OutKast's First Single, "Player's Ball," Was Released 32 Years Ago

It was 32 years ago on this very day, November 19th, that OutKast released their first single, "Player's Ball." Now, we do need to address the fact that originally a version of, "Player's Ball," was on the, "A LaFace Family Christmas," a compilation album of Christmas tunes. However, it was so good of a song that some tweaks were made to scrub the outright mentions of Christmas, and then it was today, 32 years ago, we got the version of, "Player's Ball," that most folks know. You can listen to it now with nary a clue that it was originally a bit more of a Christmas rap. It was the first single OutKast put out, and the start of a long and wonderful legacy. 

Anyone who has read my blog for some time knows that OutKast is my favorite band/music act/etc. of all time (I mean, I did a series of Flashback Friday posts examining every LP they made), and "Player's Ball," is a lovely way to get to know the earlier era of OutKast. I wonder if anyone who bought and listened to this then-new record/Cassette/CD could have imagined back on this day in 1993 how amazing a future OutKast would have? Could even Big Boi or Dre (as he was known back in the day, before he was Andre 3000) have suspected what amazing things they'd go on to do? Yes, 32 years ago today, "Player's Ball," arrived in record stores, and it is no overstatement (in my opinion, at least) to say from that point on that rap--Hell, music in general--would never be the same. To paraphrase what Andre said when OutKast won best new artist at the Source Awards a bit later on, the South made it clear it had something to say.