Yes, you read that title correctly.
Andre 3000 and Big Boi, better known as Outkast, reunited this past Friday, April 12, at the Coachella music festival. It was the first time they’ve performed live together in a decade.
Needless to say, it was a pretty big deal. There was a lot of hype riding into this performance.
Outkast’s full set.
In my eyes, their show was everything an Outkast/hip-hop head could have wanted. They played a great mix of tracks – from their opener B.O.B., to Rosa Parks, to some solo material like Big Boi’s Shutterbugg. They made sure to pay proper homage to their entire catalog of material rather than relying solely on their big singles. At this point, I’ve watched the entire set, and personally, I really enjoyed it and I think they did a great job.
The crowd, on the other hand…
I couldn’t help but be disappointed in their lack of energy.
The people in the crowd of 70,000+ were, essentially, witnessing hip-hop history. Outkast is arguably one of the greatest duos the genre has seen. Sure, the show had some issues (Sound problems, a really odd guest in the form of Future, their setlist being cut a little short), but there was no reason to not give Andre and Big Boi their due respect.
I’m hoping that this first show was just a fluke, crowd-wise. Outkast is set to perform at a slew of other festivals throughout the summer (including one or two I may be attending), so here’s to hoping their tour hits their stride and the rest of their shows can go off with a bang.
If you’re going to be seeing them at any point this summer, do me a favor: get familar with their catalog. Learn Outkast, live Outkast, love Outkast. Then, when you see them, make sure you go absolutely nuts. Tell everyone around you to do the same, too. These guys deserve it.
Welcome back, Outkast. You were missed – even if the crowd at Coachella didn’t make it seem like you were.
Half-Day Hip-Hop 