Photo of OutKast
Photo: Joe Greenheron · CC BY-SA 2.0

Band

OutKast

Active1992-2006, 2014, 2023
OriginAtlanta, Georgia, US
Albums6
Tracks135

Most frequent collaborator: Patrick Brown  ·  41 tracks

Southern hip-hopProgressive rapPsychedelic rapFunkSoulAlternative hip-hop
95%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 128 of 135 tracks

Did OutKast write their own songs?

Yes. OutKast are credited on about 95% of their catalogue, with André 3000 and Big Boi both writing their own verses. On their early albums the production team Organized Noize co-wrote and produced with them, which adds outside names, but the raps are the duo's own. Songs like 'Ms. Jackson,' 'B.O.B,' and 'Hey Ya!' are their work.

By the Numbers

6
Studio Albums
135
Tracks Credited
95%
Self-Written
over 20 million
Records Sold
14
Years Active
140
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 128 / 135 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 135 tracks: how many OutKast wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

OutKast has a writing credit95%
29%
66%
5%
Sole author39tracks29%
Co-written89tracks66%
Outside writers7tracks5%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
OutKast's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 135 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)95%
Composer (music)95%
Producer50%
Performer93%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 135 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
André 3000 1992-2006, 2014, 2023
78%
78%
28%
77%
Big Boi 1992-2006, 2014, 2023
76%
76%
16%
74%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

OutKast's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 95%
88%
93%
88%
96%
97%
100%
1994Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
1996ATLiens
1998Aquemini
2000Stankonia
2003Speakerboxxx / The Love Below
2006Idlewild
Early · 91% written
Mid · 93% written
Late · 98% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

90%
1990s
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, ATLiens +1 more
98%
2000s
Stankonia, Speakerboxxx / The Love Below +1 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where OutKast sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

OutKast
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Whitney Houston5%
Aretha Franklin14%
The Jacksons24%
Michael Jackson51%
Stevie Wonder64%
Christina Aguilera74%
Pink85%
95%OutKast
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Player's Ball
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, Patrick Brown, Ray Murray, Rico Wade
Co-wrote
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, Patrick Brown, Ray Murray, Rico Wade
Co-wrote
Git Up, Git Out
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, Cee-Lo Green, Big Gipp, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, Thomas Burton, Cameron Gipp
Co-wrote
Elevators (Me & You)
ATLiens
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton
Wrote it
ATLiens
ATLiens
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton
Wrote it
Jazzy Belle
ATLiens
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, Patrick Brown, Ray Murray, Rico Wade
Co-wrote
Rosa Parks
Aquemini
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton
Wrote it
Skew It on the Bar-B
Aquemini
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, Raekwon, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, Corey Woods, Patrick Brown, Ray Murray, Rico Wade, Morton Stevens
Co-wrote
Da Art of Storytellin' (Pt. 1)
Aquemini
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, David Sheats
Co-wrote
Ms. Jackson
Stankonia
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, David Sheats
Co-wrote
So Fresh, So Clean
Stankonia
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, Patrick Brown, Ray Murray, Rico Wade
Co-wrote
Hey Ya!
Speakerboxxx / The Love Below
Written by André 3000, André Lauren Benjamin
Wrote it
The Way You Move
Speakerboxxx / The Love Below
Written by Big Boi, Sleepy Brown, Antwan André Patton, Patrick Brown, Carlton Mahone
Co-wrote
Roses
Speakerboxxx / The Love Below
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, Matt Boykin
Co-wrote
Morris Brown
Idlewild
Written by André 3000, Big Boi, Scar, Sleepy Brown, André Lauren Benjamin, Antwan André Patton, Terrence Smith
Co-wrote
Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me)
Idlewild
Written by André 3000, André Lauren Benjamin
Wrote it

Discography 6 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

OutKast135 tracks
PB41 ON37 RW33 RM32 DS27 EI20

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. PB Patrick Brown · ON Organized Noize · RW Rico Wade · RM Ray Murray · DS David Sheats · EI Earthtone III

