They brought you the Platinum Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Then they brought the Platinum plus ATLiens. Now Big Boi and Dre, the player and the poet, bring you their highly anticipated third album, Aquemini, destined for at least Double Platinum. OutKast consistently provides superb lyrics laced over bumpin' tracks which have earned them Platinum albums, #1 hit singles, awards and respect in the world of rap. In 1994 the duo entered the hip-hop scene with the Organized Noize (TLC, EnVogue, Goodibe Mob) produced Platinum album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. It debuted at #3 on the R&B Billboard Chart, received a 4.5 mic rating (out of 5) from The Source magazine and the group received a Source Award for Best New Group or Duo. The album's first single, "Player's Ball," went Gold in a matter of weeks, holding down the #1 spot on Billboard Rap Chart for over six consecutive weeks. In short, OutKast made the industry stop and respect that rap can flow from the dirty south. OutKast came right back with their sophomore album, ATLiens, which sold 1.5 million units. ATLiens reached Platinum status within a few weeks of its release when it entered the Billboard Top 200 at #2 (directly behind Pearl Jam). The album, also produced by ONP, marked the very impressive production debut by Big Boi and Dre, who crafted the first release off ATLiens, "Elevators." The single stayed at #1 for weeks, reached Platinum status, and had hip-hop heads across the nation chanting, "Me & you, your momma and your cousin too, rollin down the strip on vogues, comin up slammin cadillac doors." - Press Release, 1998. Revisit Aquemini, cont'd below...
David Banner spoke about the album in The Source's Record Report and had this to say, "I look at OutKast as being visionary. They are one of the few groups that show there is dexterity in their music. From the poetry to the live feeling, this album change the way people look at rap music. They brought in orchestras and African drummers, different types of instruments that you're not used to hearing in rap music. Big Boi took care of the streets while Andre took us to the next galaxy. It's like a diary to a Southern cat's life. "Return of the G" was the feeling of the streets and "Rosa Parks" was like going to church in the South. That's what made the album great. If you felt like you need "Liberation" you had it. It wasn't too much of anything, it was just enough. I don't care if you the hardest gangsta in the world, you not killing somebody every day. No one is happy every day. A dope fiend ain't high every single day. And I don't give a f#ck what nobody says: Andre Benjamin is one of the top five lyricists of all time. From their first album to now, he has never kicked a weak rhyme... Let's embrace them while they're alive." - The Source. Agreed, top 5 lyricist of ALL-TIME!
