Outkast is a hip-hop duo that was initially formed in 1992 when Atlanta-based rappers Andre 3000 and Big Boi joined forces under the name Two Shades Deep. The group released its debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, under the name Outkast in 1994 with a fusion of Dirty south and G-funk. With each subsequent record, the duo demonstrated a more versatile style of hip-hop, adding elements of soul, jazz, blues, rock, funk, blues and spoken word poetry into one cohesive, distinctive sonic aesthetic that is perfectly encapsulated in its 2004 record, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The LP earned Outkast the 2004 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and set it apart from any other hip-hop artist of its time. Although the Andrew 3000 and Big Boi split in 2007, Outkast reunited in 2014 to headline some of the most celebrated festivals in the US, such as California's Coachella and New York City's Governor's Ball.
