The Greatest 50 Hip-hop Albums Ever - #22...

[Twentytwofifty]

Outkast - Aquemini (1998) 


    Many throw the word, "genius" around.  But few actually embody the term.  Count Outkast among the few.  Along with producers Organnized Noize, the duo rescripted hip-hop's annals with two diverse records; 1994's soul-laden pimp bible, Southernplayalisticadallacmuzik; and 1996's ATLiens, a record that conjured up the spirit of funkateers like Sun Ra, George Clinton, Undisputed Truth, Nucleus and Afrika Bambaataa.  This year Outkast returns with their third LP, Aquemini (a hybrid of Big Boi and Andre's zodiac signs); and , true to from, this LP sounds different from the last two records while maintaining their standards of excellence.

    Aquemini is a brilliant record.  Let the unequivocal statement be said right off the bat.  It possesses an uncanny blend of sonic beauty, poignant lyricism and spirituality that compels without commanding.  The record offers a rich blend of potent beats-tight snares, booming kicks and cool rimshots-a diverse tapestry of various musical textures that hark back to the days when hip-hop wasn't tied to the whims of industry trends and charts. By continuing their submersion into the baptismal waters of the African American musical continuum, and through their superb use of the urban narrative, Outkast has created a record that is rooted equally in both the long-standing tradion of Southern-based music-blues, gospel, jazz, funk, soul, etc.-and the spirit of hip-hop.

    Consider the first single, "Rosa Parks".  This funky, uptempo club track is blessed by a sizzling harmonica solo by Rev. Robert Hodo (the minister at the church Dre's mother attends) and a catchy chorus: "ah, hah, hush that fuss/ everybody move to the back of the bus/ do you wanna bump and slump with us/ we the type of o'people make the club get crunk".

    But the brilliant thing about the track isn't really is that although the song isn't really about the grand matriarch of the Civil Rights Movement, it does pay homage by musically evoking-via the handclaps, shouts, footstomps and Rev. Hodo's dynamic playing-the spirit of the Black church which served as the backbone of the movement.  More importantly, it underscores the strong continuum between Black sacred and secular music, a dynamic that Outkast seems to traverse with ease.

    Throughout the record re and Big Boi showcase their verbal trademark-cool, staccato flows steeped in the everyday slanguage of the Deep South.  Their poetic gifts come to particularly high points on two songs: "Aquemini", a slow, winding reaffimation of Dre and Big Boi's allegiance to one another centered around a laid-back beat and a jazzy guitar like; and "Skew It On The Bar-B", yet another gem that showcases the surprising combination of Outkast and Raekwon atop a track laced with a bevy of rhythmic strings and guitars.  Although all three put in major work on the mic, Big Boi really stands out on this track as he runs rapid fire lines, suddenly stops just before the end of each line, then spits out the last word to complete the rhyme:

Boi, I bust raps like D-boys bust gats, shit
we the type of people that don't bury the axe
or the hatchet, everytime we see your link we snatch it
ridin round our hood talkin that dumb shit, your cabbage
is cracked, like plumber's ass, and summer's grass
I been in the game for a minute, seen some suckaz like y'all passin
thinkin you're light skinned, aight then, lil' boy why you frightened?
the Dungeon Family gon' be here nigga so keep writing
I gotta hit The Source, I need my other half a mic

    Other standout tracks include the jazzy "Liberation", featuring vocals by Ceelo, Erykah Badu and a spoken work piece from Rube; the reggae-inspired "Spottie Ottie Dopalicious"; and the banging "Mamasita" featuring a new female MC named Masada. 

    Filled with live instumentation, head nodding rhythms and Big Boi and Dre's uncanny ability to intersperse thought-provoking messages without preaching or being corny, Aquemini may very well be the best LP to ever come out the Organized Noize camp.  In fact, not since Dr. Dre's The Chronic have we had such a ground-breaking hip-hop record, one that will literally have everyone rethinking how to approach creating this genre for years to come.


50. Dr. Dre - 2001 (1999)
49. Outkast - Southernplayalisticaddicmuzik (1994)
48. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)
47. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1990)
46. Redman - Whut? Thee Album (1992)
45. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (1991)
44. Fugees - The Score (1996)
43. The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better (1989)
42. Common Sense - Resurrection (1994)
41. Makaveli - The Don Kiluminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)
40. Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet (1990)
39. Ice Cube - Death Certificate (1992)
38. Gza/Genius - Liquid Swords (1995)
37. N.W.A - Efil4zaggin (1991)
36. Main Source - Breaking Atoms (1991)
35. Geto Boys - Grip It! On That Other Level (1989)
34. Brand Nubian - One For All (1990)
33. Scarface - The Diary (1994)
32. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road To The Riches (1989)
31. Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill (1986)
30. Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Beatdown (1988)
29. LL Cool J - Radio (1985)
28. 2Pac - All Eyez On Me (1996)
27. Mobb Deep - The Infamous... (1995)
26. Eric B. & Rakim - Follow The Leader (1988)
25. Big Daddy Kane - It's A Big Daddy (1989)
24. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca And The Soul Brother (1992)
23. Black Moon - Enta Da Stage (1993)
22. Outkast - Aquemini (1998)

[Twentytwofifty]

This is another review from the once respected hip-hop magazine THE SOURCE.  (it got 5 mics if you wanted to know)

[eS El Duque]

woah....props

[big mat]

i was waiting for this one, my favorite song is the art of story telling

[Javier]

I love this album

[PLANT]

this album is the shit........reminds me of my high school days 

[NobodyButMe]

such a dope album....

i remember, i traded sunz of man for this one this one guy in my dorms. best cd trade of my life

[Don Jacob]

dope album



i wonder if atliens will make the list now though cuz i consider aquemini a better album

[rafsta]

this album does not deserve top 50... am i the only one that doesnt feel it ?

[Don Jacob]

this album does not deserve top 50... am i the only one that doesnt feel it ?

i hope so


IMO this album is so good that if somebody put it in the top 5 i wouldn't argue

[Kill]

this album does not deserve top 50... am i the only one that doesnt feel it ?

i hope so

plus i hope ATLiens will turn up, but even though it should IMO I doubt it. ATLiens > Aquemini to me, but it´s close, both should really make the list

[Diabolical]

Class

[Like A N!gga Say Do]

I never been a fan of Outkast but i liked Southernplayalistic.

[ImmortalOne]

This is an incredible album, in my top 5 ever. It didnt necessarily have alot of impact, but from start to finish it is almost flawless and basically every song is a musical gem. OutKast at their finest.

[[sepehr]]

Amazing disc but um, I thought ATLiens was better..gave that whole phycadelic feeling in their songs hah, especially that track Mainstream...beat was crazy