Outkast

There's an old proverb about genius that says "talent does what it can, genius does what it must." In the world of the corporate-controlled, media-driven, trend-following music industry - where record labels pump out cookie-cutter music by the baker's dozens - it is rare that you come across mainstream hip-hop artists who are willing to push the envelope by daring to go creatively where few artist are willing to go. Most artists would rather stick to the carefully prepared scripts that brought them gold and platinum the first time. Hence why so many of today's contemporary hip-hop records tend to sound alike.