OutKast is an acronym for “Operating under the Krooked American System Too Long,” and it makes sense because this music duo has given us plenty of lessons through their music.
Exploring the inside of a pyramid, reading hieroglyphics, and then reaching the present day, the music video for their hit song “ATLiens” was more than art. It was an homage to the eras of African culture before us, showing that our history can lead us to a beautiful reality. But their explorations didn’t stop there.
The two men, Big Boi and Andre 3000, have always embraced their Southern history, and the film Idlewild was no exception. OutKast members played two men working in the Prohibition era. While the film took place in the past, the group performed their music in the present to tell the story. This displayed how the past can be used to uplift the present Black culture and vice versa.
OutKast traveled through time in their art, but no matter where they traveled, their music was timeless and only proved that our connection to our history and each other is, too.
OutKast’s bold style stepped away from what was popular at the time. Their work encourages us to lean into our past and radically imagine a liberated future.