OutKast

One of the first hip hop acts to rise from the American South, school friends Andre 3000 and Big Boi (aka OutKast) were part of Georgia's Goodie Mob crew before breaking into the US Top 20 with debut album Southernplayalisticadillicmuzik (1994). More funky, soulful and innovative than their contemporaries, the duo helped define the Dirty South sound, scoring US Number 2 albums with ATLiens (1996), Aquemini (1998) and Stankonia (2000). The huge success of US Number 1 single Ms Jackson brought international acclaim, before Hey Ya! became one of the anthems of the decade, winning a Grammy Award and coining the phrase "shake it like a Polaroid picture". Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) gave the group their first US Number 1 album and singles The Way You Move and Roses brought more success, but sixth studio album Idlewild (2006) slumped and the duo's attentions turned to acting, fashion lines and political campaigns. Notching up record sales of over 23 million, OutKast stand as one of the most popular hip hop stars of their era, mashing together an eclectic range of styles and paving the way for a host of Southern acts like Missy Elliott, Gnarls Barkley and Lil Wayne.

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