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Big Boi

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This article is about the rapper. For other uses, see Big Boy.

Big Boi
Big Boi performing in 2006
Big Boi performing in 2006
Background information
Birth nameAntwan André Patton
Also known as
  • Daddy Fat Sax
  • Lucious Left Foot
  • Billy Ocean
  • Francis the Savannah Chitlin Pimp
Born (1975-02-01) February 1, 1975 (age 49)
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
OriginAtlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • actor
Discography
Years active1992–present
Labels
Formerly of
Spouse
Sherlita Patton
​
​
(m. 2002; div. 2022)​
[1]
Children2
Websitebigboi.com
Signature

Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), known professionally as Big Boi, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in Atlanta, he was one half of the Southern hip hop duo Outkast along with rapper André 3000, which the two formed in 1992.

As part of Outkast, the duo's six studio albums were each met with critical and commercial success, spawning hit songs including "Ms. Jackson", "Roses", "So Fresh, So Clean" and "Elevators (Me & You)", among others. Their fifth, a double album titled Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003), won three Grammy Awards and contained a solo single performed by Patton: "The Way You Move" (featuring Sleepy Brown), which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 22nd most successful song of the 2000s decade by Billboard.[2] After the duo split in 2007, he promptly pursued a solo career and signed with Def Jam Recordings to release his debut studio album, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (2010). Met with continued success, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was followed by his second and third albums, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors (2012) and Boomiverse (2017)—both of which were met with continued praise and moderate commercial performance.

His spin-off projects include a collaborative recording outfit with Phantogram, with whom he has released one extended play (2015). He formed the now-defunct supergroup Purple Ribbon All-Stars in 2004, which included Janelle Monáe, Bubba Sparxxx, and Killer Mike; the group released two albums until disbanding in 2007.[3]

Early life

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Patton was born and spent the first half of his childhood in Savannah, Georgia, attending Herschel V. Jenkins High School,[4] before moving to Atlanta with his aunt Renee. He decided to pursue his interest in music at Tri-Cities High School, a visual and performing arts magnet school.

Patton credited his grandmother with getting him interested in music by sending him and his siblings to the store to buy 45 records. He further credited his uncle with introducing him to a wider variety of music, specifically Kate Bush, who he has described as his favorite artist.[5][6]

Career

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Outkast

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Patton met André Lauren Benjamin (stage name André 3000) while attending Tri-Cities High School. The two joined forces as Outkast in 1992 and signed with the regionally-based record label LaFace Records as a duo.[7]

Solo career

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After four successful albums, Big Boi and André 3000 chose to make two solo albums, and release it as a double album under the Outkast name, as Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2003; Big Boi recorded Speakerboxxx, André 3000 recorded The Love Below. Speakerboxxx featured a style similar to Outkast's previous efforts, while The Love Below explored a more offbeat territory, with André 3000 mainly singing rather than his usual rapping.

Big Boi released two of his songs as singles. "The Way You Move", featuring Sleepy Brown, was originally supported by urban radio, but crossed over to pop charts, where it supplanted André 3000's "Hey Ya!" as the No. 1 song. The second single from Big Boi was "Ghetto Musick", which featured both members of Outkast and a sample from Patti LaBelle's "Love, Need and Want You".[8]

In November 2005, Big Boi released a mixtape/compilation album, Got Purp? Vol 2, in conjunction with the Purple Ribbon All-Stars through Purple Ribbon Records. The first single from the album was "Kryptonite", which reached 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Outkast was also featured on the song "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)", the first single from UGK's album Underground Kingz.

In 2007, after Idlewild, the sixth official OutKast duo album, Big Boi announced plans to release a proper solo album. Speakerboxxx had been seen by many as a solo album (and it effectively was one), but it was still released under the OutKast name, which made Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty his first "full-fledged" solo album. The album's first promotional single, "Royal Flush", was released in 2007, and featured Raekwon and André 3000. Over the next few years the album was delayed many times, but multiple promotional and video singles were released, such as "Shine Blockas" (featuring Gucci Mane), "For Yo Sorrows" (featuring George Clinton and Too Short), and "General Patton" (featuring Big Rube). The first official single was "Shutterbugg", featuring Cutty, and the second was "Follow Us", featuring Vonnegutt. The album was formally released in July 2010. Guest artists included alternative urban singer Janelle Monáe, who went on to be a famed actor and entertainer in her own right, as well as T.I., B.o.B., and, on a hook, Big Boi's old Dungeon Family friend Khujo.[9] Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty was warmly received by most music critics, earning praise for its inventive sound, varied musical style, and Big Boi's lyricism.[10][11]

