Big Boi’s New Album: Here’s How He Launched “The Big Sleepover”

This is the story of Big Boi’s new album, “The Big Sleepover.” Our story starts in a dungeon in Atlanta’s East Point neighborhood.

Once upon a time in 1992, two Atlanta teenagers by the names Big Boi and André 3000 came together to make some music. They wanted to name themselves Misfits, but Glen Danzig already held that title. So instead, they went with the synonym Outkast. The teen duo started to gain momentum as a viable musical project. They also saw success with their debut single, “Player’s Ball,” that year, before they even graduated from high school.  

With their first album in 1994, they officialized themselves as the front runners of Southern hip hop. They based themselves out of a space in their Atlanta stomping grounds that they affectionately came to refer to as “the Dungeon”. And from that Dungeon, they transformed music as an art form forever.

Outkast’s legacy

Thirty years since its inception, Outkast remains one of the all-time most significant representatives of the hip hop genre. The duo holds mass appeal for so many reasons, not the least of which is its digestible but complex beats, profoundly poetic but catchy lyrics, and its two charismatic members endowed with remarkable vocal and rhythmic talents. Outkast diversified its sound during its prolific lifespan, branching out into the realms of psychedelia, hard Southern rap, R&B, and techno. Among a slew of other awards, over the years, Outkast earned six Grammys for albums, performances, and the videos for “Mrs. Jackson” and “Hey Ya!”

Like so many gifted musical groups, there came the point when the members wanted to branch out and explore their own voices. In music history, a band breakup can be amicably neutral. After all, the members may want to retire or start their own projects. It makes more headlines when a band breakup is highly contentious (we’re looking at you, Oasis).

In other cases, though, the music world is arguably better off for a separation. Think of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, the Police, and more recent acts – in this case, Outkast. The duo first split up in 2007, but they came back together in 2014 to celebrate their 20-year bandiversary. They toured all the festivals, starting with Coachella. And of course, people remembered just how amazing they were. Big Boi often says that the two are “brothers for life”. Their children play together, and they socialize as grown-up men with responsibilities and passions that transcend their longtime professional collaboration.

The Dungeon’s legacy

Unbeknownst to everyone involved at the time, the Dungeon where Outkast started was the origin of genius untold. And for the band’s superfans, the Dungeon represents the equivalent of hip-hop’s Graceland or Prince’s Paisley Park.

So when Big Boi’s new album “The Big Sleepover” came out as a collaborative project with Sleepy Brown, he decided to pay homage to his roots by hosting the album launch and listening party at the Dungeon. If you’ve never been to an album launch party thrown by one of the most famous hip-hop artists of all time, well, you’re missing out.

Now, you can’t shake this YouTube video like a Polaroid picture, but it’s definitely worth a watch. In it, property manager Brandon gives a tour of the Dungeon. It’s a space that is simultaneously raw and elegant, and it is 100 percent a site of musical history. It’s nowhere near as gritty or medieval as its nickname implies – at least not anymore.

Rent the studio home to Big Boi’s new album

The Dungeon spot was, according to Brandon, a place where Outkast spent “countless, countless hours refining their craft …  becoming who they are today – the mighty, mighty Outkast”. It serves as something of an artistic retreat-slash-hangout, without external distractions. Yet, it’s still easily accessible via public transportation to their families and within walking distance to some of Hotlanta’s tastiest Southern soul food.

Not to bury the lede, but in even more exciting news, check this out – YOU can chill in one of the most legendary places in hip-hop. The Dungeon is available for you to rent by the hour through the online peer-to-peer venue rental marketplace, Peerspace. The current owners recently remodeled the upstairs area, but the soul of the place is fully intact, and very few changes – aside from kitchen upgrades, creature comforts, and the like – have been brought to light.

Why rent The Dungeon?

How would you feel about utilizing the recording studio and booth where the music came to life? Did you see that subtle wallpaper in the dining room? It features roses and the bandmates under a hovering crown. The Stankonia-themed fireplace in the living room? The emerald-green pool room dripping with royal vibes?

Finally, you can witness the actual dungeon part of the Dungeon – which reveals why the spot got its name in the first place. Upon first assumption, you might guess that they named the house the Dungeon because Big Boi and André 3000 buried themselves underground to get down to the business of making musical history. And you’d be right. The band and their friends and collaborators would go down into the space, which Brandon said was full of red dirt, clay, and rats, and “iron would sharpen iron” as everyone honed their creativity.

But the Dungeon itself is glassed off to preserve 20 years of music-making history. The upstairs studio and recording booth were perfect while the underground Dungeon was for the birth of the beats and the lyrics. When you head down there, be sure to look up to see the musical giants who carved their names on the wooden beams to commemorate their visit to this spot, which can only be called a shrine. Again, it was so meaningful to the band that Big Boi launched his most recent album “The Big Sleepover” there. It’s something of a retrospective and homage to the place he and André 3000 paid their dues and made their art.

So how do you get the chance to rent this space? Head over to the Dungeon’s Peerspace site and follow the easy instructions. After securing production insurance, you can even record in the booth (check the listing for all the details). Renting this central Atlanta space will enhance your life and the life of the Outkast fans in your realm. This is truly one for the books. Go make some of your own history.

Find even more recording studios on Peerspace