Stankonia

Outkast’s masterpiece and still the best rap album of this century. Broad and deep in scope, dense but accessible across its almost 75-minute running time (which for once isn't a second too long for an LP). Musically drawing on rock, jazz, blues and soul, Sly Stone, George Clinton, Hendrix, Electric Miles; it's all in there and you can hear these influences coalesce into something unique, urgent, exciting, transcendental and totally stoned but in the best way.

I was expecting big things based on Ms. Jackson alone (Ms. Jackson is a 5). Maybe it was the unnecessary interludes. Maybe overall it was just too obnoxious. Or maybe it's because the God awful updated Rolling Stone 500 Greatest albums list has this baby at number sixty freaking four. Seems high. Which is something you might want to be while listening to this.

Zwalony

Im back. The website has given me some eh albums so i took a break. So now we have a timeless classic to look back on. Stankonia, in my opinion, is Outkast's most 'Outkast' album. Combining their southern rap expertise with the electronic, then-modern 2000s feel. It's probably because of the production handed onto Earthtones III. But along with this feel comes with the vibes this album brings. There are like 8 skits on here, making the album feel bloated but in reality it goes by prefty fast. The features feel so natural too, rappers likr Mike or Gangsta Boo just spit their verses like they were born to. And in my opinion, while Aquemini is 100% a better album, songs like B.O.B., Ms. Jackson, & So Fresh So Clean are some of the best songs they have made due to the energy André & Big Boi bring to the table. Both GOATS. 9/10 As of July 18th, 2021 Best Tracks: Gasoline Dreams, So Fresh So Clean, Ms. Jackson, Spaghetti Junction, I'll Call B4 U Cum, B.O.B., Xplosion, We Luv Deez Hoes, Humble Mumble, Red Velvet, Gangsta Shit, Toilet Tisha, Stankonia (Stanklove). The skits are alr too. Worst Track: Snappin' n Trappin'. Very Clunky imo. Still good but I can't listen to it without getting a headache.

Not as bad as some rap I've heard from around the time, kinda catchy in places, cool mix of pop and rap, and fuck the chorus in ms jackson is gonna stay in my head for weeks now, but fuck.... no one needs an album that's 1hr 17min. lots of filler, interludes that add nothing, a couple of long plodding songs... would make an absolutely stellar 45min album though.

Intro—by no means the most memorable skit on an album laden with great ones (Kim and Cookie just jumped straight to the top of my favourites list)—sums up a couple of Stankonia’s virtues. To start, “bounce”—from the depths of the earth’s core, to the farthest reaches of space, to the Cadillac rolling down the street blasting the hottest new sound. This is a fizzy, bubbly, gloopy, rubbery, soft-play Adventureland of bounce. Next, that’s a harmonium and backwards tabla you can hear. In other words, this is insanely ambitious. Like, 1999 ambitious, There's A Riot Going On ambitious, Blonde on Blonde ambitious. Whether or not Big Boi and Andre intended to change the face/interface of rap and pop, they did. For me, at least. After this, nothing was the same. Correction: after Ms Jackson, nothing was the same. That beat—featuring, ahoy! backwards congas—blew my natural mind. I can still feel my 12-year-old brain struggling to contain the rush of endorphins when that wrong-way-round k - k - ku - k, k - k - ku - k loop starts. (Can you believe this is the first time I’ve realised how perfect it is that a song about bittersweet regret uses a backwards beat. It's literally the sound of turning back time.) So how did pop and rap become inseparable after Ms. Jackson? The best way I can explain it isn't great, but it goes something like this: Outkast set themselves the Prince-ly goal of recording literally every idea they’d ever had, carved out a galactic-sized sonic space for their exploration, then covered so much ground in the process that once they were done no one could claim a new sound without it feeling like Outkast got there first. The breadth of their exploration also goes some way to explaining Stankonia’s curious amorality, which swings from the criminally retrograde (Snappin’ & Trappin’) to politically fired-up (B.O.B.) to socially conscious (Toilet Tisha, Humble Mumble) to sexually chivalrous (I’ll Call B4 I Cum) to borderline misogynistic (We Luve Deez Hoez) without reconciling the differences. Forget the big picture, that'll take care of itself. But back to that intro. What it doesn’t tell us is anything about Big Boi and Dre as rappers. Now, as much as I like Big Boi (and I think Speakerboxxx is to The Love Below what Plastic Ono Band is to McCartney), I become deaf to everything around me when I know a 3000 verse is coming. That only happens with three or four rappers. I don’t know what gives someone that power, but he has it. “You can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather.” What other rapper could come up with that? What folksinger? Then there’s the “knee / pad […] be / sad […]" rhyme scheme, his verses on Xplosion and Gangster Shit that make the guests preceding him vanish into obsolescence, and “Speeches only reaches those who already know about it / This is how we go about it.” Perhaps I'm too influenced by Stakonia's turn-of-the-century release when I say I hear it as the final proof of hip hop as the most progressive and inventive music of the last 30+ years. But just consider the differences between this and Mama Said Knock You Out or Fear of a Black Planet. Ten years in real time, light years musically. Finally, having said too much about Ms Jackson, a word on B.O.B. First, it’s actually the better song. Second, most MCs would die trying to rap over that beat. And third, it could end at 2:35 and still be one of the greatest rap songs ever. But then the guitar solo starts, followed by the scratches and cuts. Then the beat changes. The guitar becomes a riff. Andre counts in the gospel choir—1, 2, 3—who regale us with a chorus—“Power music electric revival”—to usher in this (alleged) new age of music. And, just to underscore what talented motherfuckers they are, they finish it off with a squiggly P-Funk synth they absolutely didn’t need to include. Then again, they didn't need to include three-quarters of what's here. That's masterpieces for you. They succeed in spite of their irregularities. Maybe because of them.

