The year is 1995. The place is The Source Awards. Two young men from the country roads of Atlanta walk on stage to receive the award for best new rap group. While they didn't quite get the rousing ovation they hoped from the biased east coast crowd, it was Andre 3000 who made it clear to them and to everyone: "the south got something to say!" Those words and that moment would catapult Andre 3000 and Big Boi to immediate success while putting together a legendary career. I really don't have to go into too much detail about why Outkast are legends and why they are important to hip hop. While Scarface and the Geto Boys are credited for putting southern hip hop in general on the mainstream map, it was Outkast who was responsible for putting Atlanta on the map. 1994 is when they dropped their debut Southerplayalisticadillacmuzik. In a year where numerous classic debuts were released. But while that album and their 1996 sophomore album ATLiens were both great, it was 1998's Aquemini that to me put the stamp on Outkast being legends. Although I didn't hear this album until a few years after it released, I'm well aware of it's importance. The brilliant lyricism, production, creativity and originality spread all over this album is something to marvel at. They pushed the envelope with every released but they pushed it to greater heights here. I could go on but I wanna get to the song by song break down so here it is:
2. Return Of The "G"
It's hard to pick a favorite track from this album but this is certainly top three for me. The dark, hard pounding and menacing beat is just amazing on all levels. Organized Noize were wizards on the production for this album. This song basically had addressed the concerns from the fans and media that their style and music had change drastically since their debut. Andre even mentions how people lashed out about him about his bizarre fashion and they called him either "gay or on drugs". It was a perfect way to start this album by showing that nothing has changed. The "G's" are still here.
3. Rosa Parks
Probably my third favorite Outkast single of all time. The jazz/blues sound mixed with those southern folk harmonies makes you feel and embrace the south. It's fun, it's catchy and it's a true southern boogie track. A classic hit.
4. Skew It On The Bar-B (featuring Raekwon)
The second single from this album was also one of the most interesting collaborations from that year. Outkast and the Wu-Tang Clan are pretty much from complete opposite worlds, but Raekwon blends well with the duo on a beat that's really out of his comfort zone. I liked how Big Boi addresses The Source for the rating their debut album got: "I gotta hit The Source/I need my other half a mic/because that Southerplayalisticadillacmuzik was a classic right?" I have to agree. Great song.
5. Aquemini
This song defines the term psychedelic. All of the delays, echos and warped voices to make it sound dimensional. Like one massive acid trip. All of these psychedelic or "stoner" rappers you here today are trying to mimic that same sound. But here, Outkast does it to perfection.
6. Synthesizer (featuring George Clinton)
Another one of my favorite productions on this album. The strong electric funky sounds on this was o awesome that only George Clinton would have been fitting enough to be featured on such a out-of-this-world track. Super dope track,
7. Slump (featuring Backbone and Cool Breeze)
Somewhat of a southern posse song, Backbone and Cool Breeze joins the duo to take you on a trip to the hardest neighborhoods in the south. You know...the trap. Trying to educate you on how the south isn't just all country lands and what not. The same crime and other nonsense occurs there too. Dope song.
8. West Savannah
Big Boi is solo here and continuing the theme from the previous song, he takes you on a tour of his hood and gives you the south through his eyes. The things he seen and the goods and bads he's been through. I like this a lot.
9. Da Art Of Storytellin' (Pt. 1) / 10. Da Art Of Storytellin' (Pt. 2)
Now it gets good. The duo flexes their amazing story telling abilities here. The story is about a childhood friend of theirs named Sasha Thumper who died of a drug overdose. Both Andre and Big Boi were involved with her but in two different ways. Andre comes off more emotional as he shared all of his happiest memories with her leading up to her death. I was impressed with how Andre seemed very calm even when reflecting on something so emotional as this. Then the next track, Part 2, the duo are at a time where they see it as the end of the world. They mention things they think would happen during it and how this could be their last song. These are all thoughts so when they rap it sounds like these words are coming straight from their head and not their mouths. Like in the movies when they show what the person is thinking. These two songs are what makes them...them. Perfection at it's finest.
11. Mamacita (featuring Masada and Witchdoctor)
This is a track that showcases both sides of a male/female relationship gone sour. I read that this track is based on an actual ex of Andre's who began dating other women after they broke up. Makes sense considering the lyrics. A lot of people today can probably relate to this with so many women claiming the lesbian title now after declaring how fed up they are with men. Cool song.
12. SpottieOttieDopaliscious (featuring Sleepy Brown)
This is by far the weirdest song on the album....in a good way though. The two talk about a woman they approached at the club. Andre speaks on his over infatuation with her while Big Boi kinda pin points the hopelessness of a relationship with her. It's has this 70's sounding groove that's just sound so vintage. What's even more unique is there rhyming which is done like spoken word poetry. Dope track. Weird...but dope.
13. Y'all Scared (featuring T-Mo, Big Gipp and Khujo)
Here's another southern posse cut with more Dungeon Family members. Although this is my least favorite out of the two on this album, it's still not a bad song. Lot of dope lyrics and flows being thrown down here by everyone involved. Although it seems very relaxed considering the title and who's featured, it's a pretty good track for what it is.
15. Liberation (featuring Cee-Lo, Erykah Badu and Big Rube)
At eight minutes long, it's easy to see why this song is a major stand out. The entire song just sounds like an huge influx of genres. From R&B, to jazz, to blues, to gospel. Pretty much everything other than rap as there are no rap vocals at all on here. All the lyrics are either sung or done spoken word style. What I get from it is they are all speaking of artistic freedoms and not caring about the opinions of the public and/or media. It seems like they kinda compare it to slavery as well. There's so much soul coming out of this song that's it's amazing. This was certainly one of the best collaborations in 1998. Beautiful record.
16. Chonkyfire
Filled with guitar riffs and a bunch of other "zoney" sounds, this was certainly a good way to end the album on a light note. Another amazing beat well done by the duo and another good showcasing of their lyricism. I especially liked the ending snippet from the 1995 Source Awards that I spoke about in the introductory paragraph. Dope track.
In closing, I really don't need to tell you why Aquemini is a classic album. It is one of the most important albums in hip hop's history for what it has done for southern hip hop. It gets a grade of an A+. With this album, Andre 3000 and Big Boi showed the world that Atlanta and the rest of the south DID have something to say. They are more than just country bumpkins on farm land eating maple syrup or however the public perceives them. They have rough neighborhoods too. They party and hit the clubs too. They do everything all other rappers nationwide do. Every southern rapper today, specifically the ones from Atlanta owe Outkast a great debt of gratitude. They told the world it's about to be our time and over a decade later, Atlanta is the number one city when it comes to southern MC's. Mission accomplished. End.
Final Grade: A+
CREDITS
Executive Producer
Kenneth Edmonds
Lead Artist
Andre Benjamin
Antwan Patton
Production
David Sheats
Patrick Brown
Ray Murray
Rico Wade
Andre Benjamin
Antwan Patton
Collaboration
Corey Woods
George Clinton
Patrick Brown
Erin Johnson
Robert Barnett
Cameron Gipp
William Knighton, Jr.
Thomas Calloway
Erica Wright
Ruben Bailey
Label
LaFace/RCA Records
Mic's Mixtape Of The Week
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Copyright 2014. Mic Navarro's Corner.
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