There is no surprise here that Idlewild is placed last. This album isn’t bad, it’s just missing that spark and chemistry from all of their other albums. Andre 3000 not being on some of the same songs that Big Boi is on makes this feel off. There are still hits like “Mighty O” and “The Train,” but it doesn’t make up for the lack of that original Outkast feeling. It seems like they are ready to start doing their own thing, and this is their last attempt at something. Outkast is so good that even their worst music is still good, and don’t hate on this album.
Some of their most classic-sounding ’90s hip-hop comes from this album. This album is trying to show the music scene that southern hip-hop is coming up and shouldn’t be criticised. Big Boi and Andre 3000 sound so young and confident, and there are so many fun songs on this album, such as “Ain’t No Thang” and “Players Ball.” One of my favorite Outkast songs comes from this, and that is “Funky Ride,” which shows their early funky and soulful side of their songs. Some of the lengthy moments sometimes outweigh the high points, and some may find it less entertaining than their other music. This is in no way a bad album, but a very nice debut that shows what they can do.
Something that feels missing from this album is the energy, which is what I love so much from Outkast. Don’t let that take away how this is such a great album, and not by any means bad. There are such good hits like “ATLiens” and “Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac)” with their fun alien concept. As a listener who enjoys production over lyrics, this album feels more sparse. The duo is obviously showing off more of their rapping and lyrical ability on this album. I love the more loud and unique songs in the future music, but the progression from their previous album is showing. This is an overall, almost perfect album that sets the scene for their up and coming music.
As Andre 3000 is regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time, it’s hard to say that Big Boi outshone him on this album, but it’s true. This is a double album where Big Boi and Andre 3000 split up to do their own half to make up a 40-song album. I personally think that this album is very underrated. Big Boi takes up the first half with 19 songs and is different than past Outkast music. Big Boi creates so many catchy and fun songs like “Bowtie” and “The Way You Move.” So much soul and fun in these songs that carry over from past Outkast songs. It’s a disaster that Andre 3000 wasn’t on any of these songs, as it would’ve been perfect.
Now onto Andre 3000’s half, it seems like this is more of his pop-like and experimental part of his music. Even though there are many more songs I love on this half, like “She Lives in My Lap” and “Happy Valentine’s Day,” there are many low points in this half that make Big Boi’s half sound more consistent. One of the most well-known songs comes from this half, like the hits “Hey Ya!” and “Roses.” Don’t let the bad outweigh the good on this, as some of their best music can be pulled from this double album.
Classic, classic, classic! That’s the way to describe this album. From just the album cover and title, you know you’ll be in for a treat before you even listen. The origin of some of the biggest hip-hop hits like “Ms. Jackson” and “So Fresh, So Clean” comes from this album. They were at their absolute peak of their classic sound with their funky and energetic production and vocals. The songs “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)” and “Gasoline Dreams” show their loud and quick performances, and songs like “Spaghetti Junction” and “Toilet Tisha” show their groovy and chill side of their production and rapping. The amount of variety in this album gives something for everybody, and you’ll see why it’s regarded as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time.
Aquemini is, for me, a much better album than Stankonia and remains one of my favorite albums of all time. The ahead-of-its-time production and the lyricism from both Big Boi and Andre 3000 make this album generational. At some point in time, each song became my new favorite. Tracks like “Return of the G” and “Aquemini” show off some of the best verses of all time, and tracks like “SpottieOttieDopalicious,” “Synthesizer,” and “Liberation” really show how their production was different and unique from anything else of their time.
I feel like Andre 3000 and Big Boi were having the most fun creating this album, and they are so good at making songs hard-hitting and fun at the same time. The cohesion of the two of them makes this album perfect all the way through.
