I was recently having a conversation about OutKast, one of my all-time favorite hip-hop groups, when someone interjected to talk how much he also loved them. He quickly attempted to prove his knowledge, insisting that "Hey Ya!" (2003) is a great song. My face dropped.
See, it's not that "Hey Ya!" is bad - quite the opposite, in fact. There's a reason Grantland voted it as the Best Song of the Millennium. Rather, my problem rested in how much that statement undersold the duo of Andr?© 3000 and Big Boi. These days, so many people know OutKast only by their big name hits from "Stankonia" (2000) and "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" (2003): "Ms. Jackson," "So Fresh and So Clean," "The Way You Move" and, of course, "Hey Ya!" Don't get me wrong - both are amazing albums and those songs became huge hits because they are superb tracks. Unfortunately, the success of "Stankonia" and "Love Below" has overshadowed OutKast's earlier works.
"ATLiens" (1996) and "Aquemini" (1998), the second and third albums, respectively, from the duo, are hip-hop classics. "ATLiens," the group's sophomore album, has sold over two million copies. The title track was a huge Southern jam, with the irresistibly catchy hook demanding listeners to "Throw your hands in the air / And wave 'em like you just don't care / And if you like fish and grits and all that pimp s**t / Everybody let me hear ya say, 'Oh Yea-yer.'" It's virtually impossible to avoid nodding your head when "ATLiens" comes on. The song also serves as a reminder that Big Boi is an impeccable emcee in his own right, even if he is, at times, eclipsed by the more progressively oriented 3000. Big Boi's verse ("And when I'm on the microphone you best to wear your sweater / 'Cause I'm cooler than a polar bear's toe nails") is a classic and is still referenced in modern hip-hop.
The album, a personal favorite, marked Big Boi and Andr?©'s initial experimentation with production - a crucial progression in the development of their unique sound. This is best exemplified on "Jazzy Belle" and "Elevators (Me & You)." Both songs rely on heavy reverb and a soulful, religiously influenced sound that make for a noticeably Southern character. Here, they began to build a niche within hip-hop, defined by their ability to incorporate cross-genre sounds into a very traditional hip-hop context.
This is the sound that would grow into full maturity on "Aquemini." The album, produced in part by Outkast, was an innovative masterpiece. Fueled by Andr?©?3000 and his ability to push traditional hip-hop boundaries, "Aquemini" was immediately hailed as a critical work of art. It drew on classic Southern sounds - for example, the harmonica and guitar on the single "Rosa Parks" - while simultaneously incorporating almost-futuristic synth work, exemplified on songs like "Chonkyfire" and "SpottieOttieDopaliscious."
The album coincides with Andr?© 3000's shift towards a more introspective and drug-free lifestyle. This is reflected throughout the album, as he raps about the problems he sees in the world around him, with lines like, "Please make my life appear / Like ain't no such thing as bad luck / My, nose ain't right / Like I need a new one," on the song "Synthesize." What makes "Aquemini" - and OutKast's music as a whole - so special is this ability to "synthesize" musical innovations with powerful lyrics and distinct perspectives. Andr?© and Big Boi provide the rare combination of musical and social genius. This is what made "ATLiens" and "Aquemini" great and what helped define their later music. So if you're one of the people that swear by "Stankonia," or thinks "Hey Ya!" is a musical masterpiece, do yourself a favor and explore the rest of the OutKastcatalogue. It's a deeper and more impressive body of work than what the radio and public perception sometimes reduce it to.
Ryan Buell is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Ryan.Buell@tufts.edu.
