OutKast, Atlanta duo of André 3000 and Big Boi have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2025.
The ceremony paid tribute to their far-reaching influence on hip-hop and contemporary popular music.
The induction capped a year in which the Hall’s performer category celebrated a wide range of acts, from the White Stripes and Soundgarden to Cyndi Lauper and Bad Company.
According to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, their inclusion was hailed by many as recognition of how the duo, loosely affiliated with Atlanta’s Dungeon Family collective, expanded rap’s sonic and cultural borders, blending funk, soul, psychedelia and Southern storytelling into records that found both mass appeal and critical acclaim.
Actor-musician Donald Glover (also known as Childish Gambino) presented OutKast’s induction, praising their adventurousness and the audacity of their 2003 double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
The ceremony featured a star-studded tribute: Big Boi performed onstage, while artists including JID, Doja Cat, Tyler, the Creator, Janelle Monáe and Killer Mike joined to perform classics such as “Ms. Jackson”, “Hey Ya!” and “B.O.B.”
André 3000 delivered an emotional acceptance that acknowledged the small rooms and community that nurtured the group’s early work, giving shout-outs to the Dungeon Family and to late Atlanta producer Rico Wade.
The pair even amused the crowd with a brief game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who would speak first.
According to Pitchfork, OutKast’s contribution is measurable in both charts and innovation.
From the paranoid futurism of ATLiens through the genre-bending sweep of Stankonia and the pop-soul smashes of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, the duo repeatedly reinvented themselves while keeping an unmistakable Atlanta voice at their core
Alongside the celebrations for OutKast, the 2025 ceremony played a major roll at showcasing the Hall’s wider remit this year: recognising artists whose work reshaped popular music across genres and generations.