Big Boi at Counterpoint Festival 2012

In a July 2010 interview for The Village Voice, Big Boi revealed that he was working on the follow-up album to Sir Lucious Left Foot, entitled Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, stating that he was "maybe about six songs into it".[12][13] It was released on November 13, 2012.[14] The first single from the album was "Mama Told Me" featuring Kelly Rowland.[15] The album featured guest appearances from ASAP Rocky, Ludacris, T.I., Little Dragon, Phantogram, Kelly Rowland and B.o.B.[16]

Later in 2012, Big Boi revealed that he had written ten songs for his third studio album. He reiterated his plans for a new studio album in January 2014.[17][18] He was featured on the Catch The Throne mixtape with the song "Mother of Dragons", it was released for free download on SoundCloud by HBO on March 7, 2014, to promote the fourth season of Game of Thrones.[19]

Big Boi had signed a management deal with Jordan Feldstein's Career Artist Management in 2014, same year signed a record deal with Epic Records.[20][21]

On April 19, 2017, Big Boi revealed that his third studio album would be titled Boomiverse, and that two singles, "Mic Jack" (featuring Adam Levine) and "Kill Jill" (featuring Killer Mike and Jeezy), would be released the following day.[22] The track "All Night" from Boomiverse was used in the 2017 Apple iPhone X commercial which saw Alana Greszata lip syncing to the song for the "Animoji yourself" feature.[23]

In 2018, Big Boi signed with L.A. Reid and Charles Goldstuck's newfound label Hitco.[24][25]

In 2019, Big Boi performed at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.[26] Along with other performers, he was criticized for agreeing to participate despite the U.S. national anthem protests by Colin Kaepernick and others.[27]

In November 2021, Big Boi announced that he had recorded a song with the British singer-songwriter Kate Bush, who Big Boi has repeatedly expressed his admiration for throughout his career.[28]

Acting

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Big Boi appeared as a guest star on seasons 3 and 5 of Nick Cannon's Wild 'n Out, and did so on Chappelle's Show, where he peformed his song "The Rooster". In 2006, he branched into feature film acting, appearing in ATL and Idlewild, followed by a starring role in 2007's Who's Your Caddy? He appeared in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Wildlife", which aired November 18, 2008. Big Boi played hip hop artist Gots Money.[29] Big Boi appeared in an episode of the horror anthology web television series Creepshow.[30]

Multidisciplinary collaborations

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In 2008, Big Boi began a collaboration on a show with the Atlanta Ballet. The show, titled big, premiered at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, April 10–13, 2008.[31] The show was performed by Atlanta Ballet dancers, local youth and talent, as choreographed by Lauri Stallings. Music may be performed live onstage during the performance,[32] as it was when the ballet created a live music/dance collaboration with the Indigo Girls.[33]

Personal life

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Patton and his ex-wife Sherlita have one son and one daughter. They divorced in June 2022, citing irreconcilable differences.

Patton is a registered Pit bull and French Bulldog breeder, and owns a 40-acre ranch outside of Atlanta he calls "the Ritz Carlton for Dogs."[34] He is also the owner of two owls named Hootie and Hoodini.[35]

In 2009, together with Janice Faison Ahmed, Patton started Celebrity Trailers, an RV rental company created for professionals in the film, entertainment, and sports industries.[36]

In August 2011, Patton was returning from a cruise when a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement drug dog at the Port of Miami alerted officers. Patton was arrested and charged with illegal possession of the controlled substance MDMA (in powder form) and Viagra.[37] Patton was released from the Miami-Dade County jail on a $16,000 bond.[38][39]

In 2013, while performing at the Summer Camp Music Festival, Big Boi did an air kick onstage and hurt his knee. Doctors determined that he tore his patella (patellar tendon) and did an operation to fix his knee. After the surgery, he had to postpone several tour dates but promised he would be performing again in six weeks.[40]

He appeared as Mayor Atkins in the 2018 remake of the classic 1972 blaxploitation film Super Fly.

