500, SX-70/Time-Zero, i-Zone) that are used in our most popular current camera models (Polaroid One, OneStep, JoyCam, etc.), the image develops and dries behind a clear plastic window and never touches the air, so shaking or waving has no effect.
In fact, shaking or waving can actually damage the image. Rapid movement during development can cause portions of the film to separate prematurely, or can cause "blobs" in the picture.
Outkast led the nominations with 6....Stankonia.com Stank Board : Outkast nominated for 6 GRAMMY AWARDS!!!
According to MTV.com, the next singles are Prototype and Bowtie. Good choices? Stank on it in the Stank boards...
Music industry champions Outkast back at the #1 spot... daymn
RollingStone.com: News: OutKast Top Strokes, R.E.M.
James Patton said his cellphone, at the number listed in the ad, has been ringing every five minutes since the CD was released, and not always by prospective dog owners. Sometimes, he said, young fans call, "trying to talk to my brother or something like that."
Big Boi said Pitfall sold seven dogs in the week after the CD's release, more than double the company's average weekly tally. Puppies from the eight-year-old breeding company sell for $1,200 to $2,500.
Buy the OutKast CD and Catch the Sale on Dogs and Paintings
Kast sold 234,000 copies last week, good enough to stay at the top of the charts for a second straight week, a feat that is getting harder and harder to do in the industry. Congratulations to the entire team from Stankonia.com.
In a recent interview, Andre revealed that hip-hop music no longer stimulates him and that he would not be touring to support their upcoming set, Speakerboxx/The Love Below.
"I don't feel the music the same way I did when I first got into hip-hop, loving it, loving writing lyrics and studying other people's lyrics," Andre told The New York Times. "Back then all I would think about was beats and rhymes."
Andre moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career and has taken up the clarinet and saxophone and is contemplating enrolling in a music school.
"The next time I perform on stage, I see myself playing in a band," Andre continued. "I want it to be a total departure from Outkast."
Andre's decision not to tour didn't effect group member Big Boi's ambitions to support the album by hitting the road.
"If he decides not to tour, it's all good," Big Boi said. "He knows I'm going to go on the road. Ain't nothing better than the crowd's reaction to new music."
-- From AllHipHop.com : News
Outkast's Andre 3000 is among the producers No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani has enlisted for her long-awaited debut solo album. In addition to producing tracks for set, Andre 3000 is also slated to make a guest appearance on the song "Long Way To Go."
According to sources, the as-yet-untitled album is being eyed for a spring 2004 release via Interscope and may also include tracks with Missy Elliott. Stefani has already collaborated with her No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal, as well as songwriter Linda Perry (Pink, Christina Aguilera) and producers Dallas Austin (TLC, Madonna) and Damon Elliott (Destiny's Child).
"The song was actually going to go on [Outkast's upcoming Arista set "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"], but I didn't feel like my audience was ready to hear this type of song," Andre 3000 tells Billboard.com of "Long Way To Go." "It's a song about an interracial relationship and I thought Gwen Stefani would be a great person to do it with."
From Billboard online: LINK
From SOHH.com:
Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast are back with the first-ever double solo albums, Speakerboxxx (Big Boi) / The Love Below (Andre 3000). On Wednesday, BET's Aceess Granted will be on the set of each video shoots for Dre's "Hey Ya" and Big Boi's "The Way You Move," and will also debut the world premiere of each new video. The double-solo LP will be out September 23rd featuring guest appearances by Jay-Z, The Dungeon Family, Bubba Sparxxx, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz, actress Rosario Dawson and multi-Grammy winner Norah Jones.
