Outkast have paid tribute to late producer Rico Wade who died earlier this month.
Earlier this month, Wade – who had been a longtime collaborator and producer for Outkast – died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 52. No cause of death has been revealed at the time of publishing.
Last week (April 27), Outkast – the duo of Big Boi and André 3000 – celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut album, ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’. In honour of the album, which Wade had numerous writing and production credits on, the duo paid their respects to their late collaborator.
According to a Stereogum report, Wade was laid to rest on April 26, which marked the 30th anniversary of ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’. Outkast wrote on social media, reflecting on their relationship with Wade: “30 years of ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’. Without Rico Wade, there is no Outkast.”
In a separate post, André 3000 and Big Boi shared statements about Wade. André 3000 wrote: “The first time we met Rico [Wade] of Organized Noize, we had the ‘Scenario’ instrumental on and we just rapped damn near the whole song, non-stop.”
André recalled: “Big Gipp from Goodie Mob — it was his truck we were listening to it out of. We put it in his cassette. We didn’t know Gipp or Rico or none of them, but Rico knew people who did beats — Ray [Murray], and Sleepy Brown. He said, ‘Let me hear what you got,’ so we put in the ‘Scenario’ tape and started rhyming, non-stop, back-and-forth.
“That day, after we rhymed, Rico saw something in us. At that time we’d both shaven off all our hair. We’d dyed our hair blonde one time: We were young and in high school, we were outcasts, you know? Rico saw that, and he said, ‘These guys can really rhyme. They don’t really rhyme like people from the South.’ So he told us to come over to his house, and that’s where the dungeon is, in the basement,” André 3000 added.
“From the beginning. Organized Noize signed us. They were our big brothers, and they did a production deal with LaFace records. They were the ones that gave us our first shot and we been doing music with them since the beginning.”
Big Boi added: “Without Rico Wade… there would be no Outkast.”
Outkast’s post also included a quote from Wade, which read: “We got with [Outkast] when they were young. They were like 16 or 17, and they were ready for some direction… I think timing is everything. It was time for a revolution.”
Born in East Point, Georgia on February 26, 1972, Wade founded Organized Noize in Atlanta in the early 1990s with Sleepy Brown and Ray Murray, going on to co-write and produce TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’, and produce En Vogue’s ‘Don’t Let Go’ and Ludacris’ ‘Saturday (Oooh! Ooooh!)’. They also helmed OutKast’s 1994 debut ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’, and contributed to the subsequent albums ‘ATLiens’, ‘Aquemini’ and ‘Stankonia’.
The three producers also founded the Dungeon Family collective in the same period, which would go on to include Big Boi, André 3000, CeeLo Green, Killer Mike, Big Rube, Big Gipp, Khujo and eventually Wade’s cousin Future.
Following the news of Rico Wade’s death, several musicians paid tribute to the late producer. Killer Mike wrote on Instagram: “I don’t have the words to express my deep and profound sense of loss. I am praying for your wife and children. I am praying for the Wade family. I am praying for us all. I deeply appreciate your acceptance into the Dungeon Family, mentorship, friendship and brotherhood. Idk where I would be without y’all.”
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