Certified. Legendary. Status. It really doesn't get much better than this. It's innovative and creative and manages to alternate between fun and meaningful without giving the listener whiplash. "Stankonia" Is a masterwork of the genre and deserves its place on Mt. Olympus in the pantheon of the greatest albums ever made.

Power Music Electric Revival

The best southern hip hop album of all time. Every track crushes the beats, the rhymes, and the production. Andre 3000 and Big Boi are on fire creatively and they know it. B.O.B. is the kind of song rappers dream of writing. As close to hip hop perfection as it gets.

Misogyny and the music isn't great.

Wild, sprawling and exuberant, this is relentlessly original music, that fuses funk, rock and hip-hop, with a smattering of soul. So many engaging and satisfying beats and tempos and textures. The extracrurricular snippets don't add much necessarily, but they fade out to longer/stronger songs and vibes later on in the record. The artier and genre-mixing it gets, the better it is, which is how music transcends its time – see "So Fresh, So Clean," "Mrs. Jackson" and the amazing closer, "Stanklove." Hip-hop's Radiohead seems about right to this indie rock fan.

👍

ANOTHER FUCKIGN 90S/2000S ALBUM ARE YPU KIDDING ME. OH MY GODDD this albums a 10 im just putting that on the table asap. its not because its consistent, cuz it aint. its probly my most inconsistent 10, but like..the sheer amount of ideas here overflowing thru every track is just overwhelming. i can never rly hate it. except 4 we luv deez hoes the chorus on that song is grating. also that guest verse on xplosion is fucking botdf-quality but with none of the charm. how!!!!! other th an that this is amazing. ms jackson has a rly interesting beat with choruses where everything just CLICKS. the verses feel chaotic and weird but then the chorus hits and it all just makes sense!!! b.o.b. is really cool too. but its a top 100 singvle on this site so who cares about it. the real shit: ill call before i come. very pretty song :) gangsta shit goes way harder than i expected btw. its one of the less original creative songs on this album but it doesnt matter cuz it fuckin goes/ the interludes are lame though

Truly a classic of the genre. Andre 3000 has probably been of the most influential artists to move rap music forward since Dre. There are a bunch of heavy hitters on this album and a lot of really good features. It's weird, it's innovative, it doesn't rest on its laurels and it really tries to make each track its own piece of art. I would say they hit on that promise 80% of the time. There is definitely a 5 buried in here somewhere but there are just a few too many misses to give it a 5. Very strong 4 though.

Long and a little bloated. When this album hits, it really hits though. Favorite tracks: "Bombs Over Baghdad", "We Luv Deez Hoez", "Snappin' and Trappin'"

Stone cold hip-hop classic

Outkast showing how to be funny, serious, straightforward and weird as hell all in the space of one album. Love it.

