Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), known professionally as Big Boi, is an American rapper and record producer. Born in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, and raised in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, he was one half of the

Southern hip-hop Southern hip-hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip-hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip-hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, Texas, ...

duo

Outkast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...

along with rapper

André 3000 André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), known professionally as André 3000, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he was one half of the hip-hop duo Outkast along with rapper Big Boi, which the two formed in 1992. Benj ...

, which the two formed in 1992. As part of Outkast, the duo's six studio albums were each met with critical and commercial success, spawning

hit song A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...

s including "

Ms. Jackson "Ms. Jackson" is a song by the American hip-hop duo Outkast, consisting of André 3000 and Big Boi. It was released on October 24, 2000, as the second single from Outkast's fourth album, '' Stankonia''. It topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ch ...

", "

Roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...

", "

So Fresh, So Clean "So Fresh, So Clean" is a song by American hip hop duo Outkast from their fourth studio album, ''Stankonia'' (2000). It was produced by longtime collaborators Organized Noize. The song reached number 30 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and ...

" and "

Elevators (Me & You) "Elevators (Me & You)" is a song by American hip hop duo Outkast, released as the lead single from their second studio album, ''ATLiens''. It peaked at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Outkast's highest-peaking song on the chart until the ...

", among others. Their fifth, a

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording ...

titled ''

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below ''Speakerboxxx/The Love Below'' is the fifth studio album by the American hip-hop duo Outkast. It was released on September 23, 2003, by Arista Records. Issued as a double album, its length of over two hours is spread across solo records by Big ...

'' (2003), won three

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s and contained a solo single performed by Patton: "

The Way You Move "The Way You Move" is a hip-hop and soul song by the American hip hop duo Outkast, performed by its member Big Boi. The song features Outkast mentor Sleepy Brown on guest vocals. Along with " Hey Ya!", recorded by Outkast's other member André 3 ...

" (featuring

Sleepy Brown Patrick Leroy "Sleepy" Brown (born January 24, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is one-third of the Atlanta-based production team of Organized Noize, which has created hits for acts such as Outkast, Goodie Mob an ...

), which peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was named the 22nd most successful song of the 2000s decade by ''Billboard''. After the duo split in 2007, he signed with

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

to pursue a solo career; his debut studio album, '' Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty'' (2010), peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 and yielded critical acclaim. His second and third albums, '' Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors'' (2012) and '' Boomiverse'' (2017), were met with continued praise and moderate commercial response. His spin-off projects include a collaborative recording outfit with

Phantogram Phantogram may refer to: *Phantogram (band) Phantogram is an American music duo from Greenwich (town), New York, Greenwich, New York (state), New York, formed in 2007 and consisting of multi-instrumentalists and vocalists Sarah Barthel and Josh ...

, with whom he has released one extended play (2015). He formed the now-defunct supergroup Purple Ribbon All-Stars in 2004, which included

Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson ( ; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. ...

Bubba Sparxxx Warren Anderson Mathis (born March 6, 1977), better known by his stage name Bubba Sparxxx, is an American rapper. His 2001 single, " Ugly" (featuring Timbaland) peaked at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and led him to sign with Timbaland ...

, and

Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, singer and activist. He made his recording debut on Outkast's fourth album ''Stankonia'' (2000), and guest appeared on the duo's Gr ...

; the group released two albums until disbanding in 2007.

Early life

Patton was born and spent the first half of his childhood in

, attending Herschel V. Jenkins High School, before moving to

with his aunt Renee. He decided to pursue his interest in music at

Tri-Cities High School Tri-Cities High School is a public high school in East Point, Georgia, United States. It is a part of the Fulton County School System. The school opened in 1988 under the leadership of principal Dr. Herschel Robinson. It was originally formed by ...

, a visual and performing arts

magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend unless they mo ...

. Patton credited his grandmother with getting him interested in music by sending him and his siblings to the store to buy 45 records. He further credited his uncle with introducing him to a wider variety of music, specifically

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...

, who he has described as his favorite artist.

Career

Outkast

Patton met André Lauren Benjamin (stage name

) while attending Tri-Cities High School. The two joined forces as

in 1992 and signed with the regionally-based record label

LaFace Records LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...

as a duo. Patton originally performed under the stage name Black Dog.

