Atlanta specialty coffee roaster-retailer Portrait Coffee is teaming up with Outkast on a limited-edition Stankonia Coffee to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the hip-hop duo’s fourth album, “Stankonia.”
The Stankonia Coffee launch came today with a teaser film directed by Ray Neutron (on Instagram) announcing a community celebration taking place Oct. 30 at Portrait Coffee’s West End cafe.
“It’s an honor to collaborate with Atlanta legends Big Boi and André 3000,” Portrait Coffee Co-Founder Aaron Fender said in an announcement shared with DCN. “This collaboration represents everything we love about Atlanta — originality, flavor and community.”
The “Stankonia” album — featuring classic tracks “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad),” “Ms. Jackson” and “So Fresh, So Clean” — laid the groundwork for the collaboration’s emphasis on originality. The postures adopted by Big Boi and André 3000 on the album’s iconic cover are referenced in bright fuchsia-and-cream coffee packaging.
Departing from the album’s American-flag theme, the coffee embraces a more Parliament-esque design with retro-futuristic illustrations. Portrait Coffee described the blend inside as “fruity, sweet and juicy,” inspired by “Stankonia’s” duality — grounded in soul yet futuristic in flavor.
Stankonia Coffee will officially be available Oct. 28, both at the West End cafe and online for preorder. The collaboration includes additional merchandise, such as a diner mug, a tote bag and a T-shirt.
The Oct. 30 event at Portrait will feature “Stankonia-inspired visuals,” a selection of drinks and Southern-inspired bites by chef Jamal Makanjuola.
The coffee collab is part of a broader celebration of “Stankonia” that will include community-focused and charitable events supporting the city of Atlanta over the weekend. On Oct. 30, Outkast will host a free party at the at the iconic Cascade skating rink. On Halloween, Portrait and Outkast will participate in “25 Trees for 25 Years of Stankonia,” planting trees at Tri-Cities High School, their alma mater.
For people wanting even more Stankonia this Halloween, Outkast recently released a deluxe three-LP purple-marbled vinyl set with new artwork by André 3000 and unreleased mixes and B-sides.
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