A few good 3 bar tunes, on each occasion repeated over and over 50+ times over 4 minutes and swamped by mysogenistic and racist (yes, I understand the word has apparently been rebranded but I still find it uncomfortable). Times have moved on and this outdated offensive shit should be consigned to landfill along with tunes like this https://open.spotify.com/track/61NcooPUwSPSwSyzF8UfYv?si=f141a54383c54e23 once loved by the similarly misguided.

It already hit this hard the first time around, I can only imagine how good I'll think it is after a handful more listens.

more than anything its crazy how enduringly, ig self-sufficient this record feels? most of this sounds like it could have come out yesterday, and i imagine thatll hold true for a long time. it also never feels compromised in any direction it stretches in...the big commercial hookiness feels totally natural next to the lyrical ambitions. kind of makes me think that such ideas of art construction are faulty at their core lol, just something that makes intuitive sense as a way to stop further thought. in either case, its stankonia! its loaded with elemental classics and tracks that, at the v least, dont embarrass themselves next to the elemental classics. theres an endlessly appealing Openness and even Vulnerability that unites both the silly lowbrow stuff and the big serious swings...if they dont all land the same, at least i know the ppl making it believed in all of them. and man with speakerboxx/love below being the last outkast thing i heard (courtesy of this project) i forgot how good the chemistry between the two can be...big boi's firey spewing intuition and andre's mega-calculated and densely crafted approach probably get more bounce off of eachother here than any other outkast record

Don't everybody like the smell of apple pie?

Full of bonks, i personally not to fond of the song about a pregnant minor end thier own life but that might just be me. I am a fan of the 30 seconds of "cum" noises at the start its an interesting listen espically with the big hot men repeating the word bounce. But whole thing skeng

Yeah, already understand 3 tracks in why it's on the 1001 - awesome hiphop flows with all kinds of other genres plugged in for visits. Just has that "seminal" feel to it. No doubt Gorillaz was hip to this duo as Dan started building his albums.

Haiku Tuesday: Outkast and Big Boi A duo for the ages play this one more time!

Too many skits. But it’s still amazing.

Maybe my favorite hip hop album of all time. So innovative and ahead of its time. Bangers on bangers. Best track: B.O.B

Stankonia ‘Gobble up jism like school lunches’ I love the eclecticism of this, that they would take forward into Speakerboxx/The Love Below. I loved the overtop-ness and anything goes-ness of that album, but this benefits from being more condensed, even if it's still quite long at 73 minutes and even if it does tend toward sex quite a bit. It occasionally falls into slightly demeaning and misogynistic, although I think they are mostly commenting on those attitudes rather than perpetrating it, although sometimes that line is a bit blurred. It definitely feels less problematic than Ice Cube the other day, balancing some of the horny teenager-ness with genuine empathy, like the superb Ms Jackson, or introspection like Humble Mumble, or zeitgeisty-ness with the excellent Bombs Over Baghdad. Musically it is fantastic though, the Drum’n’bass of B.O.B., the homemade beat of I’ll Call B4 I Cum with a great synth line, the funk bass and guitars of Toilet Tisha, a the groove of Slum Beautiful, as well as the generally atypical rhythms and beats throughout. I don’t know this as well as Speakerboxx/The Love Below outside the 3 big singles, but it grew a lot on me on repeat listens, although I think it sits a notch below that. Despite it being shorter, it could possibly still do with a bit of an edit, its wooliness isn’t quite as charming as S/TLB. Still a great album though, and a solid 4. 💣💣💣💣 Playlist submission: Ms Jackson