SOHH.com : The Hip-Hop SWAT : 2003.08.25
Speakerboxxx track list, according to Arista Records:
* "Bowtie" (featuring Jazze Pha and Sleepy Brown)
* "Oh No" (featuring Bubba Sparxxx and BackBone)
* "Church" (featuring Sleepy Brown)
* "The Way You Move" (featuring Sleepy Brown)
* "Do Dirty" (featuring Killer Mike)
* "Reset" (featuring Khujo and Cee-Lo)
* "Ghetto Music"
* "Last Call" (featuring Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz and Slimm Calhoun)
* "The Rooster"
* "Unhappy"
* "Knowing" (featuring Andre)
* "Flip Flop" (featuring Jay-Z and Killer Mike)
* "Rats & Roaches" (featuring Andre)
* "808" (featuring Bun B)
Tons of more info about the album and Outkast on MTV.com today. The link below:
MTV.com - News -Outkast 'Flip Flop' With Jay-Z, Rosario Dawson Climbs In Dre's 'Lap'
Outkast's Big Boi Shoots 'Artsy Fartsy' Clip With Magical Hottie Mechanics
Outkast were their usual cool and sophisticated selves Monday on the set of Big Boi's new video, except when asked about the concept of the clip. Then they could only speak in adjectives and, well, names of drugs.
"Abstract artsy fartsy ghetto classy sophisticated psyched-out mushrooms acid crack rock cocaine," Big Boi answered in his southern drawl.
"Women, speakers and boxes," added Andre 3000, on hand for his cameo in the video.
Just a note in case you slept on it: ATLiens went 2x Platinum last month. Congratulations to Outkast!
So far, Aqeumini and ATLiens are Double Platinum, SPCM and Big Boi and Dre Present is Single Platinum, and Stankonia is Triple Platinum.
According to Arista, the album has been pushed back AGAIN. The new date is September 23. Given the past track record of the release date, this is almost for sure not the final word.
Stankonia.com Stank Board : Cancel Your 9/9 Party Plans!
OUTKAST's ANDRE 3000 and BIG BOI will make guest appearances on Mutant Mindframe, the solo debut by GOODIE MOB's BIG GIPP, due August 12th, so says RollingStone.com.
From Stank Board Ho Eastpointslang:
Recieved an email from a friend... Interesting Kast information it goes as follows:
"In addition to being a double disc, there is a DVD that comes with the album (in the limited edition packages only). But now word is that some of the albums will also include a bonus DVD soundtrack with new songs as well. Reports from the label are that not everyone will get the soundtrack when they buy the album.
Album pushed back to Sept 9th. Be on the lookout for the new Outkast video "Hey Ya" comin soon."
Stankonia.com Stank Board : Kast Album Info
They're "feeling good, feeling great" and feeling like changing their minds. Outkast have switched up their original singles plans for the double LP Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. "She Lives in My Lap" will still be one of the first two initial offerings, but "Ghetto Musick" will be the second half of the double whammy. The album's release date has also been reset for September 9.
From MTV.COM
The new Outkast singles are only weeks away, as the hottest group in hip-hop prepare their next classic record. Watch out for the otherworldy "She Lives In My Lap" from Andre and the bumpin' "Church"/"Flip Flop Rock" from Big Boi f. Killer Mike and Jay-Z. These playas have outdone themselves once again! Watch out for the new bangers making their way through your Speakerboxx real soon!
News taken from Arista.com
Big Boi's song Church will be featured on the EA Games Madden 2004 soundtrack for PS2, GameCube and Xbox.
The game will be out in early August, before Outkast's next album is released!
Music video veteran Bryan Barber (who directed the Skew it on the Bar-b video) will direct an HBO film inspired by the upcoming concept album from Outkast.
The untitled film, which is slated to feature 10 songs, was described by producers as a "'sophistafunk' modern-day renaissance musical" centering on a "surreal love triangle."
The Outkast album, "SpeakerBoxx/The Love Below," featuring one CD of music from member Big Boi and another from his cohort Andre 3000, is set for release on Aug. 19 via Arista Records.
The movie marks the first of six original projects to be written and directed by up-and-coming urban filmmakers for HBO Films. They will be produced by management/production concern Mosaic Media Group.
"This is about finding new and fresh talent and giving them the opportunity in an exceptional forum to present their work," said Mosaic president of production Robert Guralnick . "Mosaic will aggressively be looking for filmmakers for this project."
The six films will air on HBO but could also have a life beyond the small screen.
Barber's has directed videos for Outkast, Queen Latifah, Run-DMC, Jermaine Dupree and Dr. Dre.
