11th Review

It has happened throughout history. The growing eccentricities of musical genius. We have seen it with John Lennon. As he slowly distanced from The Beatles. Brought Yoko Ono into the picture. And erupted his soul in a flourish of deep, melancholy songs. We have seen it sadly in Michael Jackson. From the cute, cuddly, incredible young boy. To the immensely rich, pefectionist, brilliant yet troubled "Thriller" Michael. To the misinformed, misunderstood, mutated and pitiful present Michael. And now we see it with OutKast. Or rather Andre Benjamin. I joined them in their quest for bizarreness during the 2000-1 Stankonia era. In that album there was definitely a rap foundation, but throughout there were the sharp sparks of eclectism. As their musical journey progressed, we saw sharp turn in their artistic stance for instance a change in Andre's name (although they did have nicknames) to Andre 3"Ice Cold" 3000 . We see it as just OutKast stretching out their wings a bit.... but in 2004 we see a grand change in the whole mental perspective of the two.

A deliberate seperation of the two and a creation of the two individual styles as seperate albums, then moulded together to a double album. Then we really see OutKast's destination, their styles are growing apart. Although it does not seem so because they are on a double album and contribute to each others song, it is painfully obvious. "Hey Ya" for instance is the TOTAL REMOVAL of Hip Hop altogether where Andre 3000 basically takes on a "The Monkees" stance and ties together a pleasant sing song anthem. Then we have "I Like the way you move" a pretty average club song with basic groove lyrics that show Big Boi's progression into the 2D club rap. It could be that they just want to experiment and come back twice as strong and tight on another album, or as I think it could be one's tiredness of 2D Hip Hop and the other's helpless drowning in the endless masquerade.

OutKast - ATLiens is the complete opposite of what is happening now. In a time where they were almost one person. Their souls were infinitely intwined in illuminary soul and wit. Where there individuality still shone but it was a group effort. Like a Chimera each distinct change and personality could been seen and appreciated alone and marvelled at in its innovative entirety. This was where they held a more "Lyrical" stance, where they were brimming with pure rapISM but still managed to pour in a little broadbased soul. They burst with lyrical ferocity and poetic wit that literally shocked me when I first heard it, I could not believe the power of their minds and tongues. It is OutKast at their most "Hip Hop" stage and it proves that it is without a doubt their best part of their artistic spectrum. Because this album...........is just superb.

Album Song Title Listing And Rating (out of 5)

1. You May Die (INTRO) - 5 stars
2. Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac) - 5 stars (OH MY GOOOOD!!!)
3. ATLiens - 5 stars
4. Wheelz Of Steel - 5 stars
5. Jazzy Belle - 5 stars
6. Elevators (Me & You) - 5 stars (OH MY GOOOODDD!!!!)
7. Ova Da Wudz - 5 stars
8. Babylon - 5 stars (OH MY GOOOODDD!!!)
9. Wailin' - 4 stars
10. Mainstream - 5 stars
11. Decatur Psalm - 5 stars
12. Millenium - 5 stars
13. E.T. (Extraterrestrial) - 5 stars
14. 13th Floor/Growing Old - 5 stars
15. Elevators (ONP 86 Mix) - 5 stars

Throughout the album you will feel an effortless atmosphere. As if OutKast and ONP (organized noize productions) merely threw this album together in its simplistic fashion. There is a feeling as if OutKast are saying "You are not even worthy of hearing the full, ethereal power of our minds, so this is what we'll give, a little sum sum". Its like the Gods farted in our faces and called it music. We would have no knowledge or care that it is a fart. Because it is coming from the Gods. Our pitiful mortal minds cannot even begin to comprehend the pitches of their music so even the lowest of low noises has some heavenly, magical, all powerful feel about it. So it must be brilliant music. It is like that with this album. The perfect example of this almost snobbish, elitist genius is Elevatorz (Me & You) a sole OutKast effort with no ONP which is probably one of the greatest songs I have heard in my life.

