On this day, April 26, in hip-hop history...

LaFace Records
LaFace Records
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1994: Outkast release their debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. After first forming the group in 1992, rappers Andre 3000 and Big Boi signed a record contract with LaFace Records, making them the first hip-hop act signed to the predominantly R&B label. The duo began working on what would later become their debut LP in 1993, cutting over 30 songs with production crew and longtime collaborators the Dungeon Family. In a turn from the musical output of their East coast and West coast peers at the time, the album focused primarily on Black empowerment in the South and utilized analog instrumentation over sampling and DJing.

Southernplayalisticadillacmusik proved to be a critical and commercial success for Outkast. By June 1994, the album had sold 500,000 copies and was certified Gold by the RIAA. However, the duo's win at the 1995 Source Awards - in which Andre 3000 responded to a booing crowd with the now-iconic phrase, "The South got something to say" - helped push the album into platinum territory.

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