Solo career

After four successful albums, Big Boi and André 3000 chose to make two solo albums, and release it as a double album under the Outkast name, as ''

'' in 2003; Big Boi recorded ''Speakerboxxx'', André 3000 recorded ''The Love Below''. ''Speakerboxxx'' featured a style similar to Outkast's previous efforts, while ''The Love Below'' explored a more offbeat territory, with André 3000 mainly singing rather than his usual rapping. Big Boi released two of his songs as singles. "

", featuring

, was originally supported by urban radio, but crossed over to pop charts, where it supplanted André 3000's "

Hey Ya! "Hey Ya!" is a song by American hip hop duo Outkast, performed by its member André 3000, who wrote and produced the song. Along with " The Way You Move", recorded by Outkast's other member Big Boi and which featured Sleepy Brown, "Hey Ya! ...

" as the No. 1 song. The second single from Big Boi was "Ghetto Musick", which featured both members of Outkast and a

sample Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...

from

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

's "

Love, Need and Want You "Love, Need and Want You" is a song recorded by American singer Patti LaBelle from her sixth studio album, '' I'm in Love Again'' (1983). The mid-tempo R&B song was written and produced for LaBelle by Bunny Sigler and Kenny Gamble, and was rel ...

". In November 2005, Big Boi released a mixtape/compilation album, '' Got Purp? Vol 2'', in conjunction with the Purple Ribbon All-Stars through

Purple Ribbon Records Purple Ribbon Records is a record label owned by Outkast and distributed through Virgin Records. It was formed in as Aquemini Records, named after OutKast's 1998 album of the same name. It is run solely by Big Boi. It is credited with launching th ...

. The first single from the album was "Kryptonite", which reached 35 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Outkast was also featured on the song "

International Players Anthem (I Choose You) "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)" is a song by American hip-hop duo UGK, released on June 6, 2007, as the second single from their fifth studio album ''Underground Kingz'' (2007). The song, produced by DJ Paul and Juicy J of Three ...

", the first single from

UGK UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip-hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Mitchell "Big Mitch" Queen who would eventually leave the group to pursue a football career and Chad "Pimp C" Butler with Bernard "Bun B" ...

's album ''

Underground Kingz ''Underground Kingz'' is the fifth studio album by American hip-hop duo UGK. The album was released on August 7, 2007, by Jive Records. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Lil Jon, Jazze Pha, Swizz Beatz, DJ ...

''. In 2007, after '' Idlewild'', the sixth official OutKast duo album, Big Boi announced plans to release a proper solo album. ''Speakerboxxx'' had been seen by many as a solo album (and it effectively was one), but it was still released under the OutKast name, which made '' Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty'' his first "full-fledged" solo album. The album's first promotional single, "Royal Flush", was released in 2007, and featured

Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon ( ), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of the ...

and André 3000. Over the next few years the album was delayed many times, but multiple promotional and video singles were released, such as "Shine Blockas" (featuring

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...

), "For Yo Sorrows" (featuring George Clinton and

Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by his stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late ...

), and "General Patton" (featuring

Big Rube Ruben Bailey (born September 27, 1969, Atlanta, Georgia), professionally known by his stage name Big Rube, is an American spoken word artist, rapper and hip hop producer. He is a first-generation member of the Dungeon Family and of Society of ...

). The first official single was "

Shutterbugg "Shutterbugg" is a song by American rapper Big Boi, released in 2010 as the first single from his debut solo album, ''Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty''. The song features singer Cutty on the song's chorus. It was co-produced by Scot ...

", featuring Cutty, and the second was "Follow Us", featuring Vonnegutt. The album was formally released in July 2010. Guest artists included alternative urban singer

, who went on to be a famed actor and entertainer in her own right, as well as

T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...

, B.o.B., and, on a hook, Big Boi's old Dungeon Family friend

Khujo Willie Edward Knighton Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known as Khujo, is an American rapper. He is one-fourth of Goodie Mob (along with T-Mo, Cee-Lo, and Big Gipp), and one-half of The Lumberjacks (with T-Mo). Life and career Khujo was b ...

. ''Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty'' was warmly received by most music critics, earning praise for its inventive sound, varied musical style, and Big Boi's lyricism.''Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty'' (2010): Reviews

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

. Retrieved on July 5, 2010.Dietz, Jason
July's Best New Music
Metacritic. Retrieved on July 29, 2010. Big Boi Counterpoint

In a July 2010 interview for ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'', Big Boi revealed that he was working on the follow-up album to ''Sir Lucious Left Foot'', entitled '' Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors'', stating that he was "maybe about six songs into it".Harvilla, Rob
Big Boi Is Not Too Artsy
. ''

''. Retrieved on July 6, 2010. It was released on November 13, 2012. The first single from the album was "Mama Told Me" featuring

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

. The album featured guest appearances from

ASAP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop music, hip hop coll ...