It starts so creepily and slowly. Like the sunrising in the horizon and then the spectators realising it is a alien spaceship's light, magnified by the toxic, bog gases in the atmosphere. All the instruments used are slurred and dawdling, it is an unnerving and atmospheric experience. A host of synthesized noises sooth in and creep along. The bass just drawls like it really cant be bothered, then there are just sudden pauses in the track where a dark ambience warbles through. Among the scary clatter a lone drum edge smack with a couple of wispy symbals and a screeching futuristic bleep that sounds like the indicator noise a ghost lorry would make reversing. It is all constructed with eerie simplicity. Like wandering through a haunted house and hearing the random spooky noises it makes like floorboards slowly creaking. It is that chilling. But it is so ill because there is a funky aurora around it that illuminated the whole song. It is ingenious how they manage not to oversaturate the track like so many present artists but then managed to totally drench the audiences ears in delicious music. Outkast's lyrics demonstrate my point perfectly. Their effortless genius is shown by the way they gracefully thread through different subject matter and manage to make it all make twisted sense. There is no distinct subject matter but every single word is memorable and belongs in the song. They flow like a freestyle as if they are simply exhaling these luminous lyrics out with no thought whatsoever. They take off whole weights off my chest with their easy going flow. It feels like they are just chattin to you, chilling with you and making you at ease. You can rise with their steady flow of verbal skill, there are no flaws so it feels like riding in a slowly escalating jumbo jet with a fluffy pillow and a dose of morphine. It is beautiful because they are also making deep points about their lives and their artistic growth. There flow is like Common Sense ATL version. So laid back, so cool, so deep. Elevators has the best chorus in the world that at first seems strained an insincere, but after a few listens you will realise the subtle, fluid, oozing wordplay is really brilliant.

"Me And You, Yo mama and yo cousin to, rollin' down the strip on vogues, comin up slammin cadillac dozzz".

They demonstrate the easy going lives of hustlers and rappers alike are mirages to cover up the stresses of their works. They demonstrate it so subtley and it is so hard to describe because it is not something so tangible. It embodies the otherworldly emotions and thoughts that we humans cannot process and express and I love it so much.

The production throughout is simply amazing. I only really acknowldeged Organized Noize on this album because they are simply out of this world. They conjure up the most delicate and subdued articals of brilliance ever from the South. Period. They have no limits on this album. They pick up on the maximum and the most minimal for the album. Morphing and mutating to suit the tongues of OutKast. Like Two Dope Boys (In a Cadillac) one of the best instrumentals I have ever heard. To describe it I would have to call it sultry and steamy. It is intense with a soulful heat. It is like the sound of a playful wind on a nightime desert. Wispy with a thinly threaded female voice. The voice sample is so gorgeous because it is so short and melodic it begs the mind to marvel at it. Then a sparkling piano shines through like newborn stars in the nighttime desert. It is so frail and delicate, you can't help but cradle it lovingly in your mind. The whole instrumental begs the heart for love and in return bursts into your brain with a neverending stream of soul and monstrous beats. This instrumental basically makes the chorus what it is, a shocking display of OutKast pure Hip Hop POWER. They are Hip Hop in this song. They know their position and capabilities in the song and display it with a worthy arrogance. It literally changed my whole outlook on OutKast. The distancing, uncertain schizo band was no more. These were now two Beasts of Rap.

"Now who dem boyz, dat be havin' da crunk every occassion, this side ni**az dustin, that side ni**az lacin' but in the middle we stay calm, we just drop bombs, askin where we come from South Post Slums!!!

Outkast use and will continue to use the whole spectrum of voice. They use lush, fluid choruses and sung verses to amplify what their Hip Hop beacons can't. It has become their trademark to basically set alight the track in emotion and soul with spiralling and dazzling voices sparking along the track. It allows the audiences mind to melt in with the storm of psychotropic imagery and hallucinations. On almost every song there is a tinge of flourescent melody that makes them a treasure and something maverick in Hip Hop.

Jazzy Belle is the perfect example of this. An absolutley beautiful female melody rises through the start of the track like some heavenly vapour. It makes one look up at the sky and imagine beautiful and emotional things. The vapour like tune condenses on my eyes in tears of great joy and love. And then Andre comes in with his usual effortless self, but there is a slight urgency in his Rap, as if he really needs to say something. He does. He and Big Boi are talking about Hip Hop and Women and instantaneously fusing them together to prove a point about the two. It is lyrical brilliance. They use Hip Hop as "their woman" and each rapper has his woman which is his part of Hip Hop. But then they use the metaphor to show their women are being sluts and are losing their worth in the world and just becoming sex toys. Which therefore is saying Hip Hop is losing its credibility and value because it is being "done" too many times and badly. Then Big Boi further uses it to say women using sex to get men when they should be really using their minds and soul. It makes a genius song because this can be applied to Hip Hop as well. How Hip Hop only uses money, clothes, bling, guns and drugs to attract the youth worldwide when what is really needed to attract the youth and therefore teach the youth is the souls and minds of real poets. OutKast hit a mighty nerve on this track but the thing is it is so subtley done, you will doubt they are even talking about Hip Hop at all. But it is this tangle of mystery and somewhat misplaced wisdom that clarifies the whole confusion of Hip Hop and its neverending false aspirations. OutKast are very intelligent lyricists despite what you may think, they do not speed up their lyrics when they dont have nothing to say. They are just amplifying the effect of their lyrics. They have the capacity to address a whole manner of subjects in the album with a brilliant critical eye and a slight tinge of wit. They do it with ungodly ease and seamless continuum and chemistry with each other. They are pratically unknown for their sharp lyricism and it is a shame they are known more for "Hey Ya" than "Jazzy Belle" or "Babylon". But such is the world.

