Richard R.
Yelp
"I'm sorry Ms. Jackson (oooh) I am 4real! Never meant to make your daughter cry... I apologize a trillion times!"
***
You know what's so fun about writing reviews related to history? I often don't know many of the intricate details prior to my interest in writing about them. Something I discovered while researching OutKast was the lyrics above were actually written to legendary singer Erykah Badu's mother over OutKast member Andre 3000's relationship with the singer. Other lyrics in the song also addresses his promise to be a good father to their son Seven Sirius Benjamin. I never knew any of that!
[ THE GROUP ]
OutKast is made up of the rap duo André 3000 (André Lauren Benjamin) and Big Boi (Antwan André Patton), both born in 1975 and grew up in Atlanta's East Point neighborhood.
The importance of their music FOR ME is the rich lyrical content and how they often chose to be philosophical and teach with their words rather than only talk about the black dysphoria. The lyrics from their songs are legendary and so lyrically rich they must be studied line by line. It's almost impossible to drink it all in with just one gulp.
They are revered in the music industry and are so synonymous with Atlanta that they're practically the city's unofficial mascots. Their musical awards and nominations are so extensive that I could not possibly list all of them individually, but include:
6 GRAMMY AWARDS + 16 nominations
4 - American Music Awards
7 - BET Awards
9 - MTV Awards
3 - Soul Train Awards
2 - Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards.
[ ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST ]
Ms. Jackson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYxAiK6VnXw
Hey Ya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw
[ THE MURAL ARTIST ]
I'm going to borrow an article written about the artist
(who goes by the name Jeks):
JEKS, graffiti/mural artist from Greensboro, NC, has made a name for himself globally with his hyper realistic monochromatic portraits as well as massive full color pieces. The amount of meticulous detail, smooth gradients, emotion, and saturation in his pieces set him apart from other artists in the realism field. He has painted hundreds of walls across the US as well as Colombia and Canada which have become beloved community landmarks.
Link to his other works: https://jeksone.com/
[ WHERE TO FIND IT ]
On a 30 foot wall in the parking lot behind Wish Atlanta on Moreland Avenue, which is across the street from The Little Five Points VORTEX BURGER location.
[ FINAL THOUGHTS ]
I know it's just a mural, but it is one of the most incredibly photographic murals I've ever witnesses in person. It is flawless in its detailed accuracy and of the thousand or so murals I've visited, it is my personal favorite. It's an added bonus that it also happens to be of a musical duo I admire.
If you are a fan of art and of OutKast I'm sure you'll love it too! Be sure to check out the link I provided above to JEKS work. They are TRULY remarkable pieces!
2022 / 40
#BlackHistorySeries2022
