Stankonia was OutKast's second straight masterstroke, an album just as ambitious, just as all-over-the-map, and even hookier than its predecessor. With producers Organized Noize playing a diminished role, Stankonia reclaims the duo's futuristic bent. Keyboardist/producer Earthtone III helms most of the backing tracks, and while the live-performance approach is still present, there's more reliance on programmed percussion, otherworldly synthesizers, and surreal sound effects. Yet the results are surprisingly warm and soulful, a trippy sort of techno-psychedelic funk. Every repeat listen seems to uncover some new element in the mix, but most of the songs have such memorable hooks that it's easy to stay diverted. The immediate dividends include two of 2000's best singles: "B.O.B." is the fastest of several tracks built on jittery drum'n'bass rhythms, but Andre and Big Boi keep up with awe-inspiring effortlessness. "Ms. Jackson," meanwhile, is an anguished plea directed at the mother of the mother of an out-of-wedlock child, tinged with regret, bitterness, and affection. Its sensitivity and social awareness are echoed in varying proportions elsewhere, from the Public Enemy-style rant "Gasoline Dreams" to the heartbreaking suicide tale "Toilet Tisha." But the group also returns to its roots for some of the most testosterone-drenched material since their debut. Then again, OutKast doesn't take its posturing too seriously, which is why they can portray women holding their own, or make bizarre boasts about being "So Fresh, So Clean." Given the variety of moods, it helps that the album is broken up by brief, usually humorous interludes, which serve as a sort of reset button. It takes a few listens to pull everything together, but given the immense scope, it's striking how few weak tracks there are. It's no wonder Stankonia consolidated OutKast's status as critics' darlings, and began attracting broad new audiences: its across-the-board appeal and ambition overshadowed nearly every other pop album released in 2000.
Since I am currently on the list kick I might as well share with you a list I put together for the always on point weblog, Passion of the Weiss. Hip hop bloggers were asked to submit their favorite hip hop albums of the last decade, no small feat. Here is the list I put together. You can read the final results of Jeff's lists with in depth descriptions here. Most difficult part of this whole ex...
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I-285 and I- 75/85 Dekalb County, GeorgiaSpaghetti Junction - OutkastIs pretty much the bane of your existance, if you live in Atlanta, or (god forbid!) are forced to commute into Atlanta from north of the city. The wikipedia entry claims it was built to relieve congestion, but anyone who has sat in traffic in Atlanta knows that it does anything but that. Saddest part is it becomes your first...
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109. That will get you arrested. It got stylish Outkast member Andre 3000 a few minutes in the slammer. Andre 3000, whose real name is Andre Benjamin, was caught doing 109mph in a 65mph zone down Atlanta Interstate-75 last Saturday - eh, only a mere 44mph over. The hip-hop MC was arrested for his lead leg and paid a $1200 bail for his release.Benjamin reportedly tried to get out of the situatio...
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Way back when, back when Outkast was still an equal artistic partnership (?) with both Big Boi and Dre spinnin ideas together on the same musical page, they found themselves on the cover of the March 2001 edition of Spin Magazine.Stankonia had been out for abouit six months or so, and the shit was tight, of course, it completed a three album run of _ATLiens,Aquemini,_ with _Stankonia_ bringing ...
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Since I am currently on the list kick I might as well share with you a list I put together for the always on point weblog, Passion of the Weiss. Hip hop bloggers were asked to submit their favorite hip hop albums of the last decade, no small feat. Here is the list I put together. You can read the final results of Jeff's lists with in depth descriptions here. Most difficult part of this whole ex...
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If I were forced to pick my top 5 hip hop videos of all time, B.O.B would be an automatic lock to make the list. The imagery and unpredictable nature of everything you witness is ... crazy. I don't know who thought of the concept for this, or how exactly the treatment came to fruition but I'd love to be a fly on the wall in that meeting. The grass is purple, the ground is green, there are baboo...
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The hip hop powerduo known for pushing the boundaries have nudged them a little further. Outkast's Big Boi will join up with Atlanta Ballet next year for a series of collaborative performances. Ballet spokesman Jeff Al-Mashat confirmed that the official title will be "World Premiere Collaboration", and will take place April 10-13, 2008.Big Boi is meeting up with choreographer Lauri Stallings th...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Intro |
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| 2 Gasoline Dreams |
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| 3 I'm Cool (Interlude) |
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| 4 So Fresh, So Clean |
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| 5 Ms. Jackson |
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| 6 Snappin' & Trappin' |
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| 7 D.F. (Interlude) |
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| 8 Spaghetti Junction |
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| 9 Kim & Cookie (Interlude) |
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| 10 I'll Call Before I Come |
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| 11 B.O.B. |
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| 12 Xplosion |
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| 13 Good Hair (Interlude) |
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| 14 We Luv Deez Hoez |
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| 15 Humble Mumble |
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| 16 Drinking Again (Interlude) |
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| 17 ? |
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| 18 Red Velvet |
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| 19 Cruisin' in the ATL (Interlude) |
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| 20 Gangsta Sh*t |
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| 21 Toilet Tisha |
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| 22 Slum Beautiful |
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| 23 Pre-Nump (Interlude) |
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| 24 Stankonia (Stanklove) |
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 "Stankonia")
