Big K.R.I.T. Weighs In On 20 Classic Outkast Songs

Rapper-producer breaks down the group's impact on hip hop.

The Genius Of Outkast  - April 26 marks the 20th anniversary of OutKast releasing their classic debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. The album made a clear statement that when it came to competing on a lyrical and concept level, the South could stand toe-to-toe with the East and West Coasts, which were dominating at the time. With that seminal release, Big Boi and André 3000 sparked the creative juices throughout the South and the region came to dominate the hip hop game. BET.com caught up with Big K.R.I.T., a recent spawn of the Dirty, as he weighed in on the importance of this album and Kast's legacy in hip hop. A true student of OutKast, Big K.R.I.T. offers his thoughts on 20 classic songs from Dre and Big Boi. -Michael Harris @IceBlueVA“The thing about Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, I was young at the time when it came out in 1994. I remember the s...

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The Genius Of Outkast  - April 26 marks the 20th anniversary of OutKast releasing their classic debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. The album made a clear statement that when it came to competing on a lyrical and concept level, the South could stand toe-to-toe with the East and West Coasts, which were dominating at the time. With that seminal release, Big Boi and André 3000 sparked the creative juices throughout the South and the region came to dominate the hip hop game. BET.com caught up with Big K.R.I.T., a recent spawn of the Dirty, as he weighed in on the importance of this album and Kast's legacy in hip hop. A true student of OutKast, Big K.R.I.T. offers his thoughts on 20 classic songs from Dre and Big Boi. -Michael Harris @IceBlueVA“The thing about Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, I was young at the time when it came out in 1994. I remember the s...

“Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” - "The title in itself sums it up, and the soul and funk they put into their music. That record in particular had that infamous cow bell and that kick drum and snare. And I think any producer that studies his art definitely samples the intro of that record. That title alone also has inspired my next album which will be called Cadillactica (dropping this fall)."(Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect)

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“Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” - "The title in itself sums it up, and the soul and funk they put into their music. That record in particular had that infamous cow bell and that kick drum and snare. And I think any producer that studies his art definitely samples the intro of that record. That title alone also has inspired my next album which will be called Cadillactica (dropping this fall)."(Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect)

"So Fresh, So Clean" - "That is the best playalistic-pimped out song ever. The most soulful, clean pimped out record you'll ever hear. We actually played that record in band class and obviously Sleepy Brown kills the hook," K.R.I.T. recalled."The amount of creativity they had in their visuals and their songs were comparable to none because nobody was doing anything like that… And all the records that they seemed to do would take off so far that ultimately it made you just want to be as creative as that in the studio." (Photo: Arista Records)

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"So Fresh, So Clean" - "That is the best playalistic-pimped out song ever. The most soulful, clean pimped out record you'll ever hear. We actually played that record in band class and obviously Sleepy Brown kills the hook," K.R.I.T. recalled."The amount of creativity they had in their visuals and their songs were comparable to none because nobody was doing anything like that… And all the records that they seemed to do would take off so far that ultimately it made you just want to be as creative as that in the studio." (Photo: Arista Records)

"Elevators (Me and You)" - "That record was straight off the chain. I remember having a conversation with Big Boi about this record, and he said they went to the radio station and had this record played and it ultimately ended up becoming their lead single. It was soulful but it was obscure of what a radio record would have been back then, but it was still so familyoriented and still so cool but it had a totally different kind of vibe than the beats that were coming out back then."  (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images) 

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"Elevators (Me and You)" - "That record was straight off the chain. I remember having a conversation with Big Boi about this record, and he said they went to the radio station and had this record played and it ultimately ended up becoming their lead single. It was soulful but it was obscure of what a radio record would have been back then, but it was still so familyoriented and still so cool but it had a totally different kind of vibe than the beats that were coming out back then."  (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images) 

"Skew It On The Bar-B" - "With Raekwon on the song, it was like the East Coast saying they had their approval and ‘Y’all boys can rap.’  Everybody got off on that one, but it was a stance like proving we take lyrical content and subject matter serious as well too so don’t sleep on us in the studio."(Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

