OutKast‘s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on November 8 capped a legacy that reshaped Southern hip-hop from the ground up. The Atlanta duo—André 3000 and Big Boi—broke through in 1994 with their debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, a slab of funk-laced trap that spotlighted the Dirty South’s gritty edge. They kept pushing boundaries across ATLiens in 1996, Aquemini two years later, and Stankonia in 2000, blending cosmic soul with booming basslines. Their 2003 double set, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, snagged the Grammy for Album of the Year and went diamond, proving rap could dominate pop charts without losing its bite.
At the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Childish Gambino handed over the honor, crediting OutKast for building Atlanta into a hip-hop powerhouse and paving the way for acts like his own. The pair kept it light with a quick Rock, Paper, Scissors round to pick speech order. Big Boi led off, shouting out the divine spark that linked him with his partner from the jump. André 3000 followed with an off-the-cuff reflection, voice cracking as he nodded to humble origins in the cramped Dungeon Family setup—echoing Jack White‘s nod to “little rooms” where big ideas ignite.
Big Boi closed the night solo, ripping through a high-energy medley of classics backed by Tyler, The Creator, J.I.D, Killer Mike, Janelle Monáe, and Doja Cat. As the lone hip-hop group in this year’s class, OutKast slots in alongside past inductees like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Missy Elliott—plus last year’s A Tribe Called Quest. Salt-N-Pepa picked up the Musical Influence Award, while the late Warren Zevon got his due in rock.
Stream: Stankonia (25th Anniversary)
