Feb. 1: Big Boi of OutKast and the "Atlanta Ballet" is 36 today.

------

Did you know?

In 2008, Big Boi collaborated and starred in a show with the Atlanta Ballet. The show, entitled big, premiered at the Fox Theater in Atlanta April 10–13, 2008. The show was performed by Atlanta Ballet dancers, local youth and talent, choreographed by Lauri Stallings. (See below.)

-----

Antwan André Patton, better known by his stage name Big Boi, is a A rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast with André 3000.

The duo has produced six studio albums. Afterwards, Big Boi and André 3000 each announced plans to release a solo album. Big Boi's solo debut Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty was released in July 2010 to critical acclaim.

In the beginning...
Patton was born and spent the first half of his childhood in Savannah, Georgia, before moving to Atlanta with his Aunt Janice. 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 signed with LaFace Records.

After four 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. Andre 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 Andre 3000 mainly singing rather than his usual rapping. One song from each album was released in September 2003 as a single.

Patton's choice was the single "The Way You Move," featuring Sleepy Brown. It crossed over to pop charts and became a pop hit. The second single from Big Boi's side of the album was "Ghetto Musick," which featured both members of OutKast and a sample from Patti LaBelle's "Love, Need & Want You."

In 2007 after the sixth album under the OutKast name, Idlewild, Big Boi announced plans to release an "actual" solo album titled Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. The album's first promotional single, "Royal Flush," was released in 2007, and featured Raekwon and Andre 3000.

Over the next few years the album saw many delays, but multiple promotional and video singles were released such as "Shine Blockas" featuring Gucci Mane, "For Yo Sorrows" featuring George Clinton and Too $hort and "General Patton" featuring Big Rube. The first official single was "Shutterbugg" featuring Cutty and the second "Follow Us" featuring Vonnegutt.

Guest artists include alternative urban songstress Janelle Monae; Big Boi's own new group Vonnegutt; plus established rappers T.I. and B.o.B. Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty earned praise from some critics for its inventive sound, varied musical style, and Big Boi's lyricism.

In a July 2010 Big Boi said he is working on the follow-up album to Sir Lucious Left Foot, entitled Daddy Fat Sax: Soul Funk Crusader. The album's title originates from when Big Boi and Andre 3000 would visit a local White Castle in between recording/writing in their earlier years because of an employee known as Daddy Fat Sacks, would give then extra burgers because he was a fan of their music.

Upon hearing of his death after visiting the same location after completing Sir Lucious Left Foot, Big Boi decided to name his follow-up solo album after Daddy Fat Sacks, but would use "Sax" instead of "Sacks" and planned to feature sax samples on the record.

In 2006, Patton and Benjamin starred in Idlewild, a film about music during the Depression-era South. Patton also plans on a joint project with Sleepy Brown.

He released a mixtape/compilation album, Got Purp? Vol 2, in conjunction with the Purple Ribbon All-Stars in November 2005 on Purple Ribbon Records. The first single from the album was "Kryptonite," which cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and was a hit on hip-hop radio.

(Continued below video and Amazon portals ...)

(Press album cover for direct link to the entire Amazon Website):

-----

In 2006, Big Boi founded the Big Kidz Foundation a nonprofit organization to help youth in Atlanta. The Foundation's mission is to provide culturally diverse experiences in the field of humanities while helping create socially-conscious youth.

####