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"Skew It On The Bar-B" - "With Raekwon on the song, it was like the East Coast saying they had their approval and ‘Y’all boys can rap.’  Everybody got off on that one, but it was a stance like proving we take lyrical content and subject matter serious as well too so don’t sleep on us in the studio."(Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

"Player's Ball" - “The crazy part was finding out that it was a Christmas song farther on in my career, kind of blew my mind. And that sleigh bell in that record stands out. I still remember the visual of Andre's verse and setting the tone. I remember being young and wishing I was in the studio and could see how they created those songs and the amount of texture that the instrumentals had. And I actually had the opportunity to be around Ray Murray [Ray Murray, Sleepy Brown and Rico Wade are Organized Noize] and see how he and Mr. DJ and Rico Wade produce, and I would have loved to have been able to produce that record."(Photo: LaFace Records)

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"Player's Ball" - “The crazy part was finding out that it was a Christmas song farther on in my career, kind of blew my mind. And that sleigh bell in that record stands out. I still remember the visual of Andre's verse and setting the tone. I remember being young and wishing I was in the studio and could see how they created those songs and the amount of texture that the instrumentals had. And I actually had the opportunity to be around Ray Murray [Ray Murray, Sleepy Brown and Rico Wade are Organized Noize] and see how he and Mr. DJ and Rico Wade produce, and I would have loved to have been able to produce that record."(Photo: LaFace Records)

"Crumblin' Erb" - "That’s another record where they brought the soul and the funk. I remember trying to remake that record, but it didn't turn out so well [Laughs]. I think Organized Noize had a very keen way of being able to make very melodic records but still have that bass and that sub and Kast's verses were crazy on that record too."  (Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson /Landov)

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"Crumblin' Erb" - "That’s another record where they brought the soul and the funk. I remember trying to remake that record, but it didn't turn out so well [Laughs]. I think Organized Noize had a very keen way of being able to make very melodic records but still have that bass and that sub and Kast's verses were crazy on that record too."  (Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson /Landov)

"Da Art Of Storytellin’, Pt. 1 and 2" - "That vibe and the story of that record was crazy and 'Da Art Of Storytellin’ Part 2' became one of my favorite records because of the use of distortion and André 3000's verse about planet Earth and all that. It's just the way he and Big Boi always told stories and the way they were always able to bring the light to situations that are actually going on in real life, and you can't ever go wrong with that."(Photo: LaFace Records)

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"Da Art Of Storytellin’, Pt. 1 and 2" - "That vibe and the story of that record was crazy and 'Da Art Of Storytellin’ Part 2' became one of my favorite records because of the use of distortion and André 3000's verse about planet Earth and all that. It's just the way he and Big Boi always told stories and the way they were always able to bring the light to situations that are actually going on in real life, and you can't ever go wrong with that."(Photo: LaFace Records)

"Liberation" - "I remember being in Marietta, Ga., at probably one of the downest parts if my life, just creating music and trying to come up with content and not really knowing how I'm going to pay my bills and things of that nature and just hearing that song and the singing... The transitions from Cee-Lo Green singing to Big Rube's poem to back to Erykah Badu singing…the song got me through a lot of dark times in my life and it still does the same thing for me. So now I ultimately strive to make records where I can touch people in that same manner," K.R.I.T. told BET.com."The record to me sounds like one of those records where they were like, 'let's just do it for the people.’ It had nothing to do with trying to rap or spit the most, and even Big Boi was on that thing singing.”(Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)

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"Liberation" - "I remember being in Marietta, Ga., at probably one of the downest parts if my life, just creating music and trying to come up with content and not really knowing how I'm going to pay my bills and things of that nature and just hearing that song and the singing... The transitions from Cee-Lo Green singing to Big Rube's poem to back to Erykah Badu singing…the song got me through a lot of dark times in my life and it still does the same thing for me. So now I ultimately strive to make records where I can touch people in that same manner," K.R.I.T. told BET.com."The record to me sounds like one of those records where they were like, 'let's just do it for the people.’ It had nothing to do with trying to rap or spit the most, and even Big Boi was on that thing singing.”(Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)

