Inside Outkast’s Lawsuit Against A West Coast Rapper

Rising California Rapper Ovrkast, whose real name is Silas Wilson, has been sued by popular rap duo Outkast.

Wilson confirmed this last week through a screenshot of a post on Instagram of an AllHipHop article discussing the matter with the caption: “I thought it was love? @andre3000 @bigboi (yes, this is real).” 

The Outkast duo, who consists of Andre 3000 and Big Boi, sued Wilson over the similarity between the rap group’s stage name, Outkast, and the younger rapper’s stage name, Ovrkast.  

High Schoolers LLC, Outkast’s parent trademark company, sued and accused Ovrkast of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and breaching an agreement that required him to change his stage name by mid-July. 

As reported by AllHipHop, Ovrkast initially agreed to change his stage name to “OVERKXST” — but delayed the paperwork and proposed two alternatives that had already been rejected. 

The lawsuit claims that the similarities in the stage name have caused serious confusion among fans and music consumers. The complaint further alleged Ovrkast knowingly chose his stage name “to trade upon the tremendous fame and goodwill associated with plaintiff’s Outkast name and mark.”

Furthermore, Outkast wants Wilson to be permanently banned from using the Ovrkast name across anything – including music, merchandise, websites, social accounts and promotional materials. 

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Wilson noted that he built his name independently of Outkast and never had the intention to copy their moniker or cause confusion among fans. 

“I have never had any intention of trying to copy, misrepresent, or confuse fans with the name of such a legendary act. I have a deep and personal respect for this iconic group and their storied legacy, and sincerely hope we can find a resolution that allows me to continue my lifelong pursuit of leaving my own mark on hip-hop history,” Wilson said in his statement.

Wilson also clarified earlier this week on social media platform X in a post which stated, “For the record, I NEVER signed any agreement. I tried my hardest to cooperate with different options every step of the way. This narrative that I’ve done wrong is also wrong. (had to clarify) peace.” 

The iconic duo Outkast has yet to directly address the ongoing issue.