Big Boi

Big Boi
Big Boi performing in 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Background information
Birth name	Antwan André Patton
Also known as	Daddy Fat Sax, General Patton, Sir Lucious L. Leftfoot, The Son of Chico Dusty, Sgt. Slaughter, Corporal Sticky-Pantzz, Chief, Billy Ocean, Hot Tub Tony, Francis the Savannah Chitlin' Pimp
Born	February 1, 1975 (1975-02-01) (age 36)
Origin	Savannah, Georgia, United States
Genres	Southern hip hop
Instruments	Rapping, keyboards
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Def Jam
Associated acts	OutKast, André 3000, Dungeon Family, Purple Ribbon All-Stars, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Jay-Z, Gucci Mane, T.I., B.o.B, Janelle Monae, Sleepy Brown
Website	bigboi.com

Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André 3000 each announced plans to release a solo album. Big Boi's solo debut Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty was released in July 2010 to respectable sales and critical acclaim.

Early life

Patton was born and spent the first half of his childhood in Savannah, Georgia, attending Herschel V. Jenkins High School ^[1] before moving to Atlanta with his Aunt Renne. Eventually he decided to pursue his interest in music at Tri-Cities High School, a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School.

Career

OutKast

He had a strong interest in hip-hop music, and met André "3000" Benjamin while attending Tri Cities High School in the early-1990s. The two eventually joined forces as OutKast and signed with LaFace Records.^[2]

Patton has often used his lyrics to criticize the problems that plague both the African American community and the world. An example is 2003's "War", a scathing attack on the Bush administration and the War on Terror. Another example is 2008's "Sumthin's Gotta Give" with Mary J. Blige talking about the state of America and Barack Obama.

Solo work

After four increasingly successful albums as a duo, the members of OutKast chose to make two solo albums, and release them as a double album under the OutKast name. André 3000 released The Love Below and Big Boi Speakerboxxx. The two albums were packaged together as Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2003. Speakerboxxx featured a style similar to OutKast's previous efforts, while The Love Below explored more offbeat territory, with André 3000 mainly singing rather than his usual rapping. One song from each album was released in September 2003 as a single.

Patton's choice was the single "The Way You Move", featuring Sleepy Brown. It was originally supported by urban radio, but then crossed over to pop charts and became almost as big a pop hit as Benjamin's "Hey Ya!". "The Way You Move" supplanted "Hey Ya!" as the #1 song on the US pop charts. The second single from Big Boi's side of the album was "Ghetto Musick", which featured both members of OutKast and a sample from Patti LaBelle's "Love, Need & Want You".

In 2007 after the sixth album under the OutKast name, Idlewild, Big Boi announced plans to release a full fledged solo album. While he had released a previous solo album in Speakerboxxx, it still was technically under the OutKast name. The album was to be titled Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. The album's first promotional single, "Royal Flush", was released in 2007, and featured Raekwon and André 3000. Over the next few years the album saw many delays, but multiple promotional and video singles were released such as "Shine Blockas" featuring Gucci Mane, "For Yo Sorrows" featuring George Clinton and Too $hort and "General Patton" featuring Big Rube. The first official single was "Shutterbugg" featuring Cutty and the second "Follow Us" featuring Vonnegutt. The album was released internationally on July 5. Guest artists include alternative urban songstress Janelle Monae; Big Boi's own new group Vonnegutt; plus established rappers T.I. and B.o.B.^[3] Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty received general acclaim from most music critics, earning praise for its inventive sound, varied musical style, and Big Boi's lyricism.^[4][5]

In a July 2010 interview for The Village Voice, Big Boi revealed that he is working on the follow-up album to Sir Lucious Left Foot, entitled Daddy Fat Sax: Soul Funk Crusader, stating that he is "maybe about six songs into it".^[6] It is expected for a late-2011 release.^[7] The album's title originates from when Big Boi and André 3000 would visit a local White Castle in between recording/writing in their earlier years before ATLiens (1996), because of an employee known as Daddy Fat Sacks, for his habit of including multiple extra sliders in every 10-sack that they purchased, as he was a fan of their music.^[8] Upon hearing of his death after visiting the same location after completing Sir Lucious Left Foot, Big Boi decided to name his follow-up solo album after Daddy Fat Sacks, but intended to use "Sax" instead of "Sacks" as he is "planning on a doing a bunch of sax samples, tenor, soprano, and probably have at least a couple sax players come into the studio for the next record".^[8]

On February 27, 2011, it was announced that Big Boi is creating a joint album along with rappers Mike Bigga and Pill.^[9] Later that day, Big Boi posted on his Twitter account that he was mixing Mike Bigga's album entitled, "PL3DGE".^[10]

Side projects

Patton and Benjamin star in Idlewild, a film about music during the Depression-era South. The film was released in August 2006. Patton also has plans in the works for a project partnering him with Sleepy Brown. He released a mixtape/compilation album, Got Purp? Vol 2, in conjunction with the Purple Ribbon All-Stars in November 2005 on Purple Ribbon Records; Aquemeni Records had become defunct after Benjamin left the company. The first single from the album was "Kryptonite", which cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and was a hit on hip-hop radio. Patton was also featured on the song "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)", which is the first single off of UGK's new album, Underground Kingz.

In 2006, Big Boi founded the Big Kidz Foundation a nonprofit organization to help youth in Atlanta.^[11]] 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.

In 2010, Big Boi launched his custom Chuck Taylor sneakers with Converse.^[12] 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.