Leave it to the groundbreaking, Grammy-winning duo Outkast to come up with a unique project. On the double CD Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which hits stores Aug. 26, Big Boi and Andre 3000 will solo together. Each has a disc to himself, though each also will appear on the other's side.
"It's going to be funk, funk and more funk, but sophisticated at the same time," says Big Boi, who is featured on Speakerboxxx. "I think it's a natural progression from the last album (2000's Stankonia)."
Andre 3000 says The Love Below (which features Norah Jones on Take Off Your Cool) is a little calmer, but the entire package has the group's signature vibe. He produced four tracks on Speakerboxxx, and Big Boi raps on three songs on The Love Below.
"If you took Outkast and dissected it like you would a scientific frog, you'd be able to see how much we are alike but also how much we are different," says Andre.
The first song to go to radio will be Ghetto Music, which features a Patti LaBelle sample and will appear on Speakerboxxx. The singles Church by Big Boi and She Lives in My Lap by Andre 3000 will hit airwaves Aug. 1, and there will be videos for both.
Lap's video features actress Rosario Dawson, who will star as Andre's love interest in an as-yet-untitled 90-minute musical the duo is doing with video director Brian Barber for HBO.
Columbia Records has pushed up the release date of Beyonce's debut solo album, Dangerously In Love, from July 8 to June 24, due to overwhelming demand and to thwart Internet piracy. The increased demand for the album is being driven by the set's first single, "Crazy In Love," featuring Jay-Z. For the past two weeks, the track has been the Number One most added record and greatest airplay gainer on urban, crossover, rhythm, and top 40 radio formats.
Beyonce wrote and produced most of the album's material, and she collaborated with top notch artists and producers such as Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Sean Paul, Mark Batson, Mario Winans, D-Roy & Mr. B, and of course, OutKast's Big Boi...
More news at Launch.Yahoo
This man is 28 years old today. Happy Birthday!
The title is: Speakerbox: The Love Below and it's now set for an August 19th release...
Los Angeles Times: When a song is mistaken for an anthem
Outkast’s "Bombs Over Baghdad" is the latest song to be embraced as a pro-war anthem. But, as often happens, that’s not what the author intended.
It's time to place rap duo OutKast's "Bombs Over Baghdad" alongside Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." and Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" as examples of how pop songs can assume a dramatic life of their own.
OutKast's Big Boi was more than a little surprised when tennis pro Jennifer Capriati requested recently that "Bombs" be played as a sign of support for the troops in Iraq as she took the court for a match.
He watched with equal interest a few days later as radio stations started playing the record in the same Iraq context and some U.S. troops reportedly sang the song while going into battle.
The problem is Big Boi was strongly opposed to the U.S. invading Iraq without United Nations support and he never intended the song as a pro-war exercise. Click the link above for the whole story, including quotes from Big Boi.
MTV drops war-themed videos in the US and UK, for the duration of the war. One of the videos banned is Outkast's Bombs over Baghdad. Outkast is against the war (see the previous entry for details) so they are probably not too happy with Jennifer Capriati, an American tennis player, using it as her theme music when she played at a tournament in Miami-- saying she was playing the song "to support our troops."
Outkast's Andre 3000 Gets Down With Norah Jones, Big Boi Takes Us To 'Church'
If you're one of those Outkast fans who've been scratching their heads, questioning why you haven't seen Dre at most of the group's public appearances of late, it's because he's been in the studio trying to uphold his side of the bargain.
Andre 3000 is only about 80 percent done with his solo album, which is going to be included in the ATL's duo's double LP, Outkast Present … Big Boi and Dre. Now being scheduled for release around Memorial Day, the other half of the album is, of course, Big Boi's solo opus. Of what he has finished, Dre has politicked collaborations from this year's Grammy golden girl Norah Jones and fellow newcomer Vivian Green. Meanwhile, Big Boi, who has been done with his record for weeks, has guest appearances from Jay-Z, the Dungeon Family, Twista and Killer Mike. Both Outkast partners will also have a couple of cameo spots on each other's albums. The group handled much of the production itself...
MORE: Outkast's Andre 3000 Gets Down With Norah Jones, Big Boi Takes Us To 'Church'