Outkast has filed a lawsuit accusing the California rapper and producer Ovrkast of unlawfully using a “nearly identical” name after acknowledging it caused consumer confusion and after allegedly agreeing to adopt a new moniker.
The 31-page complaint, filed
in federal court in Georgia and obtained by Rolling Stone, accuses Ovrkast of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and breach of contract. The lawsuit filed by the Atlanta duo’s trademark holding company, High Schoolers, says Outkast has been among hip-hop’s most recognizable and influential acts since it formed in 1993, winning six Grammy Awards and garnering well more than 25 million records.
The new lawsuit claims Ovrkast, a record producer from Oakland, California, whose real name is Silas Wilson, knowingly chose his stage name “to trade upon the tremendous fame and goodwill associated with plaintiff’s Outkast name and mark.” The lawsuit alleges Wilson’s use of the name has already caused confusion among consumers, pointing to a 2025 Rolling Stone interview as evidence.
In that interview, Wilson said the “worst thing” about his growing fame was being accused of trying to mimic Outkast. “It’s like, ‘No, bro. I wasn’t even thinking about Outkast,’” he said in the piece. “They read Ovrkast [as] Outkast. They’re like, oh my God, I thought they said Outkast. And it’s like, it don’t.”
Attempts to reach Wilson, who has produced tracks for artists ranging from Drake to Earl Sweatshirt, were not immediately successful Tuesday. Reps for Outkast members Big Boi, born Antwan Patton, and André 3000, born André Benjamin, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The new lawsuit says Outkast tried to “amicably resolve” the dispute before going to court. According to the complaint, Outkast’s lawyers contacted Wilson in June 2025 and reached an agreement where he would change his stage name to Overkxst and stop using Ovrkast on his website, social media and streaming accounts, domain name, newsletters, advertising and marketing materials, clothing, and merchandise.
The lawsuit claims the deadline for the name change was postponed to July 15, 2026, but that Wilson decided to “renege” on the negotiated agreement and suggest alternate names that had previously been rejected by the plaintiffs. Outkast says the settlement agreement is valid and binding, and that Wilson has breached it.
“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,” the lawsuit, first reported by AllHipHop.com, says.
The lawsuit seeks a court order permanently barring Wilson from using the Ovrkast name. It also asks for compensatory and punitive damages over what it describes as “willful” conduct, as well as attorneys’ fees and the destruction of merchandise bearing the disputed name.
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