Patton is a long-time fan of Kate Bush and was her presenter for her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.[41]

Politics and endorsements

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The City of East Point, Georgia, presented Big Boi with the city's 2021 Global Icon Award and Key to the City for his contribution to the music industry and elevation of the City of East Point. [42]

In an interview with New York City's Hot 97, Big Boi stated that the day after the 2012 United States presidential election, a woman approached him at an airport and congratulated him on "his win last night" (referring to Barack Obama winning re-election), to which Big Boi responded, "Bitch, I voted for Gary Johnson."[43][44][45] In a video interview with the HuffPost in January 2013, he confirmed his libertarian political ideologies.[45] Big Boi has also criticized the two-party system, advocating for political independence and personal responsibility.[46] He has emphasized the importance of individual liberty and expressed skepticism toward government overreach, including mass surveillance programs revealed by Edward Snowden, which he has cited as examples of excessive government intrusion.[47]

In 2006, Big Boi founded the Big Kidz Foundation, a nonprofit organization to help youth in Atlanta.[48] The Foundation's mission is to provide culturally-diverse experiences in the field of humanities while helping create socially-conscious youth. In January 2010, Big Boi and the executive director, Jennifer Shephard Lester, launched the Big Kidz Foundation in Savannah, Georgia. Lester also started the Rene Patton Scholarship, named after Big Boi's late aunt, and the "Saving Lives Through the Arts Campaign."[49]"

In 2010, Big Boi launched his custom Chuck Taylor sneakers with Converse.[50] The shoes feature the title of his Def Jam solo album debut: Sir Lucious Left Foot on the left, and Son of Chico Dusty on the right. His Big Boi logo is featured on the tongue of the shoe.

In 2015, Big Boi announced on the Rap Radar Podcast that he supported Bernie Sanders for President.[51]

Discography

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Main articles: Big Boi discography and Outkast discography

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2002 Uncovered: The Series-Outkast Himself
2004 20 Funerals Lucious
2004 The Industry Himself
2006 ATL Marcus
2006 Idlewild Rooster
2007 Who's Your Caddy? Christopher "C-Note" Hawkins
2008 How 2 Bulid a Rapper Industry Professional
2009 Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff Himself
2010 Kings of the Underground: The Dramatic Journey of UGK Himself
2011 Mr Immortality: The Life and Times of Twista Himself
2012 CounterPoint Music Festival Himself
2014 What Is Jai Paul Himself
2016 The Art of Organized Noize Himself
2017 Baby Driver Restaurant Patron #1
2018 Superfly Mayor Atkins
2018 The Andre 3000 Documentary Himself
2019 The Trap Himself
2020 LA Originals Himself

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 King of the Hill Reverend Nealy (voice) Episode: "Church Hopping"
2006–2007 Girlfriends Himself 3 episodes
2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Gots Money Episode: "Wildlife"
2010 Freaknik: The Musical The Preacher Television film
2011 The Cookout 2 Peanut Television film
2012 The Playlist Remix Victim – ScreenWerks Episode: "Instruments of Destruction"
2012 Single Ladies Himself Episode: "Slave to Love"
2017 Star Himself Episode: "Next of Kin"
2017 Animals Fox 2 Episode: "Pigeons"
2019 The Bobby DeBarge Story Berry Gordy Television film
2019 Scream Police Officer 2 episodes
2019 Creepshow Pawnbroker Episode: "All Hallow's Eve/The Man in the Suitcase"
2020 Celebrity Family Feud[52] Himself Season premiere
2022 The Future of Himself Episode: "Dogs"

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 Def Jam: Icon Himself (voice)
2013 Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel Charles "Chuy" Rendall (voice)