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, spoken as "ludicrous" in American English), is an American rapper and songwriter. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age ...

Little Dragon Little Dragon are a Swedish electronic music band from Gothenburg, Sweden, formed in 1996. The band consists of Yukimi Nagano (vocals, percussion), Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Wallin (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards). Little Dragon's ...

, Kelly Rowland and

B.o.B Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons signed with record producer Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainm ...

. Later in 2012, Big Boi revealed that he had written ten songs for his third studio album. He reiterated his plans for a new studio album in January 2014. He was featured on the ''Catch The Throne'' mixtape with the song "Mother of Dragons", it was released for free download on

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

on March 7, 2014, to promote the fourth season of ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...

''. Big Boi had signed a management deal with Jordan Feldstein's Career Artist Management in 2014, same year signed a record deal with

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

. On April 19, 2017, Big Boi revealed that his third studio album would be titled ''Boomiverse'', and that two singles, "Mic Jack" (featuring

Adam Levine Adam Noah Levine ( ; born March 18, 1979) is an American musician who is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and sole continuous member of the pop rock band Maroon 5. Levine began his musical career in 1994 with the band Kara's Flowers, for ...

) and "Kill Jill" (featuring

and

Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for ...

), would be released the following day. The track " All Night" from Boomiverse was used in the 2017 Apple

iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...

X commercial which saw Alana Greszata lip syncing to the song for the "

Animoji Animoji are a set of digital avatars created by Apple Inc., based upon symbols of animals and mythical creatures from their Apple Color Emoji typeface. Unlike standard emoji, Animoji are 3D models which can be custom-animated using facial motio ...

yourself" feature. In 2018, Big Boi signed with L.A. Reid and Charles Goldstuck's newfound label Hitco. In 2019, Big Boi performed at the

Super Bowl LIII halftime show The Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show, officially known as the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show, took place on February 3, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of Super Bowl LIII. It was headlined by Maroon 5, joined by r ...

. Along with other performers, he was criticized for agreeing to participate despite the

U.S. national anthem protests Protests during the playing of the United States national anthem have had many causes, including civil rights, anti-conscription, anti-war, anti-nationalism, and religious reservations. Such protests have occurred since at least the 1890s, ...

Colin Kaepernick Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and former professional football quarterback. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he gained na ...

and others. In November 2021, Big Boi announced that he had recorded a song with the British singer-songwriter

, who Big Boi has repeatedly expressed his admiration for throughout his career.

Acting

Big Boi appeared as a guest star on seasons 3 and 5 of

Nick Cannon Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American comedian, television presenter, actor, and rapper. In television, he began his career as a teenager on Nickelodeon's '' All That'' before going on to host '' The Nick Cannon Show'', '' ...

's ''

Wild 'n Out ''Wild 'n Out'' is an American sketch comedy and battle rap improv game show television series created and hosted by musician and comedian Nick Cannon currently airing on VH1. It debuted on July 28, 2005, on MTV. Premise Similar in premise ...

'', and did so on ''

Chappelle's Show ''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were ...

'', where he performed his song "The Rooster". In 2006, he branched into feature film acting, appearing in '' ATL'' and '' Idlewild'', followed by a starring role in 2007's ''

Who's Your Caddy? ''Who's Your Caddy?'' is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Don Michael Paul and starring Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Andy Milonakis, Faizon Love, Terry Crews, Tony Cox, Jeffrey Jones and Jesper Parnevik. It is the first film produced by Robert ...

'' He appeared in the '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' episode "

Wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

", which aired November 18, 2008. Big Boi played hip hop artist Gots Money. Big Boi appeared in an episode of the

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

web television Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as films and television series, streamed over the Internet. Standing in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aerial systems, cable te ...

series ''

Creepshow ''Creepshow'' is a 1982 American horror comedy anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King, making this film his screenwriting debut. The film's ensemble cast includes Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, ...

''.

Multidisciplinary collaborations

In 2008, Big Boi began a collaboration on a show with the

Atlanta Ballet Atlanta Ballet is a ballet company, located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the longest continuously performing ballet company in the United States and the State Ballet of Georgia. History Atlanta Ballet was founded in 1929 by Dorothy Alexander as ...

