Outkast Is (Finally) Reuniting at Coachella: 5 Things to Know About André 3000 and Big Boi

After nearly a decade, André 3000 and Big Boi will take the stage together again

By Brandi Fowler Apr 08, 2014 5:00 PMTags
Andre 3000, Big Boi, OutkastTheo Wargo/WireImage

For a while, it seemed like an Outkast reunion was never going to happen.

After dropping the soundtrack for Idlewild together in 2006, no other official project from the Grammy-winning duo followed. They stopped performing together, and essentially went silent, much to the chagrin of fans.

They crushed hopes of a reunion even more when Antwan "Big Boi" Patton dropped solo albums in 2010 and 2012, and talks of André "3000" Benjamin's solo LP weren't far behind. Over the years, they were featured so much on other artists tracks, like André on Frank Ocean's "Pink Matter" and Big Boi on Killer Mike's "Ready Set Go," that it made us crave the days they rapped together on hits like "So Fresh, So Clean."

Then, at the beginning of this year, the announcement fans had been waiting for finally came: Outkast will reunite at Coachella.

Before the duo hits the stage this weekend, take a peek at five things to know about Outkast!

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1. The Big Pause: Neither Big Boi or André (also known as Three Stacks) have given a definitive reason for why they stopped making music together. But, they did stop back in 2006 after starring in Idlewild together and releasing the soundtrack for it as well.

Big Boi went on to release his first solo project, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty in 2010 and his second, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors in 2012. Label issues were rumored to be the reason that André didn't appear on either album, but, Big Boi told the VillageVoice.com in 2012, "No, that's all cleared up now. He could've been on any song he wanted to. I gave the motherf--ker about five songs, but I guess he was just too busy. He said he had to do some Gillette sh-t [room erupts in laughter]. No for real. He said he had some contractual obligations."

That same year, André made headlines when he popped up on T.I.'s "Sorry." On it, the rapper appeared to apologize to Big Boi, saying, he was sorry for "f—king up [their] tours," adding, "I hated all the attention so I ran from it/ F--k it if we did, but I hope we didn't lose no fans from it."

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2. More Solo Projects and Features: Speaking of Gillette, André was in fact a part of a commercial campaign for the shaving company with Adrien Brody and Gael Garcia Bernal in 2012. Aside from that, he's starring as Jimi Hendrix in the upcoming Jimi: All Is By My Side and has been featured on numerous artists' tracks including songs for Beyoncé, Rick Ross, J. Cole and more (Complex put together a full list here). In addition to his musical ambitions, Big Boi also dabbled in acting with roles on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and The Cookout 2.

3. André 3000 gave us a glimmer of hope in 2012: A couple of years ago, André talked to Fader about the supposed Outkast break up, saying, "So I think when I hear things on the Internet that Outkast is over, I think, that's a shame. Because I don't have the power to stop Outkast, you know? I didn't start Outkast by myself. I don't have the power to stop Outkast."

"We're not on the roster or on a schedule with a label to put out an Outkast album," he continued. "I can't say if or when we will, but I'm going to be in Outkast forever in some kind of way." As you can see, he didn't say they would never make music together again.

4. Coachella is just the beginning: Outkast is expected to perform at over 40 music festivals this year and with good reason. 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of their debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. "It's truly an honor to celebrate 20 years and still be free to do music the way we choose," Big Boi said in a statement posted on Outkast's offical website. "I'm looking forward to rocking the stage with my Bro Ski and to all the fans - stank you smelly much, this is for y'all!"

"And imagine, all we wanted to do was rap!" André added. "I am thankful to have been a part of a group that allowed me to explore anything that came to mind and have fun doing it. Returning to the stage together is the most exciting way for us to thank everyone for their 20 years of supporting Outkast."

5. Big Boi and Andre 3000 both have solo albums in the works: The group's longtime producer, Mr. DJ, told Revolt both of the music artists have been laying down tracks for their solo projects, with both possibly releasing them this year. An Outkast album isn't out of the woods either (fingers crossed).