Big Grams

Big Grams is a collaboration between Greenwich, New York indie electronic duo Phantogram (Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter) and rapper Big Boi (Antwan Patton) of Atlanta-based hip-hop duo OutKast, in which the artists allow themselves to venture out of their respective comfort zones and experiment with ideas they wouldn't have explored with their own projects. The two acts connected after Big Boi discovered Phantogram's music via an Internet pop-up ad; he posted about their music online, and the duo, who counted OutKast as one of their biggest influences, responded enthusiastically. They eventually met in person at a music festival in California, and Big Boi invited the duo to work with him. Phantogram contributed to three songs on Big Boi's second solo album, Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumours, in 2012. The three individuals remained close friends, and in 2014 Barthel announced that they were planning on releasing an EP together. In the summer of 2015, Big Boi and Phantogram officially branded their collaborative project Big Grams, and announced the release of a self-titled seven-song EP featuring guest appearances by Skrillex and Run the Jewels, preceded by first single "Fell into the Sun." ~ Paul Simpson