Everybody, gather round for my biggest journalistic accomplishment to date. I’m aware that probably doesn’t mean a lot to any of you reading this, because I write using a pseudonym and most of you don’t know me personally, but whatever, it’s a big fucking deal. We got to sit down with Big Boi—yes, that’s right, Big Boi of OutKast, Big Grams, and solo fame. Big Boi of all your middle school athem fame. FUCKING BIG BOI. Okay, sorry. I’ll try to contain myself. Big Boi just dropped the new music video for “In The South”, and it’s not like a regular music video, it’s a cool music video cartoon. Honestly, I’m into it. Big Boi also just announced the second half of his Daddy Fat Saxxx tour, and tickets just went on sale. So we asked Big Boi his thoughts on politics, his long hip-hop career, his favorite Atlanta strip club, and more. Read on, and watch “In The South” below and pick up your tour tickets here.
Atlanta has changed a lot, even in the past few years. What has been the most striking change to you?
The most striking change is that its become the #1 place to shoot feature films. It’s kinda like a “southern Hollywood,” you know what I mean? Everywhere you drive around in the city you can see the signs pointing to the sets, it brings a lot of jobs to Atlanta and exposes a lot of the cityscape.
2 Chainz considered a mayoral bid in College Park, do you ever see yourself making a political run?
Not any time soon. I think they may have to legalize marijuana first, before I can do that! Ha, ha, give it a minute.
Between performing as Outkast, Big Grams, and solo, which do you prefer and why?
I like all three, man. It’s three different types of energy. OutKast is one thing and when I get with Phantogram and we do Big Grams, that is so much fun. I guess because it’s the newest of everything and so just to be out on the road with two of the newest members of my family, Josh and Sarah, we just have so much fun like no other. Non-stop laughter and positive energy all around. When I’m out solo it’s great to see people recite all the new stuff that I’ve done, from Boomiverse all the way back to SpeakerBoxxx. I mean to see them singing every single word, man, we get a chance to rock with the people.
Your new music video for “In The South” is an animated video. What inspired that decision?
Well, I got the idea from when I was doing the little teasers for the songs for Boomiverse. The producer for the song, Cory Mo, has an animation team and he sent me a clip of some of the guys’ work and we just came up with this funkadelic psychedelic video concept for “In The South.” It was a cool way to have myself, Pimp C (R.I.P), and Gucci Mane together and imagine what it would look like.
How involved were you in the process of creating this video? Can you describe what it was like?
I’m pretty involved and always put my creative input into all of the visuals. We did a bit of brainstorming over the phone and I like the visuals to really express how I really see the song. You have to go see it!
Watch the video below!
Can you tell me more about your cartoon, Hotlanta Waxxx? Is this music video in any way related to it?
I really can’t… you will just have to just stay tuned, but you will like when you see it, for sure. Not at all, they are two totally different things.
Do you have any other projects in the works?
I’m shooting a couple of TV shows actually and I’m still recording music and touring. I just announced the 2nd leg of my Daddy Fat Saxxx tour with dates in Canada and along the West Coast.
Do you ever see yourself retiring from music?
I don’t think so. Music is what makes me tick, you know what I mean? So, I record all the time and I don’t see retiring any time soon, the fire’s hot!
Onyx or Magic City?
I say how about both?!? And throw the Blue Flame in there too! Yeah!
