An all-star tribute to the iconic Southern hip-hop group OutKast has been announced as a late-night show during Jazz Fest in New Orleans. So Fresh, So Clean: The Music Of OutKast featuring members of Turkuaz, The Motet, TAUK, The Nth Power, and more will take place on Sunday, April 26th at Maison on Frenchmen Street [BUY TICKETS].

For this special tribute to OutKast, the band will feature a mix of celebrated musicians from both the funk and hip-hop realms. Led by charismatic drummer/vocalist Isaac Teel (TAUK), the group will feature Joey Porter (The Motet), Parris Fleming (The Motet), Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz), Shira Elias (Turkuaz), Joél Gonzalez (Big Daddy Kane), Erin Boyd (Phantom Vanity), Atlas (Slick Rick) and Lex DMC (Lifted Crew).

While this never-before-seen tribute will tackle an act outside of the usual stylistic realm found in New Orleans during Jazz Fest, the importance and influence of OutKast on the growth and evolution of hip-hop—and popular music as a whole—can not be overstated.

In the early ’90s, Atlanta was just beginning to cement itself as a hip-hop hotbed, with Jermaine Dupri-produced crossover acts like Kriss Kross and TLC blazing up the charts. However, as Goodie Mob member Cee Lo Green notes in the fantastic “The Dirty South” episode of Netflix docuseries, Hip-Hop Evolution (Season 3), the pop-oriented releases that were gaining recognition for the Atlanta scene didn’t reflect the true nature of everyday life and culture in the southern city. “Kris Kross, we didn’t really consider it hip-hop,” he explains. “There was a void that was there.” Adds fellow ATL native and rapper Killer Mike, “Jermaine gave us a group out of the stratosphere, but that was still a group based on a sound that was outside of Atlanta.”

However, in the early ’90s, a trio of producers—Rico Wade, Sleepy Brown, and Ray Murray, better known as Organized Noize—were cooking up some new sounds in a basement in southeast Atlanta (affectionately known as “The Dungeon”) that would help define the city’s hip-hop character for decades to come. All they needed were the right voices to bring it to life.

In 1992, Organized Noize were introduced a pair of unusual local high school kids with an even more unusual approach to rapping. Their names were André Benjamin and Antwan Patton, but the world now knows them as André 3000 and Big Boi—the two sides of the enigmatic musical coin called OutKast.

In OutKast, Organized Noize found their mouthpiece for this new Atlanta sound. The entire Dungeon Family threw their support behind Big Boi and André 3000 and in 1993, they had their big break. Inspired by a Kurtis Blow Christmas record, OutKast decided to write a song about what they really do on Christmas in the Dirty South for their debut album, 1994’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. The resulting track, “Player’s Ball”, shot to #1 on the Billboard “Hot Rap Tracks” chart, officially putting OutKast, the Dungeon Family, and all of ATL hip-hop on the map.

OutKast – “Player’s Ball” (Official Video)

[Video: OutKast]

Fusing the Dungeon Family’s ethereal, genre-bending production with the juxtaposition of Big Boi’s clever, streetwise bravado and Dre 3K’s uniquely philosophical flow, OutKast quickly rose to unprecedented prominence. For the next ten years, OutKast reigned supreme in the hip-hop world, releasing a string of acclaimed albums like ATLiens (1996), Aquemini (1998), and Stankonia (2000).

OutKast – “SpottieOttieDopalicious”

[Audio: OutKast]

Their smash-hit double-album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) produced a number of timeless singles (“Hey Ya!”, “The Way You Move“, “Roses”), went on to be certified Diamond (and 11-times Platinum) by the RIAA, and took home “Album of the Year” honors at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. While OutKast has now been dormant for several years, their work remains a vital part of hip-hop’s DNA to this day.

OutKast – “Roses” (Official Video)

[Video: OutKast]

Don’t miss your chance to witness a live crash course on the unparalleled OutKast catalog in the Big Easy when So Fresh, So Clean: The Music of OutKast hits Maison on Sunday, April 26th.

Tickets to So Fresh, So Clean: The Music Of OutKast are on sale NOW on Eventbrite. See below for full show information and RSVP to the Facebook Event page for updates.

Date: Sunday, April 26th
Show: Live For Live Music Presents: So Fresh, So Clean – The Music Of OutKast
Artists: Isaac Teel, Nate Edgar, Joey Porter, Craig Brodhead, Shira Elias, Erin Boyd, Parris Fleming, Joél Gonzalez, Atlas & Lex DMC
Venue: Maison – 508 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Tickets: General Admission $25 / $60 VIP
Time: Doors – 10:00 PM