. The show, titled ''big'', premiered at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, April 10–13, 2008. 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, as it was when the ballet created a live music/dance collaboration with the Indigo Girls.

Personal life

Patton and his ex-wife Sherlita have one son and one daughter. They divorced in June 2022, citing irreconcilable differences. Patton is a registered

Pit bull Pit bull is an umbrella term for several Dog type, types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers. In the United States, the term is usually considered to include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, A ...

and

French Bulldog The French Bulldog () is a French breed of companion dog or toy dog. It appeared in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century, apparently the result of cross-breeding of Toy Bulldogs imported from England and local Parisian ratters.Port of Miami The Port of Miami, styled as PortMiami and formally known as the Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami, is a major seaport located in Biscayne Bay at the mouth of the Miami River in Miami, Florida. It is the largest passenger port in the world and one ...

alerted officers. Patton was arrested and charged with illegal possession of the controlled substance

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy (tablet form), and molly (crystal form), is an empathogen–entactogenic drug with stimulant and minor Psychedelic drug, psychedelic properties. In studies, it has been used ...

(in powder form) and

Viagra Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra among others, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is also sometimes used off-label for the treatment of certain symptoms in secondary Ray ...

. Patton was released from the

Miami-Dade County Miami-Dade County () is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most-populous coun ...

jail on a $16,000 bond. In 2013, while performing at the Summer Camp Music Festival, Big Boi did an air kick onstage and hurt his knee. Doctors determined that he tore his patella (patellar tendon) and did an operation to fix his knee. After the surgery, he had to postpone several tour dates but promised he would be performing again in six weeks. He appeared as Mayor Atkins in the 2018 remake of the classic 1972 blaxploitation film '' Super Fly''. Patton is a long-time fan of

and was her presenter for her induction into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

in 2023.

Politics and endorsements

The City of East Point, Georgia, presented Big Boi with the city's 2021 Global Icon Award and Key to the City for his contribution to the music industry and elevation of the City of East Point. In an interview with New York City's Hot 97, Big Boi stated that the day after the

2012 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Democratic Party (United States), Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Joe Bi ...

, a woman approached him at an airport and congratulated him on "his win last night" (referring to

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

winning re-election), to which Big Boi responded, "Bitch, I voted for

Gary Johnson Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 29th List of governors of New Mexico, governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republica ...

." In a video interview with the

HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

in January 2013, he confirmed his

libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

political ideologies. Big Boi has also criticized the

two-party system A two-party system is a political party system in which two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape. At any point in time, one of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually referr ...

, advocating for political independence and

personal responsibility Personal may refer to: Aspects of persons' respective individualities * Privacy * Personality * Personal, personal advertisement, variety of classified advertisement used to find romance or friendship Companies * Personal, Inc., a Washington ...

. He has emphasized the importance of

individual liberty Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties of ...

and expressed skepticism toward government overreach, including

mass surveillance Mass surveillance is the intricate surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population in order to monitor that group of citizens. The surveillance is often carried out by Local government, local and federal governments or intell ...

programs revealed by

Edward Snowden Edward Joseph Snowden (born June 21, 1983) is a former National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence contractor and whistleblower who leaked classified documents revealing the existence of global surveillance programs. Born in 1983 in Elizabeth ...

, which he has cited as examples of excessive government intrusion. In 2006, Big Boi founded the Big Kidz Foundation, a nonprofit organization to help youth in Atlanta. 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. Lester also started the Rene Patton Scholarship, named after Big Boi's late aunt, and the "Saving Lives Through the Arts Campaign."" In 2010, Big Boi launched his custom Chuck Taylor sneakers with Converse. 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. In 2015, Big Boi announced on the Rap Radar Podcast that he supported

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...

for President.

Discography

* '' Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty'' (2010) * '' Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors'' (2012) * '' Boomiverse'' (2017)

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control 1975 births Living people 21st-century American rappers African-American Christians African-American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers African-American male singers African-American record producers American hip-hop record producers American libertarians American male singers Christian libertarians Dungeon Family members Grammy Award winners for rap music Musicians from Savannah, Georgia Outkast members Purple Ribbon All-Stars members Rappers from Atlanta Southern hip-hop musicians American male film actors American male television actors American male video game actors African-American male actors 21st-century American male rappers