Gavin Martin, OutKast - OutKast: Live in London lyrics

The Laurel And Hardy of phuture rap

They don't come much crazier or
More outrageous than Outkast
Their physical presence turning out
To be every thing that their funky futurist
Classic Stankonia album suggests
This is true of their backing singers, too
And also the brilliantly-primed musicians who
Groove around looking cool'n'deadly
For 30 minutes before Big Boi and Andre
(the latter in skyscraper high
Afro and all-in-one
Padded purple jumpsuit) come bounding onstage

Britain and the world at large may
Have just tuned into Outkast, but all three
Albums prior to Stankonia
Have been conceptual
And sonic delights listen
To Supercaddilacmusik
ATliens and Aquemini and you'll discover a
Cache of fiery visions and
Mercurial riches with their heavy patois and
Alternatively enraged and comic raps
They are the Laurel And Hardy of phuture
Rap and once the prescient
Straight-to-the jugular protest of their
'Gasoline Dreams' sets the scene
They raid their past
Joyfully and seemingly at random

Stankonia establishes Outkast as
The premier studio
Maestros of the moment but, live
Their links to older crazier traditions
– draw in from screen
Comedy, Medicine Shows
Street life – is joyously
Apparent the deep soul
And Southern funk flows from the
Past far out into cyberspace
But it's all bounded by rabid confidence and
The wide open humour evident in
Both the conciliatory 'Ms Jackson' and the
Celebratory gender-appeasing 'Call Before
I Come'

Andre, who's stripped down to the
Waist by midway point
Is the most riveting performer
To grace a London
Stage since prime-time Prince
Between them the
Duo seem to have invented their own language
And when Boi is laying down
The law and Dre is
Momentarily lost for words
He stands grinning, admiring
His flexing plecs, twitching in time to
The beat sweet Simultaneously a brilliant
Gimmick and the most
Vital funk'n'rap'n'roll band you've ever
Seen or heard
Outkast deliver on every level to think
Eminem asked these guys to support
Him – he's obviously a far braver
Man than we ever suspected