Stankonia [PA] - Outkast

"Stankonia" was the fourth album to be released by a group which consists of Andre 3000 and Big Boi, who collectively go by the name of OutKast. This album was a successful one for the group as they managed to a #2 in th Billboard Charts, as well as three singles, of which one achieved a #1 in 2000.

"Stankonia" has a multitude of musical genre's blended within it, whch shows the diversity of the group. Amongst ...
...samba, techno and P-funk, collectively this has been called alt. Hip Hop as this is what it revolves around.

The two artist differ greatly, also adding to the mixture of what is brought from OutKast. They call themselves "The player and the poet" giving and obvious contrast from the start, as Big Boi stays gangsta as his lyric mainly go on the theme of being a thug, whilst Dre generally comes up with random metaphoric phrases. ... more

"Stankonia" was the fourth album to be released by a group which consists of Andre 3000 and Big Boi, who collectively go by the name of OutKast. This album was a successful one for the group as they managed to a #2 in th Billboard Charts, as well as three singles, of which one achieved a #1 in 2000.

"Stankonia" has a multitude of musical genre's blended within it, whch shows the diversity of the group. Amongst what OutKast brings us, we have: metal, gospel, jungle, samba, techno and P-funk, collectively this has been called alt. Hip Hop as this is what it revolves around.

The two artist differ greatly, also adding to the mixture of what is brought from OutKast. They call themselves "The player and the poet" giving and obvious contrast from the start, as Big Boi stays gangsta as his lyric mainly go on the theme of being a thug, whilst Dre generally comes up with random metaphoric phrases. It makes me wonder how Fat Sacks can put up with the other because of his flamboyant dress-sense and style, however I am not complaining about the end product.

"Intro"

"Gasoline Dreams" (feat. Khujo Goodie)

**Three Stars**

I liked this one as it got me in the mood for some OutKast. Its typical of the group to be experimneting with their style and this is something they do hear as they. Its also pretty a pretty regular occurrence hat they bring a track out which doesn't seem to have any menaing, random things just come to the track- this is why we like OutKas so much.

We have Khujo Goodie of the Goodie MOb here as well and he doesn't bring too much to the table. This leaves us with a decent tune from OutKast.

"I'm Cool" (Interlude)

"So Fresh, So Clean" (feat. Sleepy Brown)

**Five Stars**

This is the perfect track. It has the most amazing beat, which was sampled by Joe Simon's "Before the Night is Over" and a the smooth melodies of Sleepy Bronw, obviously along with the flawless raps of Dre 3K and Big Boi.

This one has Organized Noize on the production, of whom Sleepy Brown is a part of the trio. As he played such an important part in this, it shows that he enjoyed this one a lot and his effort was definatley worth-while, judging by the end result.

"Ms. Jackson"

**Five Stars**

This is the track which allowed most of the world to see OutKast for the first time and is commonly incorrectly called their debut single. In fact they had already achieved a double platinum album before this but it was relatively unheard of in this country.

The sample is "Strawberry Letter #23" by The Brothers Johnson and it is a very sombre track. This seems like the only track from the group where they have maintained a single subject to go on to make a track, and is one of my favourites.

"Snappin' & Trappin'" (feat. Killer Mike & J-Sweet)

**Four Stars**

I liked this one because my favouit half of Big Boi is featured heavily throughout the track. In fact Dre doesn't even have a line in the song. This is a good rap track and contrasts heavily with the rest of the album which is very alternative.

I found it quite releaving that they kept some of the rap in their album because it semmed to be something hich they were lacking in for the rest of it.

"D.F." (Interlude)

"Spaghetti Junction"

**Five Stars**

This reminds me of LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" because the beat seems to be influence by East Coast Hip Hop which was quite eery.

Again it seems as though Dre heard of the Spaghetti Junction and it inspired him to just write a track under that name. I'd say that this is one of my favourie tunes from the album, because it's beat is so strong.

"Kim & Cookie" (Interlude)

"I'll Call Before I Come" (feat. Gangsta Boo & Eco)

**Two Stars**

The build-up for this track is quite long as its almost an entire minute before you hear Dre on the first verse. In this time you must lisen to an annoying jiggle.

I don't really get this track as the artists, of which there are four, provide a single verse, which is quite short, then there is a weird chorus, sung by Andre 3000.

"B.O.B."

**Five Stars**

"B.O.B" (Bombs Over Bagdad) is one of my favourite tracks on this album. The title was inspired by Andre 300 hearing reports in 2000 about dropping this when he was in a London hotel. I don't understand how this all relates to the lyrics as they have nothing to do with it.

