By Ian Benson
It’s been more than a decade since OutKast last released a record, and 2003’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was more symbolic of the growing rift between the members than the triumphant breakthrough many of us remember. Sure, it’s got “Hey Ya,” a song that is inevitably played at every party, but it isn’t the classic Stankonia or Aquemini are. Since then, they’ve made a subpar movie and soundtrack, Big Boi has released one classic album and one disappointment and Andre 3000 (also known as Dre) has made teasing guest appearances on numerous tracks. It was even announced back in 2011 that the group had moved to Epic Records, furthering hope for a reunion that never panned out. But worry not, for it seems that the music festival, Coachella and its truckload of money has decided to right the wrong of an OutKast-free world.
In mid-November, Billboard reported that multiple sources indicated the duo would reunite and play Coachella, with a tour potentially to follow. Big Boi even recently posted a photo on his Instagram showing him and Dre together, despite the years of bad blood between them. They even look happy! These are surely reasons to rejoice, but a bit of caution is required.
OutKast isn’t the first band to reunite and they won’t be the last. So long as demands can be met, money can be arranged and egos can be massaged, bands that seemed done for good will come back. The only bands that really stay dead are those with deceased singers- — and The Smiths. Coachella threw enough money at Refused, a band of anti-capitalists, that they buried the hatchet and reunited. And by all accounts, it was a rousing success, but once their reunion tour was over, they announced it was definitive and walked away without even hinting at a new record.
OutKast might do just that. They might not even play beyond Coachella. Or perhaps they will go on tour and create a new record, but nothing says that it will sound anything like the old ones, or that it will even be very good. Pixies reunited, fired a key member and went on to release an EP so bad it’s practically unspeakable. The Dismemberment Plan reunited to much fanfare only to release an album that was immediately disowned by most fans.
Big Boi and Andre 3000 both seem to still have it, but perhaps the chemistry that was so essential to their appeal is gone for good. And while I’ll always love their music and will argue for “B.O.B.” as one of the three greatest songs of my lifetime, maybe it isn’t such a bad thing if they aren’t the OutKast of old. Maybe they do only come together for a few shows, play the hits and walk away, but they had their time. Maybe it’s better to bow out than age while still in the scene. Just look at Jay-Z for an example of overstaying.