While I was shoving sunflower seeds up my nose at nursery, Outkast were seeing in the 21st century with a winningly eclectic, expansive set of songs. This is the second album of theirs I’ve listened to in full: a couple of years ago, “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” blew me away when I heard it. While heavy and bloated, the volume of innovation and ideas being launched at the wall was overwhelming, and it’s fast become one of my favourite hip-hop albums on the list. "Stankonia" was its immediate precursor, and showcases more than I’d expected of Outkast's genre diversity, experimentation and restless energy.  In making this record, the duo turned away from hip-hop as inspiration, feeling it was beginning to stagnate. Instead, the aim of "Stankonia" was to balance retro influences - Prince, Hendrix, Little Richard, Parliament-Funkadelic - with progressive sound. You could argue this is hardly unusual for hip-hop (Dr. Dre, NWA,  Beastie Boys and more had pulled from the same sources). But as far as I’ve heard, Outkast stand alone in combining wild experimentation with the ability to craft crossover-pop smash hits. There’s an urgency and a vitality to the best songs here: “Gasoline Dreams”, “Xplosion”, the pleading throughout the iconic “Ms. Jackson”. All of them are bombastic and explosive, with a genre-spanning set of samples and sounds, from harpsichord to guitar, bells, organ and an ultra phat bass. Hear it and weep. Features abound from names including Killer Mike, Gangsta Boo, Cee-Lo Green, and Cypress Hill's nasal king B-Real. All of have distinct voices and personas to help strengthen the variation even more, but the guest who steals the show the most is Erykah Badu in the stand-out track “Humble Mumble”. What a voice. Elsewhere, I really enjoyed the lighter fare like “So Fresh, So Clean”, “I’ll Call B4 I Cum”, “We Luv Deez Hoez”. Once the kind of thing I would have squirmed at and found grating, it’s clear the duo are playing roles and loving it: it’s pantomime hip-hop. As if to prove the gimmicks haven’t become too much, we go harder, no-frills, trap-based with “Spaghetti Junction”, “Snappin & Trappin”, “Gangsta Shit”. And in the final stretch, the songs space out into haze and would-be psychedelia, with mixed results: "Toilet Tisha" is undeniably moving, while “Slum Beautiful” and “Stankonia” verge on outstaying their welcome. Without a doubt, though, the centrepiece of “Stankonia” is the truly incendiary “B.O.B (Bombs Over Baghdad)”. Written to emulate emergent rave music after Andre attended one, it marries a drum-n-bass style breakbeat with a hazy organ, scratchy funk guitar, machine-gun vocals and a singalong backing. It’s a move unlike any other I’ve heard in hip-hop before, and something I can only imagine Outkast pulling off. It was also voted Pitchfork’s song of the decade: however much stock you may put in such lists or the site itself, it remains an incredible testament to the duo’s mass appeal. All that remains from me is to share this verse of Andre 3000’s from “Humble Mumble”, which has given me much thought on my previous feelings around hip-hop and those who still shut it out on impulse… “I met a critic, I made her shit her drawers She said she thought hip-hop was only guns and alcohol I said, "Oh hell, nah", but yet it's that too You can't discrimi-hate 'cause you done read a book or two” Touche, Andre, touche.

pretty good, I enjoyed this more than speakerboxx, also I didnt realize how many hits came off this album. its way more raw than later entries which muddies things up I feel. great listen!

Banger after banger. OutKast has consistently put out innovative albums trying new things every album, hitting the mark every time. Our first three tracks make up the strongest opening in their catalog. Tight production, clear, fast, and clever raps, and strong influences from funk, jazz, and rock, though still having the structure of pop hip hop of the late 90s, making it accessible to both mainstream audiences and fans of other genres. "Gasoline Dreams" starts us off strong with some p-funk licks (reminds me of Maggot Brain) and impressive raps with a corresponding fun chorus. The next two are super hits. "So Fresh So Clean" shows like four distinct styles of singing and rapping, super funky. "Ms. Jackson" is reminiscent of other pop songs of the time, but has super memorable hooks, a catchy chorus, and a funk style like no other. "Snappin & Trappin" moves us into hardcore territory, but is characterized by surreal "alien futuristic" samples. Strange how this is so early in the album as it might turn off some listeners, but the raps are nevertheless insane as always. I'll stop talking about each track since that'll take forever, but it's more or less the same strengths, but yet ton of diversity to keep me interested in what they'll do next. The interludes are weird and hilarious. They're inclusions are welcome all throughout the album to keep it fresh and interesting, giving me small breaks to contemplate on what the next track is like. BREAK The only major weakness is the length. I know it's Aquemini and The Love Below are just as long, but starting with "Humble Bumble" I lose focus. They're great tracks for sure, and it doesn't take much to appreciate them, but there's a lack of standout tracks to attract your attention. However, I do speculate it'd be easier with more listens with how much character they all have.

Excellent rap album by the best rap duo of all time. This album varies stylistically in many ways and it’s good from front to back. This album has several interludes that break up the flow and in my opinion don’t add much. This album is good but I’d OutKast’s 3rd or 4th best.(Idlewild is obviously last) Which shows how good they are. 8.2/10

I LOVE THIS ALBUM. I can honestly say that I listen to a few songs from this album every week. Similar to “The Low End Theory” this album changed hip hop as it expanded peoples’ perceptions of what hip hop could be.

