Outkast, the Grammy-winning and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted duo of André 3000 and Big Boi, have filed a lawsuit against rapper-producer Ovrkast for trademark infringement, unfair competition, and breach of contract. The lawsuit, filed in Georgia on September 16, was brought by High Schoolers LLC, the holding company that manages Outkast’s name and trademarks. It accuses Oakland-born Silas Wilson of “improper, willful, unauthorized, and illegal use of the nearly identical name.”
“I thought it was love? (yes this is real),” Ovrkast captioned an Instagram post reacting to the news, tagging both André and Big Boi. Pitchfork has reached out to Outkast’s representatives for comment.
According to a complaint viewed by Pitchfork, attorneys for André 3000 and Big Boi allege that Ovrkast reneged on a prior agreement to permanently discontinue using the name Ovrkast and instead adopt the agreed-upon alternative Overkxst. The original alias, the suit contends, was likely to “cause confusion…or deceive the public into the false belief” that it was associated with the group Outkast.
The complaint further cites a 2025 interview with Rolling Stone as evidence that Ovrkast has consistently faced accusations of copying the name. In the interview, he expressed frustration over the recurring confusion, stating that people frequently mistake his alias for Outkast despite his insistence that the similarity was unintentional.
In 2024, Outkast sued the EDM duo ATLiens over a similar naming dispute. That case was settled earlier this year.
