Outkast Don't Stink

In 1998 I was at a jazz show in New York City.  I was talking to the bass player who I knew from my New York City gigs I would go to and I also hung out with him on occasions.  I was lost for music to listen to and I needed him to help me find new or old music to listen to.  He grabbed a napkin from the bar we were hanging out and gave me a list of a dozen people I should check out.  Some of the music I knew and some I did not.  One of the artist he circled was Outkast.  He told me that they were a Hip-Hop duo from Atlanta and they are pretty awesome.  He liked their beats and their words.  He told me that were not gangster style, but something that stepped from another era.  They could easily be part of the beginning years of the Rap genre with no problem.

When I asked for an album he recommended Aquemini which recently came out and said to seek out the early albums as well.  Classic Hip-Hop with a bit of a Funky twist. He told me that I would like the beats and music they used too.  He thought it was pretty imaginative that they did not sample old school Soul and or R&B but created their own sound. He always told me that was a deal breaker. Find someone in Rap that either uses their own stuff or finds great obscure or unusual samples.  I was still kinda new with Hip-Hop and I knew only the old school Run-DMC, Public Enemy, De La Soul, and the like.  He mentioned after hearing Outkast they will be added to your Hip-Hop favorites.

Fast forward two years later and now back at college for the first time in a while.  I wanted to be a college radio DJ.  I was not sure what I wanted to do for a radio show, but I knew I could not do Hip-Hop, but I sure wanted to learn.  While I was not in college I worked at a home improvement store for a bit and a co-worker told me that the Rap I listen to is conscience Rap and that stuff is a lot better then the Gangster Rap that is out there.  The Rap I listen to, makes you think and makes you want to get involved with the issues the Rap Group is trying to address. I was hoping that was a compliment and went back to work.

While in college I remembered that conversation, and went to seek out the Rap director.  I asked him about just some general help about who and what I should listen to.  I told him about my old-school listenings and also about my going to see D'Angelo and how I was transformed.  His concert the summer before I went back to school was amazing and awesome.  I also told him that I was recommend Outkast and he knew the direction I should be listening to.  He told me he would try to recommend new and old Rap that I might like.  He also told me if I like Outkast, then I would like their new album.  He got like ten copies in the station as give aways and he handed me their newest.  The new album is called Stankonia and it is awesome.

At first listen I was amazed there was three songs that all could be in the mainstream of music without really changing any of the words (for censorship reasons) .  They could rhyme well and also the music they used was pretty damn' catchy.  Songs like "B.O.B.". "Ms Jackson", "So Fresh, So Clean" turned out to be the hits from the album.  Each song you could see their influences on their sleeves.  People like Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Kate Bush (yes Big Boi loves her music), and Prince just to name a few were heard on this albums influence.

I'm not sure what if Dre and Big Boi knew what they were doing when they made Stankonia, but its a Hip-Hop Classic. Not only those three songs, but the rest of the album including the interludes.  This album should, if it has not already been in the top Rap albums of all time.  The classic interplay between both rappers and us the audience makes this album so great, that you love hitting repeat on your MP3 player.  Enjoy!!!