Big Boi has revisited a time when he received a surprise gift from Quincy Jones after he and André 3000 claimed the biggest prize at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
In a clip from Elliott Wilson’s new Patreon interview series Elliott Wilson Experience, Sir Luscious Left Foot reflected on OutKast’s Grammys success and elaborated on the gesture from the esteemed producer.
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He also explained whether or not it was a good or bad thing that the duo’s 2003 LP Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was the last Hip Hop album to win Album of the Year at the Grammys.
“I mean, good in the sense of the level of respect that the group and the work got for that,” Big Boi said. “I can remember after we won, Quincy Jones sent me a card and was like, ‘Are you surprised?’ And I was like, ‘But how you get my mothafuckin’ address?!'”
In addition to Album of the Year, OutKast won two more Grammys in 2004: Best Rap Album (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below) and Best Urban/Alternative and Performance (“Hey Ya!”). They were also nominated for Record of the Year (“Hey Ya!”), Best Music Video, Short Form (“Hey Ya!”) and Producer of the Year.
The legendary Atlanta duo became just the second rap act to win the coveted Album of the Year award after Lauryn Hill, whose debut solo LP The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won in 1999. She also became the first woman to win five or more Grammy Awards in a single night.
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Since then, several rappers have come close to joining that esteemed list, including Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and Drake, who have each racked up multiple Album of the Year nominations.
JAY-Z, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Cardi B, Childish Gambino, Pharrell and Doja Cat have all been nominated in the category once in the last 20 years.
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Despite OutKast’s massive success, Organized Noize member Sleepy Brown recently dashed hopes of André 3000 and Big Boi getting back together.
While talking to TMZ in June, the singer/producer said that an OutKast reunion is out of the question after the reporter picked his brain about Speakerboxxx/The Love Below turning 20 this year.
“Nah, they not,” he said. “[André 3000] is on a while ‘nother journey and he’s, you know, doing something. But me and Big [Boi] are still doing tours and stuff like that.
“Don’t hold your breath for no OutKast reunion. Don’t do it to yourself. It’s not gon’ happen, folks. If you wanna see us, we gon’ be Dungeon Family. That’s about it.”
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TMZ then asked Sleepy Brown which album he feels is OutKast’s greatest. After some back and forth, he settled on 1998’s Aquemini.
“Man, you know, I can say Aquemini, I can say Stankonia,” he said. “The thing about it [is], each album was a different journey. OutKast has taken people through country music with ‘Rosa Parks,’ they did rock with Stankonia, they did every genre you could ever think of in music, so it’s kinda hard to say which one is what.”
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He continued: “But I’ma say Aquemini. For me, that album was the moment when OutKast really flourished as producers, too. So for me, that album is me watching them grow. That’s why it’s my favorite.”
