Big Boi, the rap artist best known as half of hip-hop duo Outkast, has signed a management deal with Jordan Feldstein’s Career Artist Management, whose clients include Maroon 5 and Robin Thicke.
The news comes as Big Boi (born Antwan André Patton) is reuniting for the first time since 2007 with his Outkast partner Andre 3000. The duo are planning a 40-date festival run marking the 20th anniversary of their 1994 album debut “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.”
Big Boi, a six-time Grammy winner, songwriter, record producer and actor, is slated to release a new solo EP timed to Outkast’s Coachella appearance in April.
Feldstein is the founder and CEO of Career Artist Management and has managed Maroon 5 since their formation over ten years ago, helping guide the group to three Grammy Awards and sales of over 10 million albums worldwide.
“Jordan is a go-getter, mover and shaker, and my kind of guy,” Big Boi said in a statement. “I love his energy. We have a lot of new material and content coming this year, and can’t wait to get things started.”
“I’m proud to have a hip-hop icon like Big Boi join our management roster,” Feldstein commented. “We are all ready and excited to get started and continue to expand Big Boi’s overall brand as an artist.”
With Outkast, Big Boi released six studio albums, including 1996’s “ATLiens,” “Aquemini” in 1998, “Stankonia” in 2000 and in 2003 “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,” which was comprised of two solo albums — André 3000’s “The Love Below” and Big Boi’s “Speakerboxxx.”
“Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty” (2010) marked Big Boi’s first solo album released under his name. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and featured collaborations with Raekwon and André 3000 (“Royal Flush”), Gucci Mane (“Shine Blockas”), George Clinton and Too $hort (“For Yo Sorrows”), Janelle Monae (“Be Still”) Cutty (“Shutterbugg”) and others. The album has sold 244,000 to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
His second solo album “Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors” was released in December 2012, by Purple Ribbon Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album debuted at No. 34 on the Billboard 200 chart and featured guest appearances from Kelley Rowland, Sleepy Brown, Phantogram, T.I., Ludacris, Kid Cudi, Little Dragon, Killer Mike, A$AP Rocky, B.o.B, and Wavves among others.
Feldstein recently made headlines during Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy gala at the Beverly Hilton in January where he got into an altercation with Sharon Osbourne. According to reports, the conflict resulted in Osbourne tipping over a plate of food on Feldstein’s lap and throwing water at his head. The next day Sara Bareilles, Feldstein’s client, announced she was parting ways with her manager.
