Essays discuss OutKast’s influence on mainstream American culture

OutKast, a hip-hop duo from Atlanta, has been influential in the music scene since they formed in 1992. The group has received Grammys for Best Rap Duo, Best Rap Album, Best Urban Performance and Album of the Year, over a career spanning 19 years. They have also contributed to music videos, film, fashion and theater, working with names like Josh Whedon and Beyoncé Knowles.

“An OutKast Reader” examines the group’s aesthetic of postmodern Southern identity mixed with funk and psychedelia. The collection of essays is divided into sections of regional influence, gender and visuality, recognizing OutKast’s influence on mainstream American culture.

With commentary from African American studies scholars Charlie Braxton, Susana M. Morris, Howard Ramsby II, Reynaldo Anderson and Ruth Nicole Brown, each section of this work outlines the significance of OutKast’s work in Blackness, gender, urbanism, Southern aesthetics and general Southern studies in the context of their groundbreaking music.