The story of “Stankonia,” the pair’s fourth album, is the tale of two partners ready to stake their future on challenging how rap is done. The low-key Patton is as eclectic with his musical tastes, which range from late soul savant Curtis Mayfield to British pixie Kate Bush.
“Dre has the best style of anyone I’ve ever worked with,” Lavine says. Like black music trailblazers Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince, OutKast - flamboyant Andre “Dre” Benjamin, 26, of Stone Mountain and grounded, street-savvy Antwan “Big Boi” Patton, 27, of Fayetteville - hasn’t so much targeted an audience as created one.īenjamin, who has been known to sport skyscraper-like platform boots, faux-fur balloon pants, and back-of-the-thigh-length platinum wigs, has been likened to Hendrix by photographer Michael Lavine, who lensed the “Stankonia” album cover and also has done photos of Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, and Cher. (U2 and Bob Dylan are considered the favorites.) But even the nominations are a sign that the staid National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and its 13,000 voting members have recognized OutKast’s innovative, chance-taking music. It succeeds as a sumptuous blend of spirited and often spiritual lyrics with ’70s funk and soul, street-tough hip-hop, guitar-squalling rock, and edgy electronica.Ī win by OutKast in the top awards is a long shot.
“Stankonia,” the pair’s 3.8 million-selling album, spawned five nominations in total. OutKast, the ambitious and irresistible Atlanta-based rap duo, may become the first hip-hop group to win the prestigious album of the year and record of the year awards at the 44th annual Grammys Wednesday night.