• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

Thought Y2K nostalgia couldn’t go any further? Wrong. Whirlpool is rolling the world’s first hip-hop playing appliance. Big Boi --perhaps better known as 50% of Outkast -- has signed on, with the hit “So Fresh, So Clean” not just serving as a theme for the company’s new FreshFlow Vent system for front-loading washers. And fans can enter a sweepstakes to win a blinged-out washer and dryer pair, which plays the song after completing every cycle.

The Benton Harbor, Michigan-based appliance maker says since the new technology makes laundry look fresh and smell fresh, it should sound fresh too.

"We knew with a washer this fresh, it warranted the freshest collab," said Morgan LaLonde, Whirlpool senior brand manager, in the release.  "And nobody knows how to keep things fresh better than Big Boi."

With a matte black finish, the limited-edition machines have hundreds of hand-placed crystals around the door and knob, and a certified fresh and clean badge with Big Boi's signature of approval.

The company is promoting the sweepstakes, which runs through Sept. 23,  on social media.

The new tech adds three new features to front loaders: A FanFresh Option, which uses  a built-in fan and periodic tumbling to help keep just-washed clothes fresh until they’re transferred to the dryer; antimicrobial protection on the rubber seal, a common spot for gunk to accumulate on most machines; and a Dry Drum cycle. When the door is closed, a built-in fan reduces excess moisture in the washer door and drum after a cycle ends.

Last month, the company announced a 5.4% drop in sales, with revenue of $3.77 billion. The decline was expected: Whirlpool is predominantly made and manufactured in the U.S., and other brands and retailers have been scrambling to frontload orders ahead of expected tariffs. "The second quarter continued to be impacted by competitors stockpiling Asian imports into the U.S.,” said Marc Bitzer, chairman and CEO, in the earnings announcement. “Despite this, we are well positioned in North America with a robust pipeline of new products, the industry's leading U.S. manufacturing footprint, and favorable housing demand fundamentals.”

Whirlpool is the second most popular appliance brand in the U.S., according to the most recent YouGov ranking. KitchenAid ranks first, with Dyson, Kenmore and Frigidaire rounding out the top five.