| "Prototype" | ||||
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| Single by Outkast | ||||
| from the album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | ||||
| A-side | "GhettoMusick" | |||
| B-side |
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| Released | September 27, 2004 | |||
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| Length | 5:26 | |||
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| Songwriter(s) | André Benjamin | |||
| Producer(s) | André 3000 | |||
| Outkast singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Prototype" on YouTube | ||||
"Prototype" is a song recorded by American duo Outkast for their fifth studio album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003). It was written, produced and performed by André 3000, and was included on his disc The Love Below. A mid-tempo ballad, the track fuses funk and neo soul styles against a guitar-driven instrumentation. Lyrically a love song, it is an ode to its protagonist's love interest. The song was released as the fifth and final single from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below on September 27, 2004, by Arista Records and LaFace Records.
"Prototype" received critical acclaim, predominantly directed towards its instrumentation and sonic quality, both upon the release of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and in retrospective commentaries. While it peaked only at number 63 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, it reached the top 20 in Finland. In select countries, it was released as a double A-side single with Speakerboxxx track "GhettoMusick". The song's accompanying music video, directed by André 3000 himself, depicts him as an interstellar traveler who lands on Earth and falls in love with a woman. To promote the song, Outkast performed it live at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, subsequently including it on the set list for their 2014 reunion tour.