"Git Up, Get Out" - "That was my first introduction to Goodie Mob and a lot of the poetic format of how they rapped and the motivation behind their music. It's definitely and still is one of those songs that inspires people to get up and grind and make something happen. Sometimes you have to do what you don't really want to, but you got to get up off that couch." (Photo: LaFace Records)

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"Git Up, Get Out" - "That was my first introduction to Goodie Mob and a lot of the poetic format of how they rapped and the motivation behind their music. It's definitely and still is one of those songs that inspires people to get up and grind and make something happen. Sometimes you have to do what you don't really want to, but you got to get up off that couch." (Photo: LaFace Records)

"Hootie Hoo" - "This was the first time I heard someone say 'hootie hoo' before Master P. And 'Funky Ride,' 'Player's Ball' and 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik' were the records I jammed the most off of that album." (Photo: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect.)

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"Hootie Hoo" - "This was the first time I heard someone say 'hootie hoo' before Master P. And 'Funky Ride,' 'Player's Ball' and 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik' were the records I jammed the most off of that album." (Photo: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect.)

"Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac)" - "Another classic. It's about funky Cadillac music, riding down and coming down clean. It was crazy, and this was one of those records that made me wish I had a Cadillac back then. I actually tried to remake this record too on the PlayStation, but it didn't quite work out [Laughs]."  (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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"Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac)" - "Another classic. It's about funky Cadillac music, riding down and coming down clean. It was crazy, and this was one of those records that made me wish I had a Cadillac back then. I actually tried to remake this record too on the PlayStation, but it didn't quite work out [Laughs]."  (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

"Jazzy Belle" - "That was just kicking game about growing up and dealing with females…these women. It enlightened the situation like you can't keep playing these games forever... You can't be out here just F'n a n***a to get on. You got to do more than that, you got to do better, and I think that was just spreading light on what women were all about as well. Just being a natural woman and bettering yourself and going out to get your own. It was a definitely story about high school games…but stop… we grown now." (Photo: LaFace Records)

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"Jazzy Belle" - "That was just kicking game about growing up and dealing with females…these women. It enlightened the situation like you can't keep playing these games forever... You can't be out here just F'n a n***a to get on. You got to do more than that, you got to do better, and I think that was just spreading light on what women were all about as well. Just being a natural woman and bettering yourself and going out to get your own. It was a definitely story about high school games…but stop… we grown now." (Photo: LaFace Records)

"13th Floor/Growing Old" - "That's a straight classic record," was all K.R.I.T. needed to say. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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"13th Floor/Growing Old" - "That's a straight classic record," was all K.R.I.T. needed to say. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

"Benz Or Beamer" - "Benz or Beamer…that's just real life motivation to get your car game up. And that’s true to life of what a lot of people try and go for and ultimately results in them putting themselves into a hustle or situation they can't easily get out of, trying to chase materialistic things."(Photo: LaFace Records)

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"Benz Or Beamer" - "Benz or Beamer…that's just real life motivation to get your car game up. And that’s true to life of what a lot of people try and go for and ultimately results in them putting themselves into a hustle or situation they can't easily get out of, trying to chase materialistic things."(Photo: LaFace Records)

"Aquemini" - "At that point you could start to see a certain break in creativity too," K.R.I.T. said of Outkast. "They started to incorporate a lot of singing and were reinventing themselves in a different format because they proved and knew they could really do hip hop, but that's when they also started really going hard with the creative idea songs like 'Rosa Parks' and the funk and the balance in the music kind of changed. Aquemini turned out to be one of my favorite albums and songs like 'Liberation' got me through a lot in life."(Photo: LaFace Records)