The way Dre comes in the opening verse is great, the action is frantic here and you feel as if you are already half way through the action. It is extrmely high-paced and is aid to be influenced by the drum and bass spin-off, jungle, in which the music feels as though you are in such a place running to a fast beat.

"Xplosion" (feat. B-Real)

**Four Stars**

B-real is a member of Cypress Hill and add to this funky track. His style is to spit very quickly with an accent which is a mixture of a being Californian and being a Mexican living in a Hip Hop atmosphere. he works well with Big Boi as they are quite similar, in terms of their style.

The hook is rather odd as in seems to be a big mash-up of sounds to make a good beat. The percussion works well to create a good base for the track. I feel that the beat reflects the title well.

"Good Hair" (Interlude)

"We Luv Deez Hoez" (feat. BackBone & Big Gipp)

**Three Stars**

This samples "Worldwide" which was performed by Allen Toussaint, the beat it very jumpy. The delivery of the lyrcs are done in a typiccal from the artists, Big Boi with a great deal of speed and Dre in his very unorthadox ways.

Two members of The Dungeon Family appear on this track along side OutKast's duo, this is helping them up in the world, to gget them nticed as The Dungeon Family's most successful act.

"Humble Mumble" (feat. Erykah Badu)

**Five Stars**

I like this one alot becasue of the delivery of the lyrics. Andre 3000 is the one who, for once, provides the fast, hard-hitting lyrics to the listener. It is incredible how they can come up with so much to say when what they say has little meaning.

The Hip Hop legend of Erykah Badu also appears hear to give some of her spirituallty to the track, which was too fast for its own good.

"Drinkin' Again (Interlude)"

"?"

This is a single verse from andre 3000, I'm not sure why it wasn't used later for a different track or something. It just stands alone. It might be something which was meant to stand out in the album beacsue of its meaning, telling people not to act out violence simply for desire. If it is simply to express this this it was a good idea to keep it like this, because then it has more change of being noticed by the people he is addressing.

"Red Velvet"

**Two Stars**

The beat sounds too slow compared to the speed of the raps. This reminds me a lot of The Streets' "Blinded By The Lights" in this respect. The way that this has been done seems wrong and for that reason I didn't really enjoy listeing to this track.

Here Big Boi provides all of the verses in a rap whilst the chorus is covered by Dre 3000. There isn't much of a main theme in this track and seems to be pretty random.

"Cruisin' in the ATL" (Interlude)

"Gangsta S***" (feat. Slimm Calhoun, C-Bone & T-Mo)

**Three Stars**

This beat is certainly fits in with the Dirty South as a is slow, therfore laid-back, also the theme is about telling the audience about their life which is nothing but 'Gangsta'.

A few member of The Dungeon Family feature here and this shows how this group is like an army as there are so many on their side; they are like an army.

"Toilet Tisha"

**Three Stars**

I wonder where the inspiration for this one came. The track starts to a nice and slow beat beofre going into the chorus, "Toilet Tisha, damn we miss ya". This is quite a funny as the dry humour is masked by the way that the song is sung, in such a serious way.

I was surprised to see Big Boi make acontrbution to this track because of his style but, he also contiues to rap emotionally about a peice of toilet paper being flushed away

"Slum Beautiful" (feat. Cee-Lo)

**Three Stars**

This one included Cee-Lo Green, of the Goodie MOb, who you may also know as a member of Gnarles Barkley. Thi hook of this track is quite odd as they is a vast variety of sounds which are all coming together to give us what we hear. It is sounds quite hypnotic.

Cee-Lo and Dre provide the chorus of a nice melody. The Goodie MOb member alos provides a verse of his own to this slow and mellow song.

"Pre-Nump (Interlude)"

"Stankonia (Stanklove)" (feat. Big Rube & Sleepy Brown)

**Four Stars**

To bring this album to a close, we have Stankonia, also known as Stank Love. It is extremely slow and seems to be quite ghostly until you hear th futuristic robotic voices. The intro to this tune is almost two minutes long and it really is eery.

I found the way they created a misty atmosphere to be very effective and even haunting, despite the fact it is only a song.

There is a lot going for this album as there are 15 full-length tracks. I do think thst this may be a litle to many as a few bad track weaved there way through. I heard another track which wasn't used for the album, "Tough Guy" which featured UGK. I would have enjoyed it a lot more than something like "I'll Call Before I Come" was replaced by this.

I would recommend this to any follower of OutKast's music as it was one of their big LPs. There are an aweful lot of skits and interludes which make the album possibly too long but you can't complain about it. 

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