The duo not only went against the grain of mainstream gangster rap, but also brought the eclectic South to the level it deserved. Whether you’re from ATL or not, the clarity and uncertainty displayed side-by-side in their verses is striking. The two were navigating life, changing by the day, and trying to convey their lessons learned into 3-minute records. Broadening their horizons by touring was only half of it. Thrown into the limelight before they even reached their 20’s, it’s safe to say that Big Boi and Andre 3000 had to grow up quickly. Andre and Big Boi set a high bar for themselves with their debut but managed to blow it out of the water with their sophomore release.
The album was released to wide acclaim, garnering 350,000 in sales within a couple of weeks and eventually going on to be certified double platinum. OutKast is held in such high regard for a reason: they broke the mold, and they looked good as hell doing it. Any student of real hip hop will tell you that it is a masterclass in lyricism, atmosphere, and pure skill. To this day, ATLiens stands as one of the great rap albums of all time. They were outsiders with stuff to get off their chest, and a record to set straight. This isn’t surprising, knowing their situations in life and the industry that they were coming from. The introspection and boasting go hand in hand, the subjects as relatable as they are out-of-this-world. OutKast laments the difficulties that come with young adulthood in the South through masterful lyricism and flows that sweep you into another dimension. While their previous project may have proved their skill, this cemented it. Image: Rick Diamond Aliens or Alchemists?ĪTLiens is an apt name for the spacey, foreign tracks that fill the album’s 57-minute runtime. Credits list group Organized Noize as having a big hand in the creation of this masterpiece as well. In fact, “Elevators (Me & You)” was the first song recorded for the album, and also happened to be produced by the duo themselves. Wanting to take their artistry to the next level, both had learned to engineer sound to further bring their vision alive. By this time, both Andre and Big Boi were flexing their production chops.
Despite complications in both of their personal lives (Andre’s 2-year relationship ended, and Big Boi became a father), the rappers truly locked in to bring a new sound and a new attitude to the game. The group would then return to their home city to begin the creation of ATLiens. Amidst boos from New York artists and their crews, 3 Stacks grabbed the mic and relayed his groundbreaking message, “The South got somethin’ to say! That’s all I gotta say.” Then they proved it. With Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B.I.G., Suge Knight, and more in attendance, the animosity between the two coastal hip hop scenes was more than apparent. They say you could’ve cut the tension between opposing sides of the room with a knife. Something to Proveīefore they dove into their next record, OutKast made their mark on the industry and inspired generations of artists when they accepted the Best Newcomer award at the 1995 Source Awards. After touring to follow up the success of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, Big Boi and Andre were ready to take on their next challenge. The two rappers were born and raised in Atlanta, meeting in high school and combining forces just in time to create and release their first project after graduating. This platinum-certified debut would set the tone for their explosive careers. Meanwhile, the enigmatic duo Outkast was busy crafting an album that would touch down somewhere between Decatur and outer space.īig Boi and Andre 3000 burst their way onto the scene at a mere 18 years old with their album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. At the time, it felt like everyone was just a bystander to the East vs. In a rap game dominated by New York star power, Atlanta wasn’t supposed to be the next big thing. A year later, Outkast was back with their sophomore release ‘ATLiens’ to prove it. 26 years ago, according to Andre 3000, the south had something to say.
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