The team had André 3000 and Big Boi rap over them, which led to a record deal from LaFace for both Organized Noize and OutKast. The commercial success of Arrested Development's 1992 alternative hip hop single "Tennessee" also encouraged LaFace to sign Outkast, the label's first hip hop act. Recording and production After receiving a $15,000 advance from LaFace in 1993, Outkast started recording the album at the Dungeon. The studio featured mostly secondhand recording equipment. Recording sessions also took place at Bosstown, Dallas Austin's D.A.R.P. Studios, Doppler Studios, and Purple Dragon in Atlanta. Located in midtown Atlanta, Bosstown developed a sentimental value for Outkast, who later bought the studio in 1999 and renamed it "Stankonia" after their fourth studio album. Throughout the album's recording, the duo refined their artistry and drew on ideas from funk, contemporary R&B, and soul music. André 3000 also smoked marijuana during the sessions. They recorded over 30 songs for the album. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik was produced entirely by Organized Noize, which was made up of Rico Wade, Ray Murray, and Sleepy Brown. Production team Organized Noize utilized live instrumentation on the album, emphasizing musical instruments, including bass, keyboards, guitar, and organ, over conventional hip hop techniques such as DJing and sampling. They viewed that the feel of live instruments made the music sound more authentic and immediate. With their production, the team sought an organic, celebratory, "down-home" vibe, as Brown later recalled, "We wanted Atlanta brothers to be proud of where they were from". Brown also sung vocals for several tracks. Along with Organized Noize, other members of the Dungeon Family worked on the album, including Goodie Mob, Mr. DJ, Debra Killings, and Society of Soul. The album was mixed at Sound on Sound in New York City, Bosstown, D.A.R.P. Studios, Tree Sound, and Studio LaCoCo in Atlanta. Music and lyrics A Southern hip hop album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik incorporates analog elements such as Southern-styled guitar licks, languid soul melodies, and mellow 1970s funk grooves. It also features digital hip hop production elements such as programmed snare beats, booty bass elements, including Roland TR-808 clave rhythms, and old school hip hop elements, including E-mu SP-1200-styled drums and turntable scratches. Music writers characterize the album's music and beats as "clanky" and "mechanical". Roni Sarig of Rolling Stone comments that the music shows "clear debts to East Coast bohos like the Native Tongues and a West Coast level of attention