On April 28, 2011, Big Boi announced that he would be working with Modest Mouse on their new unnamed album.^[13]

Acting career

Big Boi appeared on Nick Cannon's Wild 'n Out Season 3 as one of the many guest stars, as well as guest starring and appearing as a musical guest on Chappelle's Show performing his song "The Rooster". He is currently reaching more into acting, having appeared in T.I.'s film ATL, OutKast's film Idlewild and starring in the recently released Who's Your Caddy?.

He sometimes refers to, or credits, himself as "Daddy Fat Sax", which is a term that refers to a drug dealer who sells large amounts of marijuana, a banker or a pimp. In songs such as "ATLiens", "Walk It Out", "I'm So Hood (remix)" and "Morris Brown", Big Boi refers to this term.

Big Boi is a playable character in the Def Jam: Icon videogame.

Big Boi has officially dropped his rivalry with former employee, Killer Mike, which had gone on for 3 years.^[14]

He appeared in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Wildlife", which aired November 18, 2008. Big Boi played hip-hop artist "Got$ Money".

Multidisciplinary collaborations

In 2008, Big Boi began a collaboration on a new show with the Atlanta Ballet. The show, entitled big, premiered at the Fox Theater in Atlanta April 10–13, 2008.^[15] 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,^[16] as it was when the ballet created a live music/dance collaboration with the Indigo Girls.^[17]

Personal life

Patton is married to Sherlita Patton, with whom he has two children: daughter Jordan and son Cross. Another child, a son named Bamboo, is from a previous relationship. Numerous references to the Patton family are present in Big Boi's rhymes. His younger brother James raps under the name "Lil' Brotha", and is a member of hip-hop group Konkrete, while 'Uncle Donell' was 'locked up in prison' (as mentioned in the song ATLiens) but has now been released. His other brothers, Marcus and Jason, also make their way onto some songs as well.

His wife Sherlita Patton is also the co-owner of a clothing boutique in Atlanta, Georgia called PValentine. She co-owns the store with Tracy Valentine. The expensive brands carried by the store and the ties to Big Boi attract many music artists and other celebrities to the store. The store was featured on an episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 when R&B artist Chris Brown went for a birthday gift from Big Boi. He is also a registered pit bull breeder.

In August 2011, Patton was returning from a cruise when a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement drug dog at the Port of Miami alerted officers. Patton was arrested and charged with illegal possession of controlled substances Viagra, ecstasy pills and MDMA powder. Patton was released from the Miami-Dade County jail on a $16,000 bond.^[18][19]

Discography

Main article: Big Boi discography

See also: Outkast discography

• 2010: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
• 2011: Daddy Fat Sax: Soul Funk Crusader^[6]

Filmography

• 2006: ATL – as Marcus
• 2006: Idlewild – as Rooster
• 2007: Who's Your Caddy?– as C-Note, Christopher Hawkenson
• 2009: Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff^[20]
• 2010: Freaknik: The Musical - as the Preacher

Video games

• 2007: Def Jam: Icon – Himself

References

1. ^ http://www.flixster.com/actor/big-boi
2. ^ Andrew Gill (20 July 2010). "Big Boi does the Wikipedia Files". wbez.org. Chicago Public Radio. http://music.wbez.org/agill/2010/07/big-boi-does-the-wikipedia-files/26775. Retrieved 28 September 2010. 
3. ^ Big Boi interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' July 2010
4. ^ Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (2010): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2010-07-05.
5. ^ Dietz, Jason. July’s Best New Music. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2010-07-29.
6. ^ ^{a b} Harvilla, Rob. Big Boi Is Not Too Artsy. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2010-07-06.
7. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson. Big Boi 'Tinkering' With Music For Next Outkast, Solo LPs. MTV. Retrieved on 2010-07-07.
8. ^ ^{a b} Midnight, Kid (July 12, 2010). Big Boi names his next solo album Daddy Fat Sax in honor of the great service he received at White Castle. Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved on 2010-09-04.
9. ^ http://mauricegarland.com/2011/02/killer-mike-big-boi-and-pill-recording-album-together/
10. ^ http://twitter.com/BigBoi/status/42051219195166720
11. ^ Big Kidz Foundation website/
12. ^ "Big Boi Creates Classic Fashion with Converse! Sneaker Honors Star's Unique Style!". UrbLife.com. August 13, 2010. http://www.urblife.com/the-look/big-boi-creates-classic-fashion-with-converse/. 
13. ^ Breihan, Tom. "Modest Mouse and Big Boi Working Together". http://pitchfork.com/news/42358-modest-mouse-and-big-boi-working-together/. Retrieved 1 May 2011. 
14. ^ "HHWorlds.com" - Big Boi And Killer Mike Squash Beef
15. ^ Atlanta Ballet
16. ^ Big Boi Collaborates with Atlanta Ballet | Spin Magazine Online
17. ^ McLendon, Sherri L. (2002). "Indigo Girls Complement Atlanta Dancers. - Atlanta Ballet performs multimedia dance work - dance review". Dance Magazine. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1083/is_2_76/ai_82322524. 
18. ^ "OutKast member Big Boi arrested in Miami on drug charges". Miami Hearld. August 7, 2011. http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/07/2349051/outkast-member-big-boi-arrested.html. Retrieved 7 August 2011. 
19. ^ Campbell, Janie (August 7, 2011). "Outkast's Big Boi Jailed On Drug Charges in Miami". NBC Miami. http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/127093938.html. Retrieved 7 August 2011. 
20. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1415214/

External links

• Official website
• Big Boi at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Boi, Big
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 1, 1975
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death