I am for real!

A super important record to me. This was the first hip hop album I ever purchased. I had always been into other genres and never really understood rap so this album has a big nostalgia hit for me as a big door opener. That said, the album is still really good all these years later. Almost every song is solid. I actually forgot how good Humble Mumble and Red Velvet are to my ears. The 3 big singles from this album are still amazing. Snappin' and Trappin', We Love Deez Hoez, and Stankonia (Stanklove) are the only songs that I could take or leave. The skits are also something I could do without. Thankfully they are all pretty short. Part of me wants to give this 5 stars because of my personal attachment and the soaring high points of the album, but I think it's a 4 at this point for me. Still great and highly recommended but not perfect.

OutKast’s sound is distinct and instantly recognizable. Their flow and lyrical constructions are refreshing. I could do without the misogyny and gangster-ish stuff (I didn’t keep track of the tracks), and I certainly would prefer not to hear CeeLo’s voice. But overall these feel like minor speed bumps. I want to listen to more OutKast. I have Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, but I never really got into it. I guess I need to go back earlier in their catalogue.

Bombs over baghdad greatest song of the 2000s

Nice start, enjoyed this

I didn't give this a proper listen but with Ms. Jackson and So Fresh, So Clean alone this album gets a 4.

Count me Inkast

As Marge Simpson’s psychologist would say: it’s a rich tapestry. Great tracks mixed with some not so. ‘Snapping & Trappin’ painful drum track- skipped. Outkast always a mix of serious and taking the piss. I like the interludes in albums, but there could’ve been some tracks dropped from this lengthy album that goes for ever. Forever ever?

Very fun, some awesome bops in here that I already knew and loved. The rest of the album is hit or miss, I enjoyed it, but not as much as I love the few stand out songs. The talking is interesting but gets repetitive and boring near the middle and by the end I just wanted it to be over :/ it's not that it was bad at all but I don't think I'd go out of my way to listen to the full album again. Not one that I'd want on vinyl.

There's some really great things on here and some weaker as well. It's a long album and has those typical interludes/skits which don't add much. However, you also have So Fresh, So Clean, Ms. Jackson, and B.O.B. 6.25/10 (3.125/5)

It was ok but did seem to go on for about 30 minutes longer than it needed to! All the influences and styles that purportedly went into the making of this album were not overly noticeable and so apart from Ms Jackson it was pretty much hip hop business as usual!

the bangers are bangers. otherwise not so much

I'm always kind of surprised that Outkast are one of the more agreeable hip-hop acts for people who otherwise don't really like hip-hop. I think when it's on, this is a really good hip-hop album -- "B.O.B", "Gasoline Dreams", "Ms. Jackson" all fantastic. But, it's also kind of a mess with a lot of filler and pointless interludes that in no way warrant a 73 minute runtime. There's a great album in here somewhere, but as it stands, it's a 3.5.

Unlike Speakerboxx and The Love Below where each member of OutKast had their own separate maxed out disc, this is a bit more at their creative and collaborative zenith and actually manages more than one good song between them. Ms Jackson is the pick of the pops but there are a few other blazing tracks like B.O.B as well. Very stanky, trancy, funky, soulful n gangsta but often quite dank drudgy as well and still overlong by 40 minutes. Cut it right down to Revolver length and Stankonia would definitely be a more glorious nation.

Some great hits, but overall eh.

There were two popular songs in this album, and the rest were a bit meh. The whole thing was alright, but nothing too exciting. Two two jams - So Fresh, So Clean and Ms. Jackson were great, of course.

This would have been a much better album without all the annoying interlude skits. The music itself is interesting and when it works it really works. Some of the tracks fall flat for me though.

I was ready to give this a 5 or 4 due to So Fresh, So Clean, Ms. Jackson, and B.O.B being on here. But those are the only 3 songs out of the 200 that I liked. Not terrible album at all, but a lot of fluff surrounding a few gems.

