"As far as style in Atlanta, there is a Southern sound, but I don't think we have a Southern sound. The only thing that makes us Southern is our accent and where we're from. But the actual music doesn't sound like Master P or Cash Money, that's more of like a Southern Sound; y'know a simple, more basic sound. We do have some of the same fans though. I guess we dig a little bit deeper into the music aspect of it. I guess the Church would be the part that sticks out the most — that call and response type thing and Gospel music; the vocal choir type style. That and Southern Soul music and funk music.

The name OutKast started out just because being from Atlanta, there's more Bass music and I guess what they would call Gangsta Bounce music, and we were doing Hip Hop. When we were in high school the people we looked up to were De La Soul and NWA, which was Gangsta music, but I loved the music that Dr.Dre was doing. We were into more and more Hip Hop, but a lot of people from our school and our neighborhood didn't listen to A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul or Das EFX or nothing like that. So, we became outcasts from there. But as we got into it, we really started living up to the name. The music started being different, the look started being different, so it just sort've became a natural progression. Some people make it sound like a compliment, and some people don't. Some people make us sound like we're so alienated, and it's not hip hop anymore. But we still feel like we're Hip Hop.

I think Hip Hop today is reflecting what's going on, so it serves it purpose, but I think there's gonna be something new coming along, though; a new type of music. Everybody can't keep doin' it the same way. That's only going to go on for so long. That change is going to come, because like in any history, any style of music, once it gets mainstream — which is where Hip Hop is right now, you see it in commercials and even rock groups are doing more Hip Hop and you see actors hanging out with Hip Hop guys — whenever it gets that commercial, that's when the originators of it or a new school take it, mutate it and change it into something new. That's what we're working on right now; trying to find out what's going to be the rebellion. Like what Punk music was to rock'n'roll, we're trying to find what that's going to be for Hip Hop. We're looking for that sort've Punk attitude in Hip Hop, and we're stepping in the right direction.

I'm into a more mature sound, but at the same time a rebellious, simple sound that is everything against Hip Hop, because I think that's the only way there's going to be something new to come out of it. I think there's going to be a slick turnaround. I'm just waiting to see it unfold. I'm just like a fan trying to see what's going to go on. I just hope that what we're doing is going to help that.

— Reported by Alex Smith