Antwan Patton, who owned the charts as “Big Boi” and one half of the genre-changing Outkast, will be honored by the city of East Point on Wednesday.
The Tri-Cities High School attendee will be awarded live the city’s first Global Icon Award.
“His musical contributions have made a lasting impact around the world and put a spotlight on the City of East Point,” said Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham. “Big Boi’s success is not only a representation of Black History, but American History as well.”
The award was organized by Ward A City Councilman Lance Robertson, who as part of Black History Month looked for African American stars with connections to the city.
“East Point is full of rich history,” Robertson said. “Coming out of 2020, we felt it was important to recognize a history maker ... and to inspire our youth of today to be their best.”
André Lauren Benjamin, under the name André 3000, and Big Boi in the 1990s blazed a new path for Southern music and solidified Atlanta’s hip-hop sound — the influences of which have been heard around the world for more than two decades. Big Boi has gone on to have a successful career rapping and producing.
How East Point is Big Boi? Well, on his website you can buy a $100 figurine 3D-printed seven inches high sporting a jacket with “East Point” across his chest.
The 5 p.m. event can be viewed on the city’s Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.
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