The Writers & Producers Behind OutKast 6 key collaborators

PB
Patrick Brown
Songwriter
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik / ATLiens / Aquemini / Stankonia41 tracks
ON
Organized Noize
Producer
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik / ATLiens / Aquemini / Stankonia37 tracks
RW
Rico Wade
Songwriter
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik / ATLiens / Aquemini / Stankonia33 tracks
RM
Ray Murray
Songwriter
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik / ATLiens / Aquemini / Stankonia32 tracks
DS
David Sheats
Songwriter
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik / Aquemini / Stankonia / Speakerboxxx / The Love Below27 tracks
EI
Earthtone III
Producer
Stankonia20 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

OutKast's songwriting split changed significantly across their catalog. Early work saw both members co-writing nearly everything alongside Organized Noize, who functioned as full creative partners. By Stankonia, producer David Sheats (Mr. DJ) became a frequent third co-writer under the Earthtone III alias. On Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, the two discs diverge sharply: Big Boi's side is collaborative, while André 3000's The Love Below is almost entirely self-authored, with 15 of 19 tracks credited to André Benjamin alone, making it one of the most solo-authored major-label hip-hop albums of its era.

Quick Facts

  • Album of the YearSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2004
  • GrammysWon six Grammy Awards over their career
  • Highest-certified rap albumSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below is diamond-certified and the best-selling hip-hop album ever
  • Two writersAndré 3000 and Big Boi each write their own verses and shape their own sides
  • Organized NoizeThe Atlanta production team co-wrote and produced their early classics

Creative Fingerprint

A duo that wrote its own world: OutKast are credited on about 95% of their catalogue, with André 3000 and Big Boi writing their own verses, joined early by the production team Organized Noize as full creative partners.

The Story

OutKast is an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1992, consisting of André 3000 (André Lauren Benjamin) and Big Boi (Antwan André Patton). One of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed groups in hip-hop history, they pioneered Southern hip-hop alongside production trio Organized Noize and helped establish Atlanta as a hip-hop capital. Their six studio albums chart a remarkable artistic evolution from funky Southern rap through experimental psychedelic soul.

Awards & Recognition

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won the Grammy for Album of the Year (2004)
'Hey Ya!' won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is diamond-certified and the highest-certified hip-hop album of all time
Won six Grammy Awards and sold over 20 million records

Frequently Asked Questions OutKast

Did OutKast write their own songs?
Yes. OutKast are credited on about 95% of their catalogue, with André 3000 and Big Boi both writing their own verses. On their early albums the production team Organized Noize co-wrote and produced with them, which adds outside names, but the raps are the duo's own. Songs like 'Ms. Jackson,' 'B.O.B,' and 'Hey Ya!' are their work.
Who wrote 'Hey Ya!'?
'Hey Ya!,' from The Love Below (2003), was written and produced entirely by André 3000. It was a solo creation on his half of the double album, and it became one of the biggest and most inventive pop songs of the decade.
Who are the members of OutKast?
OutKast are André 3000 (André Benjamin) and Big Boi (Antwan Patton), two rappers from Atlanta. Each writes his own verses, and on Speakerboxxx/The Love Below they even split into two solo albums, one led by each member.
Who wrote 'Ms. Jackson'?
'Ms. Jackson,' from Stankonia (2000), was written by André 3000, Big Boi, and their collaborator David Sheats. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the duo's signature songs, aimed at the mother of an ex-partner.
Did OutKast win Album of the Year?
Yes. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2004, a rare win for a hip-hop record. It was part of a six-Grammy career for the duo.
How many albums did OutKast release?
This catalogue covers six studio albums, from Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994) through the Idlewild soundtrack (2006), including the classics Aquemini and Stankonia.
What is Organized Noize's role in OutKast?
Organized Noize is the Atlanta production team that discovered OutKast and produced their early albums, co-writing much of the music. They were central to the group's early sound before André and Big Boi took on more production themselves.
What genre is OutKast?
OutKast make Southern hip-hop, funk, and soul that stretches into psychedelic and progressive rap, from the smooth 'So Fresh, So Clean' to the frantic 'B.O.B' and the pop of 'Hey Ya!'

Sources

Wikipedia: André 3000 Wikipedia: OutKast