Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known
by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record
producer and actor, 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. During the duo's hiatus, he 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 respectable sales and critical acclaim.
Patton was born and spent the first half of his childhood in Savannah,
Georgia, attending Herschel V. Jenkins High School [1] 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.[2]
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.
[edit] Solo work
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.
Patton's choice was the single "The Way You Move", featuring
Sleepy Brown. It was originally supported by urban radio, but then
crossed over to pop charts and became almost as big a pop hit as
Benjamin's "Hey Ya!". "The Way You Move" supplanted "Hey
Ya!" as the #1 song on the US pop charts. 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 a full fledged solo album. While
he had released a previous solo album in Speakerboxxx, it still was
technically under the OutKast name. The album was to be 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 André 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. The
album was released internationally on July 5. Guest artists include
alternative urban songstress Janelle Monae; Big Boi's own new group
Vonnegutt; plus established rappers T.I. and B.o.B.[3] Sir Lucious
Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty received general acclaim from most
music critics, earning praise for its inventive sound, varied musical
style, and Big Boi's lyricism.[4][5]
In a July 2010 interview for The Village Voice, Big Boi revealed
that he is working on the follow-up album to Sir Lucious Left Foot,
entitled Daddy Fat Sax: Soul Funk Crusader, stating that he is "maybe
about six songs into it".[6] It is expected for a late-2011
release.[7] The album's title originates from when Big Boi and André 3000
would visit a local White Castle in between recording/writing in
their earlier years before ATLiens (1996), because of an employee
known as Daddy Fat Sacks, for his habit of including multiple extra
sliders in every 10-sack that they purchased, as he was a fan of
their music.[8] 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 intended
to use "Sax" instead of "Sacks" as he is "planning
on a doing a bunch of sax samples, tenor, soprano, and probably have
at least a couple sax players come into the studio for the next record".[8]
On February 27, 2011, it was announced that Big Boi is creating
a joint album along with rappers Mike Bigga and Pill.[9] Later that
day, Big Boi posted on his Twitter account that he was mixing Mike
Bigga's album entitled, "PL3DGE".[10]
[edit] Side projects
Patton and Benjamin star in Idlewild, a film about music during
the Depression-era South. The film was released in August 2006. Patton
also has plans in the works for a project partnering him 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; Aquemeni Records had become defunct after
Benjamin left the company. The first single from the album was "Kryptonite",
which cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and was a hit on hip-hop radio.
Patton was also featured on the song "International Players
Anthem (I Choose You)", which is the first single off of UGK's
new album, Underground Kingz.
In 2006, Big Boi founded the Big Kidz Foundation a nonprofit organization
to help youth in Atlanta.[11]] The Foundation's mission is to provide
culturally diverse experiences in the field of humanities while helping
create socially-conscious youth. In January 2010, Big Boi and the
Executive Director, Jennifer Shephard Lester launched the Big Kidz
Foundation in Savannah, Georgia.
In 2010, Big Boi launched his custom Chuck Taylor sneakers with
Converse.[12] The shoes feature the title of his Def Jam solo album
debut: "Sir Lucious Left Foot" on the left, and "Son
of Chico Dusty" on the right. His Big Boi logo is featured on
the tongue of the shoe.
On April 28th 2011, Big Boi announced that he would be working with
Modest Mouse on their new unnamed album.[13]
[edit] Acting career
Big Boi also appeared on Nick Cannon's Wild 'n Out Season 3 as one
of the many guest stars, as well as guest starring and appearing
as a musical guest on Chappelle's Show performing his song "The
Rooster." Besides Idlewild he is currently reaching more into
acting, having appeared in T.I.'s film ATL, OutKast's film Idlewild
and starring in the recently released Who's Your Caddy?.
He sometimes refers to, or credits, himself as "Daddy Fat Sacks," which
is a term that refers to a drug dealer who sells large amounts of
marijuana, a banker or a pimp. In such songs as "ATLiens", "Walk
It Out", "I'm So Hood (remix)" and "Morris Brown" Big
Boi refers to this term.
Big Boi is a playable character in the Def Jam: Icon videogame.
Big Boi has officially dropped his rivalry with former employee,
Killer Mike, which had gone on for 3 years.[14]
He has recently been seen in the Law & Order: Special Victims
Unit episode "Wildlife" The episode aired November 18,
2008 and Big Boi played Hip Hop artist,"Got$ Money."
[edit] Multidisciplinary collaborations
In 2008, Big Boi began a collaboration on a new show with the Atlanta
Ballet. The show, entitled big, premiered at the Fox Theater in Atlanta
April 10–13, 2008.[15] The show was performed by Atlanta Ballet
dancers, local youth and talent, as choreographed by Lauri Stallings.
Music may be performed live onstage during the performance,[16] as
it was when the ballet created a live music/dance collaboration with
the Indigo Girls.[17]
[edit] Personal life
Patton is married to Sherlita Patton, with whom he has two children:
daughter Jordan and son Cross. Another child, a son named Bamboo,
is from a previous relationship. Numerous references to the Patton
family are present in Big Boi's rhymes. His younger brother James
raps under the name "Lil' Brotha", and is a member of hip-hop
group Konkrete, while 'Uncle Donell' was 'locked up in prison' but
has now been released. His other brothers, Marcus and Jason, also
make their way onto some songs as well.
His wife Sherlita Patton is also the co-owner of a clothing boutique
in Atlanta, Georgia called PValentine. She co-owns the store with
Tracy Valentine. The expensive brands carried by the store and the
ties to Big Boi attract many music artists and other celebrities
to the store. The store was featured on an episode of MTV's "My
Super Sweet 16" when R&B artist Chris Brown went for a birthday
gift from Big Boi. He is also a registered pit bull breeder.
[edit] Discography
Main article: Big Boi discography
See also: Outkast discography
2010: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
TBA: Daddy Fat Sax: Soul Funk Crusader[6]
TBA: Untitled project with Mike Bigga & Pill
[edit] Filmography
2006: ATL– as Marcus
2006: Idlewild – as Rooster
2007: Who's Your Caddy? – as C-Note, Christopher Hawkenson
2009: Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff[18]
2010: Freaknik: The Musical- as the Preacher
[edit] Video games
2007: Def Jam: Icon– Himself