Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is the debut studio album by the American hip hop duo Outkast, released on April 26, 1994, by Arista Records and LaFace Records. Having befriended each other two years prior, rappers André 3000 (then known as Dré, real name André Benjamin) and Big Boi (Antwan Patton) pursued recording music as a duo and worked with production team Organized Noize, leading to a record contract with LaFace. With the team producing, Outkast recorded the album at the Dungeon, D.A.R.P. Studios, Purple Dragon, Bosstown, and Doppler Studios, all in their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
A Southern hip-hop record, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik features live instrumentation in its hip-hop production and musical elements from funk and soul genres. Wanting to make a statement about urban life as an African American in the South, Outkast wrote and recorded the album as teenagers and addressed coming of age themes with the album's songs. They also incorporated repetitive hooks and Southern slang in their lyrics.
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik charted at number 20 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified Platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting one million copies sold. A critical and commercial success, the album helped distinguish Southern hip hop as a credible hip hop scene amid East Coast and West Coast hip-hop's market dominance at the time. It has since been viewed by music journalists as an important release in both hip hop and Atlanta's music scene.
Background
André 3000 and Big Boi met in 1992 at the Lenox Square shopping mall when they were both 16 years old. The two lived in the East Point section of Atlanta and attended Tri-Cities High School. he returned to obtain his GED at a night school following the release of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. They briefly dabbled in street-hustling to save up for recording money.
The duo also spent time at their friend Rico Wade's basement recording studio, known as the Dungeon, with Wade's production team Organized Noize and future members of hip hop group Goodie Mob. The team had André 3000 and Big Boi rap over them, which led to a record deal from LaFace for both Organized Noize and OutKast. the label's first hip hop act.
Recording and production
thumb|[[Organized Noize used a Roland TR-808 for the album's production. The studio featured mostly secondhand recording equipment. Doppler Studios, and Purple Dragon in Atlanta. André 3000 also smoked marijuana during the sessions. They recorded over 30 songs for the album. Production team Organized Noize utilized live instrumentation on the album, emphasizing musical instruments, including bass, keyboards, guitar, and organ, over conventional hip hop techniques such as DJing and sampling. They viewed that the feel of live instruments made the music sound more authentic and immediate. Brown also sung vocals for several tracks.
A Southern hip-hop album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik incorporates analog elements such as Southern-styled guitar licks, languid soul melodies, and mellow 1970s funk grooves. It also features digital hip-hop production elements such as programmed snare beats, booty bass elements, Music writers characterize the album's music and beats as "clanky" and "mechanical". Encyclopedia of Popular Music editor Colin Larkin writes that the album "compris[es] tales of the streets of their local East Point and Decatur neighbourhoods". The album's segue tracks illustrate Southern life. The lyrics incorporate tongue-twisters, triplet rhyme schemes, which Big Boi defines as "somebody who can take care of they business in the game, the game of life". and occasionally sings on the album. "Crumblin' Erb" explores themes of hedonism and addresses black-on-black violence and the negative effect it has on African-American culture: "There's only so much time left in this crazy world / I'm just crumblin' erb / Niggas killin' niggas, they don't understand (it's the master plan), I'm just crumblin' erb" Its popularity among young black college students during Freaknik increased its sales and helped it break into the Top 40, a rare achievement for a hip hop song at the time. "Player's Ball" spent 20 weeks and peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100. On May 12, 1994, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States.
LaFace released Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik on April 26, 1994. It also reached number three on the Billboard Top R&B Albums, remaining on the chart for 50 weeks. The album's sales increased after Outkast's appearance at the 1995 Source Awards in January. On April 5, 1995, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik was certified platinum by the RIAA, for shipments of one million copies in the US. By August, it had sold 715,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album was reissued by LaFace in September 1998. The title track was released on June 20, 1994, reaching number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August. "Git Up, Git Out" was released in October.