Big Boi on Sex After 20 Tequila Shots and the Future of Outkast

Besides making dope beats with Phantogram and boozing at strip clubs, the busy rapper is launching a sock line, too.  

Big Boi is best known as one-half of the hugely popular duo Outkast, but the hip-hop heavyweight has plenty more on his plate these days. He recently released an EP called Big Grams with electro-rockers Phantogram, shot a pilot for HBO, is recording his third solo record, and hints that he may hook up with Andre 3000 for another Outkast reunion. Maxim talked to Big Boi about his favorite drink memory for our November issue, and the conversation flowed on from there…

Tell me about he craziest drinking experience of your life.


There’s been a lot, but it has to be the night I ended up with a baby afterwards. This was in Atlanta, 1999 or 2000. I started out at the strip club called the Gentleman’s Club, one of the best strip clubs in Atlanta. We used to go there all the time. This was back in the days when I had an iron liver. We used to drink Cuervo Gold tequila. We’d do like 20 shots. It was crazy.

This was before I knew anything about alcohol poisoning. But I used to drink a lot of water too, so I kind of filtered it. It was before the days of Uber, so I had my homeboys drive me around. We’d go to the club and order about 50 shots or so. I wouldn’t feel nothing until after about the first ten shots. Something about Cuervo Gold, it just makes you randy. So after about 20 shots, I get home and wake my wife up and from there…

Wait, after 20 tequila shots you were still able to have sex?


It was some of the most intense lovemaking ever in history. I’m talking about, your body is numb. The key to it is that you have to drink bottles of water. You get home after drinking 20 shots and your wife is dead asleep, I don’t care if she got a bonnet, a do rag, hair rollers, she’ll look like the black Marilyn Monroe to me. I just kinda snatched the covers off her and we had a good old time.


That was my third child, my son. It was great, man. It was almost like a ritual. Just doing all those shots and going home and partying. My wife don’t really drink that much. She might drink a vodka and cranberry or some wine. But we were just having fun, enjoying life to the fullest.

What are you drinking these days?


Nowadays I just do Hennessy on the rocks. I can’t really drink Champagne, even though its on my [tour] rider. I got a house full of Champagne, but I can’t stand the taste. So if I have a cookout or whatever, they always busting open the bottles. If I have a business meeting, I might take a few bottles with me. And I can’t do 20 shots anymore. I haven’t got the vasectomy and I don’t want no more kids.

How did you end up doing  Big Grams, your new collaboration with  Phantogram?


I discovered them through a pop-up ad on my computer. It was the song Mouthful of Diamonds. I actually Shazamed it and put it on my Big Boi website. And they was like, ‘Cool, we’re big fans of yours and when you come to New York just give us a shout.’ They sent me a vinyl of their first album. I did the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco, we talked and hit it off real good.


I invited them back to my studio in Atlanta, and we just started recording. After Dre and I finished the Outkast tour, I went to the studio with them and we made some dope songs. We were like, ‘Damn, we got something special here. This shit sounds so new and refreshing.’ They’re on Island Republic and I’m on Atlantic. After I let L.A. Reid hear it, he was like, ‘Oh, shit. I’m gonna do a deal for this over at Epic.’ And there you have it, Big Grams.

And you’re working on your third solo album too?


I got about 40 songs. I just finished one with Young Jeezy and Killer Mike that’s crazy. I already got that lined up to put out after the Big Grams album. Right now, everything in the game is kind of at a standstill. And you know, I’m the musical defibrillator—I come to shake shit up.

You and Andre 3000 did an Outkast reunion tour last year. Are you planning on touring again, or doing a new Outkast record?


You gotta stay tuned, you never know. Right now me and my partner been kinda just kicking it and hanging out. Going to strip clubs, just hanging out like we did in high school.

I’ve heard you’re interested in following Andre into acting.


Actually, I just did this show Lorne Michaels got coming on HBO called Brothers in Atlanta. It’s kind of a mix between Entourage and Sex and the City-type comedy. I shot the pilot and I think I’m gonna be a recurring character. Yeah man, I been putting the film and TV thing on hold because of my music, but I’ve been stockpiling music and I can just do everything now.

And as if all that wasn’t enough…you’re also launching asock line?


It’s called Left Foot by Big Boi. I partnered up with Andy Hilfiger and American Apparel and that should be coming in the fall. It’s for that guy in the boardroom that wanna be wild and crazy below the ankles and below the knee. Lot of colors, high quality, the stitching is dope, the designs are really  authentic. Just like the music, man. People are really gonna love it.