Is OutKast Better Than The Beatles? Twitter Seems to Think So
2 Dope Boys square up with The Fab Four in a social media standoff.
Another day, another raging Twitter debate over the back catalogs of music giants. This time around, it’s OutKast‘s hive of 90s rap fanatics going thumb-to-thumb with boomers who grew up on The Beatles.
The first shot was sent out by comedian Ron Funches earlier this week, who may or may not have known just how much shit he was stirring in claiming that “When society admits OutKast is better than The Beatles then we can truly start healing.” It was a harmless enough jab, but it didn’t take long for loyalists of each catalog to come out in droves to defend their respective corners. Some rebutted by noting the importance of George Martin’s production innovations during The Fab Four’s reign. Others contended the groups’ were separated by too many eras and cultural factors to make a clean comparison. But the sentiment appears to land squarely (and overwhelmingly) in OutKast’s favor. Legions of ATLiens chimed in to claim how many of The Beatles’ songs could be replicated by the Stankonia duo, while it would be hard to imagine how Liverpool’s finest could come up with something as uniquely great as “SpottieOttieDopaliscious.” And there were even a few conversions.
For the record, both groups are about as decorated as they get. The Beatles, with the benefit of roughly 30 more years in rotation, have sold a staggering 1.6 billion singles in the US alone and won eight Grammys. OutKast, on the other hand, has taken home six Grammys (including “Best Rap Album” and “Album of The Year” for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,) while selling about 25 million albums. Both have diamond-certified albums. However, we’ll probably have to wait another 20 or 30 years for a proper side-by-side analysis of how their catalogs stack up.
Comb through some of the highlights from the Twitter debate below.
When society admits OutKast is better than The Beatles then we can truly start healing.
— Funch (@RonFunches) April 4, 2021
The Beatles only got like 3 slaps maximum and Elevators is better than all of them
— David Etheridge-Bartow (@createdxdavid) April 4, 2021
It was amazing! Such an interesting blend of lots of styles and music. And I do feel a lot of similarities to the Beatles on it: variety of song, confidence, two big personalities, great melodies, and synthesizing things from lots of genres to make a new thing.
— Will Hines (@willhines) April 8, 2021
The question is what would the Beatles be without the Black artists they imitated.
— Darkseller (@DarkBro77798674) April 8, 2021
Name a beatles song better than bombs over Baghdad.
— The Incompetent K.I.E.T.H (@twatfzce) April 4, 2021
TRENDING VIDEOS
Name a beatles bass line that beats any one on atliens, I’ll wait.
Actually I won’t because it’s impossible.
— FCT | sus Electrode (@DoctorBagMan) April 4, 2021
OutKast could write and perform “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” but the Beatles could never write or perform “SpottieOttieDopalicious” https://t.co/fkAiKoZn7D
— #FreeMumia #FreeMaroon #FreeThemAll (@jaybeware) April 8, 2021