OutKast, the iconic hip-hop duo, have initiated legal action against rapper and producer Ovrkast, whose real name is Silas Wilson. The lawsuit, filed last week in a Georgia federal court by OutKast's holding company, High Schoolers LLC, accuses Wilson of trademark infringement and "malicious intent."
The complaint, spanning 31 pages, alleges that Wilson knowingly uses the stage name Ovrkast, leading people to mistakenly believe he is associated with André 3000 and Big Boi. OutKast claims this constitutes trademark infringement and unfair competition.
The duo cited a 2025 interview where Ovrkast reportedly acknowledged that some people "read Ovrkast [as] Outkast." They also stated that they contacted Wilson in 2025 regarding the name, and he allegedly agreed in July of this year to adopt "Ovrkxst" instead, an agreement which OutKast claims was not honoured.
The filing asserts that Wilson's conduct was "knowing, deliberate, willful, and in bad faith and done with the intent to trade on the goodwill and reputation of Plaintiff." OutKast is seeking a court order to prevent Wilson from using his current name and to receive payment for alleged breaches of trademark and business laws.
Wilson has not issued an official statement, but he did share a screenshot of a news article about the lawsuit on Instagram, with the caption: "I thought it was love? @andre3000 @bigboi (yes this is real)".