References

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  1. ^ "Outkast's Big Boi and Wife Sherlita Patton Divorce After 20 Years of Marriage: Report". People. June 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "Charts". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "Outkast – Where Are They Now?". HotNewHipHop. December 20, 2023.
  4. ^ "Antwan 'Big Boi' Patton". Flixster.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  5. ^ "Big Boi talks Kate Bush, Chico Dusty, 'Rap Jedi School', and the timeline for a new OutKast album". Los Angeles Times. September 29, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Hogan, Marc (November 23, 2011). "A Short History of Big Boi's Kate Bush Obsession". Spin. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Andrew Gill (July 20, 2010). "Big Boi does the Wikipedia Files". wbez.org. Chicago Public Radio. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  8. ^ Quilantan, Vanessa. "The Four Best Patti Labelle Samples". Dallas Observer. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  9. ^ "Big Boi: Boy O Boi!". www.bluesandsoul.com.
  10. ^ Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (2010): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on July 5, 2010.
  11. ^ Dietz, Jason. July's Best New Music. Metacritic. Retrieved on July 29, 2010.
  12. ^ Harvilla, Rob. Big Boi Is Not Too Artsy Archived July 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. The Village Voice. Retrieved on July 6, 2010.
  13. ^ "Twitter / BigBoi: Breaking News !!!!! Title of". Twitter.com. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  14. ^ "Big Boi Sets Release Date for Upcoming LP". pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  15. ^ "Big Boi Pushes Album to December, Reveals Cover Art". Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  16. ^ "Big Boi Reveals Features From "Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors"". Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  17. ^ "Big Boi Reveals He's "Ten Songs Deep" Into His Third Solo LP". November 28, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  18. ^ "OutKast's Big Boi confirms new solo album | News". Nme.Com. January 23, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  19. ^ "Big Boi – Mother of Dragons". indieshuffle.com. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  20. ^ "Big Boi Signs New Management Deal: 'We Have a Lot of New Material Coming' (Exclusive)". Billboard. March 21, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  21. ^ Paul Cantor (May 10, 2014). "Big Boi Announces New Record Deal | Paul Cantor". HuffPost. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  22. ^ "Big Boi Announces New Album Boomiverse, New Songs With Adam Levine, Killer Mike, and Jeezy". pitchfork.com. April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  23. ^ Apple iPhone X TV Spot, 'Animoji Yourself' Song by Big Boi. Retrieved August 4, 2024 – via www.ispot.tv.
  24. ^ Karp, Hannah (March 26, 2018). "L.A. Reid's Hitco Ramps Up With 25 Hires and Handful Of New Acts". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  25. ^ Halperin, Shirley (March 22, 2018). "L.A. Reid's First Post-Sony Signing Is Outkast's Big Boi (EXCLUSIVE) – Variety". Variety. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  26. ^ Caramanica, Jon (February 3, 2019). "Maroon 5 Barely Leaves a Mark at the Super Bowl Halftime Show". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  27. ^ "Maroon 5 to perform Super Bowl despite controversy". January 14, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  28. ^ "Big Boi confirms he has recorded a new song with Kate Bush". The Fader. November 15, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  29. ^ Big Boi on Law & Order (VIDEO) StraightFromTheA.com (November 18, 2008)
  30. ^ [1] BloodyDisgusting.com (June 20, 2019)
  31. ^ "Ballet Performances – Atlanta Ballet Tickets – Atlanta Ballet". Archived from the original on January 31, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  32. ^ "SPIN.com: Big Boi Collaborates with Atlanta Ballet". November 2, 2007. Archived from the original on November 2, 2007.
  33. ^ McLendon, Sherri L. (2002). "Indigo Girls Complement Atlanta Dancers. – Atlanta Ballet performs multimedia dance work – dance review". Dance Magazine. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
  34. ^ Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me (March 14, 2020). "'Wait Wait' For March 14, 2020, With Not My Job Guest Big Boi". NPR. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  35. ^ "Big Boi Wants to Keep His Owls Forever-Ever". RollingStone.com. November 9, 2019.
  36. ^ "Janice Ahmed owns 'Celebrity Trailers' with business partner Big Boi of OutKast". Rollingout.com. May 17, 2018.
  37. ^ Antwan "Big Boi" Patton Arrested! StraightfromtheA.com (August 7, 2011)
  38. ^ "OutKast member Big Boi arrested in Miami on drug charges". Miami Herald. August 7, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.[dead link‍]
  39. ^ Campbell, Janie (August 7, 2011). "Outkast's Big Boi Jailed On Drug Charges in Miami". NBC Miami. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  40. ^ "Big Boi From Outkast – Total Knee Obliteration ... Caught On Tape". TMZ. May 31, 2013.
  41. ^ Minsker, Evan (November 4, 2023). "Read Big Boi's Speech Inducting Kate Bush Into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2023". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  42. ^ "Outkast's Big Boi honored by City of East Point with key to the city, proclamation". 11Alive.com. February 22, 2021.
  43. ^ "Rapper Big Boi: Trashing Obama, praising Gary Johnson · Hammer of Truth". Hammeroftruth.com. December 13, 2012. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  44. ^ "Big Boi's Post-Election Racist Moment: "I Voted for Gary Johnson" – Hit & Run". Reason.com. December 29, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  45. ^ a b "WATCH: Big Boi Explains He Didn't Vote For Obama". Huffington Post. January 11, 2013.
  46. ^ "How Capitalism Underdeveloped Hip Hop: A People's History of Political Rap (Part 2 of 2)". Hampton Institute. June 4, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  47. ^ "WATCH: Big Boi Explains He Didn't Vote For Obama". HuffPost. January 12, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  48. ^ "The Official Site of Big Boi's Big Kidz Foundation". Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  49. ^ "Big Boi's Big Kidz Foundation's 'Celebrity Weekend' kicks off Friday| Savannah Now |". savannahnow.com. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
  50. ^ "Big Boi Creates Classic Fashion with Converse! Sneaker Honors Star's Unique Style!". UrbLife.com. August 13, 2010.
  51. ^ "Big Boi Supports Bernie Sanders, Stands by Second Amendment". radio.com. September 29, 2015. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015.
  52. ^ "2 Chainz Delays 'So Help Me God' Album Release". Rap-Up. September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
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