Outkast and Portrait Coffee partner for special-edition ‘Stankonia’ blend
On Halloween 25 years ago, Outkast released “Stankonia,” their fourth studio album.
The 24-track LP, which included timeless classics such as “So Fresh, So Clean,” “Ms. Jackson” and “Humble Mumble” with Erykah Badu, was a brilliant and futuristic combination of Southern hip-hop, soul and funk.
Today, Portrait Coffee, a Black-owned coffee brand based in Atlanta’s West End community, announced a new “Stankonia,” only this time the release is a limited-edition coffee made in collaboration with Big Boi and André 3000.
Stankonia Coffee is a medium roast with notes of green apple and brown sugar. The fruit-forward blend, as described by Portrait Coffee co-founder Aaron Fender, pays homage to the “funky, futuristic and unapologetically Atlanta” spirit of the 2000 album.
Much like Outkast’s ATLien sonic fusion, the mashup may sound strange to coffee drinkers accustomed to conventional flavors. But after trying it, the subtle balance comes together to create a bright and bouyant brew that works despite its unlikely nature — much like the duo itself.
“This collaboration represents everything we love about Atlanta — originality, flavor and community,” Fender said. “When we set out to pour a new narrative, moments like this were beyond our wildest dreams.”
To promote Stankonia Coffee, Portrait produced a teaser film directed by Atlanta-based director and photographer Ray Neutron, released on Instagram.
Customers can preorder Stankonia Coffee now at Portrait Coffee’s website. The whole-bean coffee will be available for purchase Tuesday at Portrait’s West End cafe for $24.
The partnership also includes a capsule collection of limited-edition merchandise, including a coffee diner mug, a 12-ounce stainless steel travel mug, a tote bag and T-shirt. The art for the coffee bag and capsule collection were designed by West End artist Ali Adams.
Portrait will host a release party for “Stankonia” on Thursday at the cafe, with special curated beverages and food prepared by chef Jamal Makanjuola.
Portrait and Outkast are also partnering on a series of Halloween weekend community events, including a “Stankonia 25″ party on Thursday at Cascade Skating Rink. On Oct. 31, they’re partnering with TreesATL and Atlanta radio station Hot 107.9 to plant 25 trees at Outkast’s alma mater, Tri-Cities High School in East Point.
To Fender, it’s a means of giving back to both the hip-hop duo and the place that inspired them, just as Big Boi and André 3000 prepare to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 8.
“Outkast and Portrait Coffee were both born in Atlanta to change the way people see the South,” Fender said.
“One did it through music; the other through coffee — both pouring creativity, culture and community into everything they make. Stankonia Coffee is the crossroads where these stories meet.”
About the Author
Mike Jordan is senior editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Black culture brand, UATL. A longtime culture journalist, his work has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, National Geographic, Rolling Stone and others. Jordan won the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award and was a 2023 finalist.
