Big Boi

About Big Boi

Big Boi is one half of OutKast, which means he's partly responsible for some of the most inventive hip-hop to come out of the South. Born Antwan André Patton in Savannah, Georgia in 1975, he met André 3000 at an Atlanta high school in the late 80s. They started rapping together as teenagers and got signed to LaFace Records while still in their teens.

OutKast's first album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, dropped in 1994 and immediately set them apart from both coasts. Big Boi brought a technical precision to his verses that balanced André's more experimental tendencies. Their second album, ATLiens, came in 1996 with a spacier, more introspective sound. "Elevators (Me & You)" became the track that showed they could be weird and accessible at the same time.

Then came Aquemini in 1998, which is where everything clicked. Big Boi's voice—rapid-fire, densely packed with internal rhymes—anchored songs like "Rosa Parks" and "SpottieOttieDopaliscious." He rapped about Southern life with detail and swagger, never dumbing it down. While André got more attention for his eccentricity, Big Boi was the one keeping the actual rapping at an elite level.

Stankonia in 2000 went massive with "Ms. Jackson" and "B.O.B.," but it also showed the duo pulling in different directions. By the time they made Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2003, they basically recorded two solo albums and packaged them together. Big Boi's half, Speakerboxxx, was the more traditional hip-hop side. "The Way You Move" became a huge single, with that Sleepy Brown hook riding over a funk groove that got played everywhere.

After OutKast went on indefinite hiatus, Big Boi started working on solo material. His first proper solo album, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, finally came out in 2010 after label delays. It proved he could carry an album without André—tracks like "Shutterbugg" and "Follow Us" had the same genre-mixing ambition OutKast was known for. He followed it with Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors in 2012 and Boomiverse in 2017, both solid records that got less attention than they deserved.

These days Big Boi still tours, still makes music, and occasionally performs OutKast songs at festivals. He's remained in Atlanta, stayed involved in the local scene, and hasn't chased trends. He got into Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group for a minute, keeps collaborating with younger artists, and generally maintains the same technically sharp approach to rapping he's had since the 90s. The OutKast reunion rumors come up every few years, but he seems content doing his own thing. His legacy is secure either way.

Big Boi brings actual joy to the stage. Crowds lose it for the OutKast classics—everyone's rapping along to "Rosa Parks." He's energetic without being exhausting, and clearly enjoys being there. The band is tight.

Known for The Way You Move, Elevators (Me & You), ATLiens, Aquemini, Rosa Parks

See Big Boi Live