Key Takeaways
- OutKast’s trademark company sued Oakland rapper-producer Ovrkast. for allegedly breaching an agreement to abandon his stage name.
- The complaint says Silas Wilson agreed to adopt Overkxst but kept using Ovrkast. despite acknowledging that listeners sometimes confuse his name with the Atlanta duo’s.
- Wilson responded, “Ouch @Outkast,” while the company seeks an injunction, damages, legal costs, and the destruction of merchandise bearing the disputed name.
OutKast is taking federal legal action against Oakland rapper and producer Ovrkast. over the similarity between their names.
According to AllHipHop, High Schoolers LLC, the company that controls the trademark rights associated with André 3000 and Big Boi, filed a federal lawsuit in Georgia against Ovrkast., whose real name is Silas Wilson.
The lawsuit accuses Wilson of trademark infringement and unfair competition while also alleging he violated a previous settlement agreement requiring him to stop using the name Ovrkast. by July 15.
According to the complaint, Wilson had agreed to transition to Overkxst as his new stage name. OutKast's company claims the paperwork surrounding the change was never completed and that Wilson subsequently suggested two other names that had previously been rejected.
High Schoolers LLC sent Wilson a breach notice on Aug. 5 and gave him until Aug. 11 to comply with the agreement, according to the lawsuit. The company alleges he continued operating under Ovrkast. after the deadline.
"Defendant still has not cured his breach and continues to use the OVRKAST mark," the complaint reads. "Defendant continues to use the OVRKAST mark with knowledge of Plaintiff's rights in the famous OUTKAST mark, with knowledge that consumers associate OVRKAST with OUTKAST, and with knowledge that doing so is in breach of the Settlement Agreement."
Wilson has released music under the Ovrkast. moniker while also establishing himself as a producer. His credits include Drake's Iceman track "Make Them Pay," along with co-production work on "Red Button" and "The Shoe Fits" from For All the Dogs.
The complaint also cites a July 2025 interview in which Wilson acknowledged that some listeners have mistaken his name for OutKast.
"The worst thing I get is like, 'The n***a think he Outkast,'" he said, per Rolling Stone. "It's like, 'No, bro. I wasn't even thinking about Outkast.'"
Wilson added that people sometimes read his name incorrectly and react as if they've seen OutKast's name instead.
Following news of the lawsuit on Monday, Ovrkast. gave a short response on X. Sharing an AllHipHop report about the case and tagging the legendary Atlanta duo's account, he wrote, "Ouch @Outkast."
OutKast's company is seeking a permanent injunction that would prevent Wilson from using Ovrkast or confusingly similar names across his music, merchandise, websites, social media and promotional materials. The suit also seeks profits, damages, and legal costs, as well as the destruction of clothing and marketing materials bearing the disputed name.
This isn't OutKast's first recent trademark battle. The duo sued electronic music act ATLiens in 2024 over its name, which shares the title of OutKast's 1996 album and song. The two sides settled in February under confidential terms.
