Big Boi Is Unsure of Outkast Reunion

Outkast's Big Boi has joined his estranged rhyme partner Andre 3000 in downplaying any notion of an Outkast reunion. While the beloved hip hop duo have never 'officially' broken up, Big Boi says that fans shouldn't expect any new Outkast music in the near future.

"We're just really focused on solo projects. I'm working on mine, he's working on his, and we'll just go from there," Big Boi said. "I just like to make music. I can go either way, solo or Outkast. My whole thing is just to keep the recording process going. When it's time to do the Outkast record we'll do it, but right now it's solo time."

"I said we were working on music, not the Outkast album," Big clarified. "Sometimes he comes to the studio and be in my sessions just checking out music. People get excited when they see us in the studio together, but it was never for one specific project. Sometimes Dre's in the studio listening to my new music."

OutKast Headed To Epic

With L.A. Reid resurfacing at Epic Records, the mogul has reportedly made it a point to bring former LaFace act and beloved hip hop duo OutKast over to the label. The duo of Andre 3000 and Big Boi have not released an album together in five years.

“L.A. Reid has been busy erasing the company's tarnished image and rebuilding its roster, which will soon include Outkast and Ciara, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter,” said Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter. “Reid has a long history with both acts, who were originally signed to his LaFace Records.”

Reid initially signed Outkast to LaFace in the 1990s. Group member Big Boi previously stated that there would be new Outkast music in 2012 and a signing to Epic would only further the chances of that music being released.

Eve Speaks On Women In Hip Hop

Ever so often, Eve pops up to remind everyone that she's still breathing. The Philly-born femcee spoke recently about the lack of female emcees in hip hop and who some of her favorite current artists right now. Still no word on if/when she will return to recording.

"People ask me [about females in rap] all the time. It’s weird. I don’t know where all the females are," she says. "By the way, I meet females all the time that tell me, “Yeah, I’m an MC,” and I’m always like, “Good luck, God bless. Make it happen. We need more females.”

"I still have people on my list who I’ve been wanting to work with forever like OutKast," she added. "Andre 3000, I think is amazing. Adele is amazing. Drake is dope, as far as hip-hop goes. So there’s a lot of different people, but nobody I’m loving at the top of my list right now, though."

Big Boi Hopes To Reunite With Dre

Outkast fans hoping to hear Andre 3000 and Big Boi trade bars again may not have to wait too long. While there are rumors of an Outkast project being released sometime in 2012, Big Boi says that he thinks chances are good that Three-Stacks could make an appearance on Big Boi's upcoming sophomore album.

Label politics kept 3000 off of Big Boi's 2010 album Sir Lucious Left Foot..., but now that L.A. Reid is chairman of Epic, Big Boi believes the reins could be loosened a bit and the former partners could share a song on his upcoming album, Daddy Fat Sax.

"I think it's very much possible because we have L.A. Reid in our corner now, and he was the first to sign Outkast," Big Boi said.

L.A. Reid To Head Epic Records

Antonio "L.A." Reid is heading to Sony Music, where the celebrated music executive will be the chairman of the restructured Epic Label Group. Reid will be taking the position after the 4th of July, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Epic will be moving forward with new signees and more established artists including Pink and Usher, acts that Reid originally broke with LaFace.

There is also hope that Reid's move could reunite beloved hip hop duo OutKast. The group worked with Reid at Arista, but there has been no confirmation that a reunion will happen.

Big Boi On His Solo Career

Fans may have a lot longer to wait for new Outkast material, but the more prolific half of the legendary duo is hard at work on new projects. Despite recently promising both an Outkast and an Andre 3000 solo album in the same year, Big Boi dodged staking any claims in regards to if or when he and his longtime partner would be reuniting. He did, however, outlay plans for his immediate future.

“That’s top-secret information," Big Boi told the Wall Street Journal regarding Outkast's status. "So right now I’m just working on this Daddy Fat Sax album, I’m working on my new group, Vonnegut, and as well I just shot the video for my new single, “Be Still” with Janelle Monae. For the most part, it’s been about, hmm, nine years solo.”

“Before either one of them did it, I was doing it with this record,” Big Boi explained. “I put out ‘Shine Blockas’ the day after Christmas, and then came ‘For Your Sorrows’ maybe a week after that. They just put a name on it. But that was my method to releasing Sir Lucious Leftfoot—I didn’t have a record company releasing it, so I was just putting songs out like every week or two.”