Big Boi Talks Outkast Being the Last Rap Act to Win A Grammy for Album of the Year

Big Boi still feels respected by The Recording Academy. The 48-year-old rapper recently sat down with Elliott Wilson at Stankonia Studios, and the music journalist asked Big Boi, born Antwon Patton, about Outkast being one of two rap artists to win a Grammy for Album of the Year. The Atlanta duo won in the category in 2004 for their album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which was released the prior year.

Also winning AOTY in 1999 was Ms. Lauryn Hill for her solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Hill won in seven other categories at the event, including Best R&B Album and Best New Artist, although she had been part of The Fugees since the early 1990s.

During their chat, which is exclusively available on Patreon, Wilson asked Patton if Outkast being the last rap artists to win AOTY was “good and bad.”

“I mean, good in the sense of the level of respect that the group and the work got for that,” Patton replied. “I can remember after we won, Quincy Jones sent me a card and he was like, ‘Are you surprised?’ I was like, ‘How you get my m************ address?’”

Big Boi on “Speakerboxxx/ Love Below” being the last Rap Album to win “Album of the Year” Grammywww.youtube.com

Watch Outkast Win Album Of The Year For 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below' In 2004 | GRAMMY Rewindwww.youtube.com

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in September, also won Best Rap Album in 2004 and has since become certified platinum by the RIAA. As Outkast’s fifth studio album, the LP was followed by the duo’s sixth and final studio album, Idlewild, which accompanied their 2006 musical film of the same name.