Story // Rodney Henderson Photographer // Eric "Ptah" Herber, Al Santiago
In a day and age where every semi-successful rap artist has a side venture or two, it should come as no surprise that Antwan Patton, aka Big Boi of the Grammy-winning OUTKAST, has become relatively accomplished in a field far-fetched from rocking sold- out shows.
In 1995 Big Boi, along with his younger sibling James, aka Little Brother, launched Pitfall Kennel: Outkast Pit-bull Ranch. Situated on 55 acres in an unspecified area located about 20 miles southwest of Atlanta, Pitfall Kennel has become somewhat of a major player in the dog breeding game. Although their trademark is the rare blue pit-bull terrier, they have a wide selection of breeds, ranging from English Bulldogs to Rottweilers. Add to that a client list that boasts such industry heavyweights as Usher, Roy Jones Jr. and Serena Williams and you have yourself a blueprint for continued success.
The Patton boys’ fascination with dogs started long before they had the means to build a state of the art, multipurpose dog ranch. As a young lad, Big distinctly recalls watching his grandfather’s dog give birth and being “amazed at the life.” He got his first pit, a blue from the Cash bloodline, after seeing a few of them at a friend’s house and proclaiming, “That’s the best looking dog I’ve seen in the world!”
This was long before the success that OUTKAST’s debut offering, SOUTHERNPLAYALISTICADILLACMUZIK, afforded Big with the trappings that come along with multi-platinum record sales. So, when he initially purchased Carlito-the aptly titled moniker given to his cash line pit (“He was a monster,”Big gushes referring to its size), he lived in a modest-sized apartment in Atlanta and had to keep him in the bathroom out of necessity. The next step occurred when Big says, “I got enough bread to get a little house and start a little operation. We had a six-rung kennel in the backyard sitting on about an acre and from there we started...
In 1995 Big Boi, along with his younger sibling James, aka Little Brother, launched Pitfall Kennel: Outkast Pit-bull Ranch. Situated on 55 acres in an unspecified area located about 20 miles southwest of Atlanta, Pitfall Kennel has become somewhat of a major player in the dog breeding game. Although their trademark is the rare blue pit-bull terrier, they have a wide selection of breeds, ranging from English Bulldogs to Rottweilers. Add to that a client list that boasts such industry heavyweights as Usher, Roy Jones Jr. and Serena Williams and you have yourself a blueprint for continued success.
The Patton boys’ fascination with dogs started long before they had the means to build a state of the art, multipurpose dog ranch. As a young lad, Big distinctly recalls watching his grandfather’s dog give birth and being “amazed at the life.” He got his first pit, a blue from the Cash bloodline, after seeing a few of them at a friend’s house and proclaiming, “That’s the best looking dog I’ve seen in the world!”
This was long before the success that OUTKAST’s debut offering, SOUTHERNPLAYALISTICADILLACMUZIK, afforded Big with the trappings that come along with multi-platinum record sales. So, when he initially purchased Carlito-the aptly titled moniker given to his cash line pit (“He was a monster,”Big gushes referring to its size), he lived in a modest-sized apartment in Atlanta and had to keep him in the bathroom out of necessity. The next step occurred when Big says, “I got enough bread to get a little house and start a little operation. We had a six-rung kennel in the backyard sitting on about an acre and from there we started...
