Outkast Inks Label Deal With Elektra

Elektra Entertainment has entered into a label deal with the much sought after brain trust of multiplatinum hip hop group Outkast. Andre "3000" Benjamin, and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton, both of Outkast and David "Mr. DJ" Sheats, (principals in the production team Earthtone III) have launched Atlanta based Aquemini Records with Elektra. The first artist […]

Elektra

Entertainment

has entered into a label deal with the much sought after brain

trust of multiplatinum hip hop group Outkast. Andre "3000"

Benjamin, and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton, both of Outkast

and David "Mr. DJ" Sheats, (principals in the production

team Earthtone III) have launched Atlanta based Aquemini Records

with Elektra. The first artist to debut on the new imprint will

be Dirty South rapper Slimm Calhoun. Says Michael "Blue"

Williams, Manager of Outkast and General Manager of Aquemini:

"Slimm is the dawning of the age of Aquemini. He is a hip

hop artist, rap star, and musician all rolled into one. He’s the

perfect representative to kick off the label founded by Outkast.

Let the Revolution begin."

For Slimm, whose influences

range from the entire Dungeon Family, to LL Cool J, to Sammy Sam,

his debut effort picks up where the young rap star has left off

in his previous guest stints with Outkast. Calhoun can be heard

on Outkast’s upcoming fourth album Stankonia on the song "Gangsta

S###". Calhoun has also appeared on the Light It Up soundtrack

on the song "High

Schoolin’."

Aquemini is also in

the process of signing other artists to the label. Says Andre:

"Aquemini Records is a specialty label based on quality,

as opposed to the factory approach of chasing the latest trends."

Big Boi agrees, pointing out that the main goal of the new label

is to offer a unique

platform to artists. "Our goal is to bring the freshest talent

to the world in a way nobody has ever seen before."