There are some greats on this album, but dragged down by length and some filler

No. 79/1001 Intro NR Gasoline Dreams 3/5 I'm Cool NR So Fresh, So Clean 4/5 Ms. Jackson 5/5 Snappin' & Trappin' 2/5 DF NR Spaghetti Junction 3/5 Kim & Cookie NR I'll Call B4 I Cum 2/5 B.O.B 3/5 Xplosion 2/5 Good Hair NR We Luv Deez Hoez 3/5 Humble Mumble 3/5 Drinkin' Again NR ? NR Red Velvet 3/5 Cruisin' in the ATL NR Gangsta Sh*t 2/5 Toilet Tisha 3/5 Slum Beautiful 3/5 Pre-Nump NR Stankonia 3/5 Average: 2,93 I know this is beloved by fans and critics alike. Heavily influential. Still OutKast just doesn't click with me.

A very bloated album. Way too many skits and random interludes that bring down what would be a pretty incredible album. It has three of Outkast's most iconic songs in So Fresh, So Clean, Ms. Jackson, and Bombs Over Baghdad. But those three songs can't hold up the rest of the fluff of the album.

at their best when they don't take themselves seriously, but 24 tracks and a solid 8 skit tracks, i mean come on.

Zwalony. Bob i Ms Jackson

I am four eels

On s'ennuie entre les tubes c'est tout ce que j'ai à dire.

There is a decent 40 minute album here but there is so much filler it negates a lot of the good work. Like occasional rays of light breaking through clouds the good tunes shine through, but its a generally miserable experience

From the day when certain artists felt obliged to fill an 80 minute CD comes a massively bloated album. It is very much the generic chart hip-hop you expect with an irritating interlude between every track. They are not as charming as they seem to think they are and can’t pull it off. But the guests are on point and the production is alright I suppose. I just wish that some record exec had rescued it by going mad with a pair of scissors. At least 45 minutes off.

The first half was not for me, second half was easier for me to listen to. Not an enjoyable listen for me

wanted to like it more

Nope, sorry. I can't stand another self-aggrandizing misogynistic album. I appreciate some of the social commentary on this, like most hip hop albums really, but it's just nauseating to listen to. Also 75 minutes is bordering on torture. 1/5

Another personal favourite here!

If there ever existed a perfect album this would be the one.

Remains one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time (with the caveat that I have no business claiming to be able to identify the greatest hip hop albums of all time)

Outkast is wonderful. I had only heard a couple songs on this album before today, but I loved just about every one. There were a lot more guest artists than I expected, but overall it was great. Great beats, great rhymes, great stories, very cool album with great re-listenability. I listened to it twice -- five stars.

I absolutely loved this album, particularly the first half of it. It was fun and catchy. I had heard several of these songs before, but never knew it was from this group. I love their stuff though, and I'll definitely listen to these songs again!

Whilst many might think of The Love Below/Speakerboxxx when it comes to Outkast, this is by far and away their best work. Each track hits. Bombs over Baghdad is a masterpiece. Lots of the features being local artists and it being made in their home town, I think they must have really just hit a perfect moment as artists. Was one of my favourite albums as a teenager and was lovely to revisit today!

Embarrassingly, this was the first time I have ever sat and listened to an OutKast album front to back. Coming in at over an hour long (usually enough to put me off anything), Stankonia is a massive album full of beats big and small, insanely clean and at times experimental production, a metric tonne of solid gold bars, and some of the catchiest hooks ever laid down on wax. It covers so many bases in its run time without ever overstaying its welcome, honestly dare I say a masterpiece of an album. If I had to make one criticism, I don't think the interludes bring enough to the table, but they also don't stick around long enough to take anything away and do provide a breather between an album full of insanely well crafted songs. This is an easy 5 and I cannot believe I have lived for nearly 30 years without this album in my life. Favourites - Gasoline Dreams, So Fresh So Clean, Ms. Jackson, I’ll Call B4 I Cum, B.O.B., We Luv Deez Hoez, Humble Mumble, Red Velvet

Best

Perfection

Another classic, high-art hip-hop at its finest ️‍🔥

Saved my Monday morning. 3000 is one of the best to ever do it, stank you very much

i like so fresh so clean the most out of all of them and cool

One of the best Rap Albums of the 2000s

A transcendent, weird, unrepeatable classic. While the sheer sprawl of it means it’s not always coherent, and it could have done with a twenty minute chop, it’s more daring than most 90s rap outfits. Their chemistry is undeniable, and they feel more in sync here than they do on (the two separate albums of) the classic Speakerboxx/The Love Below. The album is more ragged and rock heavy than their follow up, which is polished - this is the Revolver to Speakerboxx's Sgt Pepper.

