Big Boi | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Antwan André Patton |
Born |
Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
February 1, 1975
Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 1991–present |
Labels | |
Associated acts | |
Website | bigboi |
Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and record producer, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. Big Boi's solo debut Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty was released in July 2010 to respectable sales and critical acclaim. In 2012, he released his second solo album, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors.
Patton was born and spent the first half of his childhood in Savannah, Georgia, attending Herschel V. Jenkins High School before moving to Atlanta with his Aunt Renne. Eventually he decided to pursue his interest in music at Tri-Cities High School, a visual and performing arts Magnet school.
He had a strong interest in hip hop music, and met André "3000" Benjamin while attending Tri Cities High School in the early-1990s. The two eventually joined forces as Outkast and signed with LaFace Records.
Patton has often used his lyrics to criticize the problems that plague both the African American community and the world. An example is 2003's "War", a scathing attack on the Bush administration and the War on Terror. Another example is 2008's "Sumthin's Gotta Give" with Mary J. Blige talking about the state of America and Barack Obama.
After four increasingly successful albums as a duo, the members of Outkast chose to make two solo albums, and release them as a double album under the Outkast name. André 3000 released The Love Below and Big Boi Speakerboxxx. The two albums were packaged together as Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2003. Speakerboxxx featured a style similar to Outkast's previous efforts, while The Love Below explored more offbeat territory, with André 3000 mainly singing rather than his usual rapping. One song from each album was released in September 2003 as a single.