Big Boi releases line of ultra-gentle dog shampoo

by Richard Howard

Of the group’s two members, Outkast‘s André 3000 is generally considered to be ‘the eccentric one.’

However, not giving a shit what anyone thinks, Benjamin’s cohort Big Boi has been known to surprise the hell out of us as well (he famously shared the story of being congratulated by a stranger on “you guys’ victory” with respect to Barack Obama’s re-election and truthfully/non PC-ly replying: “Bitch, I voted for (super-white Libertarian Party leader) Gary Johnson!”).

Still, even with the understood unpredictability of being an Outkast member, there are some things that seem so implausible they have to be seen to be believed. Case in point: You can now purchase Big Boi branded, ultra-gentle… dog shampoo.

I’ll own up to it – it’s not that Big Boi lent his name to a pet product that throws me off. His love of canines is well documented; he and his brother even run a 25-acre breeding and rescue facility where they raise American, English and French Bulldogs. Nope, it’s totally the cutesy feel of the product and its marketing that makes this so fantastic.

Big & Bobbi shampoo was conceived by its other namesake, actress Bobbi Panter. Panter began selling pet care products over a decade ago when she was unable to find sufficiently gentle, nourishing shampoo for her own dog, who suffered from skin and fur issues.

Big Boi’s brother and breeding partner swears by Panter’s products, and after discovering their effectiveness and long-lasting nature, as well as Bobbi’s passion for dogs, the rapper decided to put his name on the bottle (he hasn’t invested money but, unsurprisingly given the undeniable marketing boost, is still considered a full partner).

He’s also added some pizzaz to the naming of the shampoos with titles such as ‘Wild & Fresh’ and ‘Tough & Swanky.’ He’s not shirking his marketing responsibilities either: Big Boi has been doing the rounds at pet product shows, resulting in wonderfully weird interviews like this one.