Gran álbum, uno de los mejores en el hip-hop, tiene realmente de todo y un dúo que pocas veces había escuchado. Lo siento señora Jackson uuuh...

An album full of fun bangers. It's playful throughout while dishing out solid, head-bobbing rap.

- Shit was already incredible but im getting more out of it on this listen - i will always ride for the south

Classic

Incredible hip-hop album.

Funny and funky

Some great songs on here, mad I hadn’t fully listened to this album yet. 5/5!

This album STILL sounds like the future.

one of the best OAT

Certainly the best album in the history of Stankonia. The versatility, and production is in a league of its own, and this is one of my favorite Hip-Hop albums of all time. Favorite Track: "B.O.B.(Bombs Over Baghdad)".

Arguably best hip hop album

Listening to ATLiens and Aquemini too. Been wanting listen to them for a while. Havent listened to much hip hop in while.

Only one of the Greatest albums ever, & rightly included. OutKast never put out a bad album, and here they're at the height of their power. Every song is a banger, and the skits are amusing without derailing the album's momentum. Crazy to think I've kept this in regular rotation now for 25 years, and you can bet it'll stay there for at least that many more.

God damn slap machine is what it is

First of all, these men look sooo beautiful on the cover. Then the black and white flag behind them is a clear sign that politics are going to feature heavily. And the beautiful cover is an accurate prediction of what comes from the music. The skit interludes are a bit distracting but the music is so excellent that it overshadows the silliness of the skits. So Fresh, So Clean is a true representation of its namesake. Ms. Jackson is absolutely iconic and such a human story presented alongside some killer beats and licks. Only negative I have to say about that song is the genuine misogynist lyrics in the bridge (the rest of the song is surprisingly free of misogyny considering the subject matter). Not into the corny trap beat in Snappin n Trappin. Love the Killer Mike verses, his voice and flow are perfect fits for this album, wish I could hear him do a less corny song. The synth lick is also gross (derogatory). It's all good though because it comes right back in Spaghetti Junction. The flows are so punchy, they pull the best styles and beats from older skool rap and modernize them in a way that seamlessly fits the style. I'll Call B4 I Cum is a weird song lyrically, only because it's so unusual to see the hip hop flavour of sex music be actually feminist. Some great flows from Outkast and then lines from two female rappers is a cherry on top. then to go straight from the laid back loving of I'll Call right into the frantic energy of B.O.B. is whiplash but keeps your attention. I love the tone of the synth in B.O.B., I hear that tone a lot in Tobacco/Black Moth Super Rainbow sound and I love it. Then Xplosion is such an entrancing mix of unsettling, powerful, and that flavour of can't-look-away-from-the-train-wreck attraction. Love this coming right before the killer combo of Outkast Octane Energy with Erykah's smooth vibey style in Humble Mumble. A mid-song beat switchup will always tickle my brain. This is my first time actually paying attention to the lyrics though, and I'm so glad I did, they're beautifully heartbreaking in their bullseye politic. Gangsta Sh*t is less interesting to me overall though I love the echo-y guitar licks accompanying the flows. Toilet Trisha is devastating. Stankonia is just plain weird and is one of the album's misses in my opinion, though the gospel backing vocs kind of make up for it. The slowed-down ending is hilarious and almost redeems the rest of the song, makes me wonder if the whole thing was meant to be silly. Overall an excellent album that I'm very happy I heard before I died. I'm a longtime lover of Andre 3000 and this pairing is stellar, and the collabs they do over the course of the album are bespoke buttery smooth.

A tour de force of hip hop. One of the greatest of all time, timeless.

Don’t think I ever appreciated how insanely iconic the production/beats on this album is. “Let bygones be bygones, you can go ahead and get the hell on” - poetry Spaghetti Junction 😩 Need to look into Gangsta Boo

Incredible album from start to finish. An all-time classic. 10/10.

Classic

Bonafide classic and still the best rap album of this century, Outkast at the absolute peak of their powers, putting a little stank on ya.

Yay!

when this album dropped, i saw the video for Bombs Over Baghdad and it was the coolest thing i’d ever seen

And epic addition to the hip hop category, bringing an instrumental flavour relatively unheard from the south. I like it a lot

Best hip hop duo