Yesterday (Sept. 28), Big Boi gave fans a glimpse into one of his hobbies when he posted a video of himself in the recording studio with several owls. However, his affinity for the feathered friends isn’t anything new. Posts with him and his owls date back to at least 2018.
In a 2019 interview with Rolling Stone, Big Boi invited the outlet to join him and several of his owls in the studio. The article focused on artists sharing non-musical passions. In a resurfaced clip, the hip hop legend introduced his flock. He named Tula, Simon and Houdini before he described each of their personalities.
“Tula is the chillest. She’s a Brazilian owl. She’s really cool. Laid back. She’s the oldest. Simon is very quiet, but you wouldn’t even know she was there. Sometimes you’d forget she was in the room,” he said. “This one over here, Houdini, I like to say, he on that stuff. Like on that s**t. He’s very, very rambunctious,” he continued. Big Boi noted that Houdini is his “personal favorite.”
“Live from Stankonia,” the Outkast rapper wrote on yesterday’s post that included a clip of him in the studio with the birds. Fans quickly flooded social media to celebrate artists having unconventional interests.
“Andre [3000] appears in random stores playing the flute like an elusive woodland sprite. Big Boi has domesticated owls as companions. I love it,” one fan tweeted. Another said, “Redman is a professional skydiver. Bun B is making award-winning burgers. Big Boi is damn near an owl whisperer. I love our OGs.”
Tom Green, a reporter at Auburn University, had an interesting request: “Can we petition Auburn to get Big Boi (whose daughter went to Auburn) to serve as [an] honorary handler for one of the eagles for a game?”
One fan shared that even though they are “wholeheartedly scared of owls,” that “Big Boi made [them] forget for a moment.” Another wasn’t sold — “This the first time I’ve seen this mfs wings spread out HELLLLL NO.” Check out the best reactions to Big Boi showing off his feathered friends below.