Legendary Atlanta hip-hop duo Outkast may be defunct in 2026, but that doesn’t mean their trademark company, High Schoolers LLC, won’t stop you dead in your tracks if you infringe on their copyrights. Just ask the EDM group that attempted to use the name ATLiens, the same name as the duo’s iconic 1998 album ATLiens. In 2024, High Schoolers sued the masked EMO duo, claiming, “The word ATLiens was invented by Outkast. Before Outkast created it, it was not used in the cultural lexicon and did not exist.” In February 2026, the case was settled out of court.
On September 16, 2026, High Schoolers LLC filed a lawsuit, accusing Silas Wilson of
“improper, willful, unauthorized, and illegal use of the nearly identical name.” Under this stage name, Ovrkast, the Oakland-based rapper and producer has released 3 mixtapes and 2 EPs since 2020.
Reportedly, Wilson agreed to change his stage name to Overkxst by June 15. Outkast claims Wilson delayed the paperwork while also proposing two rejected replacement names. Wilson has continued to use the name beyond June 25 and received a breach notice on August 5, with an August 11 deadline to comply with the agreement.
The LLC has presented a 2025 Rolling Stone interview as evidence that Wilson himself has acknowledged the confusion. In the interview, Wilson stated, “The worst thing I get is like, ‘The n—-a think he Outkast,’” he said. “It’s like, ‘No, bro. I wasn’t even thinking about Outkast.’ Mad n—-as do that shit. They read Ovrkast [as] Outkast.”
Ovrkast Responds To The Lawsuit
On September 22, 2026, Ovrkast posted a screenshot of a recent news story. On the Instagram post, he tagged the members of Outkast, André 3000 and Big Boi, with a caption that reads, “I thought it was love (yes, this is real).” In the comments on the post, he also added: “I’m jus a young black man trying to get ahead.” Fans have taken to the comments to side with Ovrkast, claiming they’ve never confused the names. The 2025 Rolling Stone interview claims otherwise, and it was Wilson’s own words. André 3000 and Big Boi have yet to respond to the post.
Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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