Towards the end once OutKast have established there self identity through minor self destruction then construction in E.T. they gain an almost godly purpose within their heart. 13th Floor/Growing Old. Addressing the issues that the young are clueless of and the middle aged are fearful of and the old are embracing. Growing old. But they address it differently than one might think. With an honest OutKast method. They look at it by addressing the existence of crimes and the glamourfying of it and materialistic goods. And saying all these crimes and goods mean nothing in the whole span of life. Because we all die. All the chains and guns and bling mean nothing when we are dust. So OutKast basically show they are absorbing what is truly immortal and meaningful in this world. The memories shared with friends and family, and the good that is done in the world. They address the microphone in the most humble and heartfelt way of the whole album sharing what they have experienced with all the flaws and honesty in them which shows theiir naked human souls. They dont sugarcoat anything about their lives in this beautiful song as Andre Benjamin says (no alter ego, or nickname, just Andre Benjamin) "Take this music dead serious while others entertain." They whole heartedly accept the responsibilities of being an artist and hold out their real hearts out on their bare hands with no veil or rose colour tinge. Just their soul. The instrumental is beautiful a medium pitch, pensive stream of soothing piano keys, a bubbling noise and mild tingles and drums. But there is another incredibly soulful solo this one done by Debra Killings. It is sung in a sombre note as if was being sung at a funeral but there is an optimistic and deeply thoughtful feel to the melody, it is so catchy and fluid that it begs the audience to hum or sing along. It encapsulates OutKasts feelings with symbolic imagery and powerful simplicity:

#Something's gotta change
Sounds of laughter and happiness turns from teardrops to rain
Been bearing this burden for too many of my days
Looks like breezes of Autumn done finally blew my way
Like memories of yesterday...#

OutKast then just achieved an album of Landmark scale. An album that defined their career and proved their lyrical, musical and above all ARTISTICAL powers and skills.

Favourite Songs are Elevators (Me & You), Two Boys (In a Cadillac) and Mainstream. Every song begs reviewing but then there would be nothing left to listen to on a fist hand perspective. And believe me this must be appreciated in its empyreal entirety in total originality. Wave after wave of classic ingenuity. Overwhelming and unbelievable but something that is greatly missed and will be greatly appreciated in the stagnant world of today's Hip Hop.

No cons......really can't think of any. Apart from Wailin' maybe subpar. Not quite of classic status and production is not on a level with the rest.

Every guest appearance is good but not on a level with the majestic power of OutKast as it is on every OutKast album. Mainstream is where everyone really digs into their mental treasure chest and dribble their thick poems over a glistening, juicy and just plain tantalising background.

There it is OutKast - ATLiens. The proof that growing eccentricism is not always better. That Hip Hop is one of the best women to stay with. That endless beauty and articles of brilliance can be produced from her. There is an illuminating aurora vibrating out of this CD that brings the same enlightenment as an abduction victim being assimilated into a benevolent spaceship. It has a commanding and quietly patronizing presence with a mild arrogance that will always comes from the possession of artistic genius Yet it holds a deep maturityand humility. But it is made cohesive and tight by the souls of two brothers who will forever love and care and be there for each other. Who were true to themselves and each other in the album and poured all their thoughts, and feelings on the CD with such vivacity and dazzling radiance that it is hard to describe with human language. Before they would futher evolve to form the classic eclectic album Aquemini they would make this the stepping stone to their next ingenius plateau. A true Hip Hop album that has to be appreciated by every rap fan everywhere to fully prove to the world the capabilities of Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton. To own this is to own a part of the human soul. Something that has not been ventrued into and excavated in a long time. Honest, blissful human expression. Therefore......... it is a must have.

#Something's gotta change
Sounds of laughter and happiness come from teardrops to rain
Been bearing this burden for too many of my days
Looks like breezes of Autumn done finally blew my way
Like memories of yesterday...#

5 stars


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Listening