Stank You Smelly Much (OutKast's Worst to Best)

 

    It is the year 2005. I was a snot-nosed kiddiewink vibing to whatever could be grouped into the rock and metal umbrellas – not a whole lot beyond. It used to be the days when it was kosher to bear a shred of respect for various sounds, provided what you were bumping wasn't rap or country (citation? Hardly know 'em). Today it's the second quarter of 2022 and I've outgrown my older habits, natch. One of the countless artists who helped swell my sensibilities was a plucky pair operatin' under the krooked American system for too long – transformative hotshots from the South with something to say. This is OutKast.

    Honored for their boundary-blurring production magic, a desire to inspire positivity above all and the "opposites attract" effectiveness of Antwan Patton (Big Boi) and André Benjamin (André 3000), we're going to grade their main discography from discrimi-hateable to sweeter than a plate of yams with extra syrup. Break!

#6: Idewild [2006]

    I have NEVER seen this film. Don't recall much in the way of Idlewild promotion-wise, although I do intend on checking it out... ultimately. The flick warrants a watch in the hopes its companion album is better understood in context, because as it stands? NO.

    The record doesn't showcase an OutKast playing to the unit's strengths, magnifying the defects that emerged back on Stankonia. Flaws include, but aren't limited to: tediousness; extremist to a fault; underwhelming; and the largest pain in the dick surrounding it is the team's plummeting chemistry. At least with Idlewild's predecessor, that had the excuse of being two sorta solo releases rolled into a lone monster. Kudos where it's due, the post-rock closer A Bad Note is a delicious Chad move!

#5: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below [2003]

    Ah, yes... My arch-nemesis – the ubiquitous double album. OutKast's debut chart topper builds on the set's ever-expanding sonic eclecticism, lyrical compass and (lamentably) their decline. Boy, time made this fillerific record stink.

    Between both halves, Big Boi's straight(er)-laced hip hop on Speakerboxxx is the superior leg as a consequence of its steadiness, performances and shorter length. Aside from Last Call, Speakerboxxx's tracklist doesn't contain any notable duds, although its several highs (e.g. Unhappy; Tomb of the Boom; Knowing) neither eclipse nor measure up to the greatest OutKast had to offer in the 90s. André 3000's Prince-jocking, maudlin slog The Love Below proves substantially harder to stomach. If I'm to hear Hey Ya! ever again or somebody subjects me to Roses' chorus, Imma slap the dickens outta Heaven's "angels"! ...Go on and marinate on that for a minute.

#4: Stankonia [2000]

    Here it is, the OutKast installment responsible for propelling its Atlanta boys to megastardom. Stankonia is a speedy, wild and variable outing, inspired by the hip hop scene exploring harder substances (e.g. molly; cocaine) and the then-new millennium where these drugs came to fruition. As illustrated by the likes of Ms. Jackson, Humble Mumble and Toilet Tisha, OutKast brought a poppier bite into the fold – their rural character survived, of course.

    In hindsight, this fourth creation is a clumsy, overestimated batch of compositions in which its datedness is a bug, not a feature. The duo's material had run overlong (SEVEN interludes?!), while the beats and grooves turned out less explosive and ingenious in application than on paper. Stankonia by itself is still an alright (albeit inferior) experience; OutKast wouldn't truly lose the plot 'til later. 

#3: Aquemini [1998]

    General consensus is that Aquemini is oft-viewed as André and Big Boi's artistic apogee – either this, ATLiens or BOTH. OutKast were given a greater level of free rein for the album, producing the lion's share of it themselves and casting a wider net in pursuit of blending genres. They also gained a finer sense of duplexity: André had assumed the role of an animated minstrel, whereas Big Boi was the standard, equally attention-grabbing thug. 

    This remains a vivid, amazing release rocking tight arrangements, exciting turns, fun bars and unforgettable HEATERS; not least of which are the Da Art of Storytellin' two-parter and spoken word+funk+dub showstopper SpottieOttieDopaliscious (incredible horns). Of their first three offerings, Aquemini falters more in consistency due to some... strange decisions (the Mamacita hook slander don't lie), yet this rare complication doesn't rob the record of its keeper status. 

#2: Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik [1994]

        2nd? THIS?! ...Yes, actually. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is a youthful, hungry incarnation of OutKast – an OutKast when they were unabashedly gangsta. Fellow Atlantans and production team Organized Noize supplied the aggregate of the board work during this period, combining live instrumentals with synthetic components (e.g. turntable scrubbing; indubitable Miami bass flavor). As urban and frank as they come.

    It might not be their gutsiest endeavor – shit, it ain't even their most realized entity – but Southernplaya... is a badass, pimpin' prize. It's done wonders in establishing the ensemble's harmony, mic prowess, ideas and ethos. A true Southern hip hop model, and it would've been crowned champion of the OutKast catalog, except...

    ...Feast your eyes. What participant landed in the #1 spot?

#1: ATLiens [1996]

    Big Boi and André demonstrate VERY stellar partnership on their sophomore venture, insomuch that neither of them attempt to upstage one another. A paradigm shift for the crew, ATLiens enjoys a spacier, hypnotic atmosphere, specifically felt not only in its textures, but its accompanying artwork, too; special comic inside! OutKast tackle an enlightened array of themes throughout, covering topics like extraterrestrial life, astronautics, the rollercoaster ride called fame and perceiving the opposite sex as queens. 

    Futuristic; fashionable; fruity; and fantabulous start to finish. ATLiens is a perennial record filled to the top with fortitude, ace sequencing and tracks fixed way deep in the mind; whether that be trip hop-laden marvel Elevators (Me & You) or the ever anthemic t/t. The more time invested, the more this entry in the Kastverse becomes an unsurpassed favorite, full stop.