Outkast are a hip hop duo based out of East Point, Georgia, consisting of André "André 3000" Benjamin (formerly known as Dré) and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton, who met at Tri-Cities High School, a Visual and Performing Arts School. They eventually teamed up and were pursued by Organized Noize, a group of local producers (who would later make hits for TLC). Initial ideas for names revolved around "2 Shades Deep" or "The Misfits", but those names were already taken so they decided to use The OKB (The OutKast Brothers) based on finding "outcast" as synonym for "misfit" in a dictionary, which was later shortened to Outkast. Along with Organized Noize and schoolmates Goodie Mob, they formed the nucleus of the Dungeon Family organization.

Outkast signed to LaFace Records in 1992, becoming the label's first hip hop act and making their first appearance on the remix of labelmate TLC's "What About Your Friends". In 1993, they released their first single, "Player's Ball", which made it to number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart. Their debut album, “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik”, was released in April 1994, with every track produced by Organized Noize and featuring other members of the Dungeon Family. Follow up singles included "Git Up Git Out", a collaboration with Goodie Mob that was later sampled by Macy Gray for her 1999 hit "Do Something". Outkast won “Best New Rap Group” at the 1995 Source Awards.

“ATLiens”, released in August 1996, was Outkast’s second album, for which they joined with David "Mr. DJ" Sheats to form the Earthtone III production company, allowing the group to produce some of their own tracks. The single "ATLiens" was the group's second to enter the Top 40 (following "Player's Ball" from their debut), "Elevators (Me & You)", their first self-produced single, became the duo's first Top 20 hit the same year.

Third LP “Aquemini” (a combination Big Boi (Aquarius) and Andre 3000’s (Gemini) star signs) was released in September 1998 reaching number 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Outkast and Organized Noize shared production duties, and the album included collaborations with Raekwon, George Clinton, and Goodie Mob.

Originally entitled "Sandbox", but eventually called “Stankonia”, and released in October 2000, Outkast’s fourth album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, and would go on to be certfied 4 times platinum. The single “Ms. Jackson” became their first number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and also achieved number 2 on the UK Singles chart. Outkast won 2 Grammy Awards in 2001, for “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” ("Ms. Jackson") and “Best Rap Album” (for “Stankonia”).

In December 2001, Outkast released a greatest hits album, “Big Boi and Dre Present... Outkast”, which also contained 3 new tracks, one of which was "The Whole World" (featuring Killer Mike), which won a 2002 Grammy Award for “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group”. In the same year, Outkast participated in the first and only Dungeon Family group album, “Even in Darkness”, along with Goodie Mob, Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown, Witchdoctor, Backbone, Bubba Sparxxx, Shuga Luv and Mello. In 2002, the group and Killer Mike contributed the lead single "Land of a Million Drums" to the “Scooby Doo” soundtrack.

In September 2003, Outkast released a double album, http://www.mosh2music.com/artists/outkast/speakerboxxx-the-love-below ">“Speakerboxxx/The Love Below”, representing 2 solo albums, one by each member, packaged as a single release under the Outkast banner. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 albums chart at number 1, remaining there for several weeks (eventually selling over 5 million copies). The first 2 singles from the album(s), released almost simultaneously, were Big Boi's "The Way You Move" and André 3000's "Hey Ya!" - the singles spent 10 weeks at number 1 on the Hot 100 chart in February 2004 ("Hey Ya!" occupying the position for the first 9 with "The Way You Move" briefly taking over). http://www.mosh2music.com/artists/outkast/speakerboxxx-the-love-below ">“Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” won the 2004 Grammy Award for “Album of the Year”, becoming only the second rap album to ever receive the honour (the first being “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” by Lauryn Hill in 1999).

Between Outkast albums, Big Boi and André 3000 have ventured into film projects, with André co-starring in John Singleton's film “Four Brothers”, and also appearing in “Be Cool”, and Big Boi taking a featured role in the T.I. movie “ATL”. Both members also worked on a joint film, “Idlewild”, directed by Outkast music video director Bryan Barber, released in August 2006 by Universal Pictures, along with the soundtrack of the same name.

During the recording of “Stankonia”, Outkast and Mr. DJ began producing tracks for the artists on their Aquemini Records imprint through Columbia, including Slimm Cutta Calhoun and Killer Mike. However, Aquemini Records folded in 2004, and Big Boi founded a new record label, Purple Ribbon Entertainment, to be distributed by Virgin Records. Among its first signees were Sleepy Brown, Bubba Sparxxx, and Killer Mike, Big Boi has released a group album/compilation entitled “Big Boi Presents...The Purple Ribbon All-Stars - Got Purp? Vol. 2”.

Due to both Big Boi and André's interests in separate projects such as movies, TV (André's “Class of 3000”) and solo albums, rumours of a split have frequently emerged, however the duo have said that Outkast is "still tight". The pair have looked beyond music and film careers, Big Boi even suggesting he may consider running for the job of Mayor of Atlanta in the future.

Outkast’s album sales combined have topped the 25 million mark.