Members of Outkast, Big Boi and André 3000, have initiated a lawsuit against Ovrkast, a rapper and music producer based in Oakland, for trademark infringement, unfair competition, and breach of contract due to the similarities in their names.
The legal action was lodged in Georgia on September 16 by High Schoolers LLC, the entity responsible for managing Outkast’s trademarks. The complaint asserts that Silas Wilson, Ovrkast’s real name, deliberately used a “nearly identical” name in violation of a previous agreement that prohibited him from doing so.
Highlighting Outkast’s significant fame, influence, and “well-known, highly valuable” brand, the 31-page filing indicates that efforts to “amicably resolve” the matter were unsuccessful. The claims presented have yet to be substantiated in a court of law.
In their filing, the Atlanta-based duo referenced a 2025 interview with Rolling Stone in which Wilson acknowledged that fans often confuse Ovrkast with Outkast, suggesting the name similarity misleads listeners.
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“The worst thing I get is, like, [people saying] ‘The n—a think he Outkast.’ It’s like, ‘No, bro, I wasn’t even thinking about Outkast,'” he stated during that interview.
“They interpret Ovrkast as Outkast. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, I thought they said Outkast.’ And it’s like, it don’t, so….”
Wilson, who has collaborated with artists such as Earl Sweatshirt and Drake, responded to the lawsuit on Instagram Tuesday.
“I thought it was love?” he posted, tagging both Big Boi (Antwan André Patton) and André 3000 (André Lauren Benjamin). He followed up with Instagram Story posts about the lawsuit featuring a broken heart emoji and the song Why Can’t We Be Friends by War, along with a video where he described the lawsuit as fundamentally unbelievable.
The lawsuit states that Big Boi and André 3000 sent a cease and desist letter to Ovrkast in June 2025. Following this, the complaint alleges that the parties reached a settlement agreement and discussed a plan for Ovrkast to stop using the name and transition to Overkxst.
After requesting an extension, they settled on a deadline of July 15, 2026, for the name change.
Subsequent to this agreement, the lawsuit claims Wilson “repeatedly and unnecessarily delayed the fulfillment of the settlement agreement for months,” before asking to use different names and then ceasing communication altogether.
Furthermore, it alleges that Wilson has violated the settlement agreement and continues to utilize the Ovrkast name that he had agreed to relinquish.
“[The] defendant’s actions show that he knowingly, willfully, intentionally, and maliciously adopted and uses the Ovrkast mark and exhibit an intentional, willful, and malicious intent to exploit the goodwill associated with plaintiff and the Outkast mark,” the lawsuit contends.
Outkast is seeking a court order to prevent Wilson from using the Ovrkast name, reimbursement for their legal expenses, and the return of all profits derived from the “unlawful activities alleged herein.”
Additionally, they are requesting that Wilson “deliver for destruction” all merchandise bearing the Ovrkast brand.
CBC News reached out to Wilson for his comments regarding the lawsuit but did not receive an immediate response.