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"Aquemini" - "At that point you could start to see a certain break in creativity too," K.R.I.T. said of Outkast. "They started to incorporate a lot of singing and were reinventing themselves in a different format because they proved and knew they could really do hip hop, but that's when they also started really going hard with the creative idea songs like 'Rosa Parks' and the funk and the balance in the music kind of changed. Aquemini turned out to be one of my favorite albums and songs like 'Liberation' got me through a lot in life."(Photo: LaFace Records)

"Decatur Psalm" - "Cool Breeze and Big Gipp killed that song, and that was my first introduction to Cool Breeze too. I remember way back then people saying this dude [Cool Breeze] right here 'got it.' It's all that country funk and the amount of honesty in their music that surpassed a lot of things going on back then."(Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella)

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"Decatur Psalm" - "Cool Breeze and Big Gipp killed that song, and that was my first introduction to Cool Breeze too. I remember way back then people saying this dude [Cool Breeze] right here 'got it.' It's all that country funk and the amount of honesty in their music that surpassed a lot of things going on back then."(Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella)

"Return Of The 'G'" - "That had an influence on the movement when we recorded Return Of 4Eva and the idea of creating from a space in music where it’s so organic that it's like a part of music that people miss. And the verses they kicked on that had a lil' gutter feel to it… passive aggressive, but overall it was 'Kast with that lyrical content."(Photo: Frank Micelotta/ABC/ImageDirect)

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"Return Of The 'G'" - "That had an influence on the movement when we recorded Return Of 4Eva and the idea of creating from a space in music where it’s so organic that it's like a part of music that people miss. And the verses they kicked on that had a lil' gutter feel to it… passive aggressive, but overall it was 'Kast with that lyrical content."(Photo: Frank Micelotta/ABC/ImageDirect)

"Ms. Jackson" - "I didn’t realize how personal that record was until I got a little older…from Big Boi's personal content on baby mama drama... Listening to the song as young as I was back then, it didn't register other than it was jamming. But as you get older, you realize that content hits home so much with trying to do right by a woman and the situation goes all the way left."(Photo: Arista)

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"Ms. Jackson" - "I didn’t realize how personal that record was until I got a little older…from Big Boi's personal content on baby mama drama... Listening to the song as young as I was back then, it didn't register other than it was jamming. But as you get older, you realize that content hits home so much with trying to do right by a woman and the situation goes all the way left."(Photo: Arista)

"Spottieottiedopaliscious" - "That record right there is just musically creative. From Sleepy Brown signing to the horns to the Hollywood Courts skit, the song was just risqué and brought out the jazz influence too. It was just so soulful, and that’s some of the elements I try and use when I create my music," K.R.I.T. said. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)

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"Spottieottiedopaliscious" - "That record right there is just musically creative. From Sleepy Brown signing to the horns to the Hollywood Courts skit, the song was just risqué and brought out the jazz influence too. It was just so soulful, and that’s some of the elements I try and use when I create my music," K.R.I.T. said. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)

"B.O.B" - "It’s crunk and colorful. Shout out to Mr. DJ for that kind of production and break down at the end. As a producer, one thing I don't want to do is over-produce, but I always want to put enough into the record where I think I've done everything I possibly could. And I feel like from the verses, the energy…that Big Boi and André prevayed in that actual record, and DJ going to get a choir to the drum breaks, all that stuff made a perfect record," K.R.I.T. said. "It's 100% a perfect record and it still had a message to it. Just being able to play that in a club at 2-o-clock in the morning and have people turnt up and they don't even realize that they're being taught something extra with a message is super dope."(Photo: Arista)

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"B.O.B" - "It’s crunk and colorful. Shout out to Mr. DJ for that kind of production and break down at the end. As a producer, one thing I don't want to do is over-produce, but I always want to put enough into the record where I think I've done everything I possibly could. And I feel like from the verses, the energy…that Big Boi and André prevayed in that actual record, and DJ going to get a choir to the drum breaks, all that stuff made a perfect record," K.R.I.T. said. "It's 100% a perfect record and it still had a message to it. Just being able to play that in a club at 2-o-clock in the morning and have people turnt up and they don't even realize that they're being taught something extra with a message is super dope."(Photo: Arista)