Outkast and the Atl mayor

[Crenshaw_blvd]

At this rate Outkast are going to have change their stage moniker — who really considers the recently Grammy-nominated duo as outsiders? In a month or so they'll probably be mingling with the in-crowd at the high-profile awards show, and on Saturday night they took politicking to a new level as they partied up with Atlanta's mayor-elect, Shirley Franklin, and such fellow Peach Tree state hot boys as Ludacris and Jermaine Dupri.

The attendance of ATL's rhyme ambassadors was personally requested by the city's first female mayor, according to the artists' labels. Outkast helped usher her into office, performing "B.O.B," "The Whole World," "Ms. Jackson," and "So Fresh, So Clean" at the Georgia World Congress Center. Not to be outdone, Luda performed seven of his own tracks, including the night's most fitting ditty, "Welcome to Atlanta," with Jermaine Dupri.

Outkast and Ludacris, who toured together last year, are both multiple nominees for this year's Grammys, with the Kasts getting six nods and the academy showing love to Cris twice (see "U2, India.Arie Lead Grammy Pack"