''Stankonia'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo Outkast. It was released on October 31, 2000, by

LaFace Records LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...

. The album was recorded in the duo's recently purchased Atlanta recording facility Stankonia Studios, which allowed for fewer time and recording constraints, and featured production work from Earthtone III (a production team consisting of Outkast and

Mr. DJ Mr. DJ (born David Sheats) is an American hip-hop producer and DJ from Atlanta. He and Outkast members Big Boi and André 3000 make up the record production company Earthtone III. Biography Raised on the southside of College Park, Georgia, M ...

) and

Organized Noize Organized Noize is an American production team from Atlanta, Georgia composed of Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown. History Among the hit records they have worked on include TLC's "Waterfalls", En Vogue's " Don't Let Go (Love)", and L ...

. For the follow-up to their 1998 album ''

Aquemini ''Aquemini'' is the third studio album by American hip hop duo Outkast. It was released on September 29, 1998, by LaFace Records. The title is a portmanteau of the two performers' Zodiac signs: Aquarius (Big Boi) and Gemini (André 3000), whic ...

'', the duo worked to create an expansive and experimental musical aesthetic, incorporating a diverse array of styles including funk,

rave music A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mu ...

psychedelia Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic ...

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

, and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

within a Dirty South-oriented hip hop context. During the recording sessions,

André 3000 André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), better known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a part of southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi. ...

began moving beyond traditional rapping in favor of a more melodic vocal style, an approach to which

Big Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 300 ...

and several other producers were initially unaccustomed. Lyrically, the duo touched upon a wide range of subject matter, including sexuality, politics, misogyny, African-American culture, parenthood, and introspection. ''Stankonia'' featured appearances from a variety of local musicians discovered by the group while they were visiting clubs in their native city of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. ''Stankonia'' received universal acclaim from music critics upon its release, and has since been regarded by many to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. The album debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling over 530,000 copies the first week. It produced three singles: "

B.O.B Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years late ...

", "

Ms. Jackson "Ms. Jackson" is a song by American alternative hip hop duo Outkast, consisting of André 3000 and Big Boi. It was released on October 24, 2000, as the second single from Outkast's fourth album, ''Stankonia''. It topped the US ''Billboard (magaz ...

", and " So Fresh, So Clean"; "Ms. Jackson" became the group's first single to reach number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. At the 2001 Grammy Awards, Outkast won

Best Rap Album The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories ...

for ''Stankonia'' and

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. The award was discontin ...

for "Ms. Jackson". In 2003, the album was ranked number 359 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'''s list of

the 500 greatest albums of all time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indust ...

, 361 in a 2012 revision, and 64 in a 2020 reboot of the list. A re-issue of the album for its 20th anniversary with previously unreleased remixes was released on October 30, 2020.

Background

In 1998, OutKast released their third album ''

'' to critical acclaim while diversifying and expanding their sound. The album's success also attracted national attention to the

Southern hip hop Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Memp ...

scene.Westhoff, 2011. p. 112 Having collaborated on the ''Aquemini'' track " Skew It on the Bar-B",

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close aff ...

member

Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon The Chef, or simply Raekwon (), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success ...

later recalled the duo's impact at the time: "Before that, the South just wasn't played in New York. But that song was hot, the flows was crazy. The cycle changed. It really opened up the door for Southern rappers." In March 1998, OutKast purchased a studio nearby Northside Drive in

. Formerly owned by R&B singer

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...

, the studio was the first place the duo had ever recorded vocals together – on a remix of

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

's " What About Your Friends" (1992) – and held sentimental value for them. Outkast named the studio "Stankonia", a word created by André 3000 as a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words As he explained, "Stankonia is this place I imagined where you can open yourself up and be free to express anything".

Recording

The recording of ''Stankonia'' began in spring of 1999 and lasted for about a year. Owning a studio helped the band expand creatively, as the duo did not need to worry about time constraints that would occur with a rented studio. André 3000 observed, "You can sit there and fuck with just a kick and a snare all day long if you want to ... You're not working on the clock. Really, you're just working on your mind." Big Boi spent the majority of the recording time in the studio, while André 3000 worked at home, creating beats and experimenting with an acoustic guitar. One song that came from a jam session on the guitar was "

", the album's second single. André 3000 also created song lyrics by writing words on the walls of his home: "I had planned to paint my house anyway; writing on the walls was just something I would do." One stray lyric on his wall eventually developed into "Gasoline Dreams". Much of the album was formulated during "vibe sessions" in which the group and producers would visit clubs in downtown Atlanta, select performers they saw, and invite them to the studio. They would then "sit around, smoke a few, drink a few", and create ideas for new songs. However, recording sessions became difficult as André 3000 grew tired of rapping on songs, which made Big Boi and the producers uneasy about how the music would sound. To maintain musical cohesion with Big Boi while continuing to expand his vocal palette, André decided to combine rapping with

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

-inspired crooning, which had a major influence on ''Stankonias sound. "Snappin & Trappin'" features a guest appearance from then-unknown rapper

Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, actor, and activist. Mike made his debut on Outkast's 2000 LP '' Stankonia'', and later appeared on their Grammy-winning single "T ...

. The rapper noted that while working with Outkast, he used the opportunity to try to "compete" with the duo to improve his rapping skills. Big Boi was impressed with Killer Mike's abilities, noting, "When I first heard him spit, his voice was just so commanding. He's a very intelligent guy."

Composition

Music and style

While OutKast's previous albums were considered to be laid-back, mellow efforts, ''Stankonia'' contains faster, more high-energy tempos, partially to reflect the "chaotic times" at the turn of the 21st century. The group took note of new, harder drugs hitting the hip hop scene and teenagers using ecstasy,

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

, and methamphetamine. Big Boi reflected, "Niggas living this life at a fast speed don't know what's going on around them. If you live fast, you gonna come out of here real fast, so the music need to show that." While recording ''Stankonia'', the band refrained from listening to hip hop, "That music was starting to sound real comfortable. There wasn't any adventure to it."Moon, 2008. p. 569 Instead, the duo drew influence from musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

, and George Clinton, as well as Clinton's

Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive ...

collective. However, the band refrained from producing a throwback sound with the record and instead hoped to utilize these influences in a modern, experimental fashion. André 3000 stated that "I don't want this to be the generation that went back to '70s rock. You gotta take it and do new things with it." On ''Stankonia'', OutKast experimented with a wide variety of musical genres. According to M. Matos of ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'', ''Stankonia'' "turned the South's predominantly reclined hip-hop sound into something freaky and menacing."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

's Steve Huey said their experimentation resulted in "a trippy sort of

techno Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...

psychedelic funk Psychedelic funk (also called P-funk or funkadelia, and sometimes conflated with psychedelic soul) is a music genre that combines funk music with elements of psychedelic rock. It was pioneered in the late 1960s and early 1970s by American acts li ...

". "B.O.B" features "jittery

drum'n'bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

rhythms" and has been classified as a "stylistic tour de force" combining "Hendrix-ian" guitars, organs, and

vocals.Wang, 2003. p. 133 On the track, André 3000 and Big Boi employ a "frantic" flow in order to keep pace with the song's high-speed tempo, which runs at 155 beats per minute.Hess, 2007. p. 465 "Humble Mumble" is a

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: ...

-influenced track that evolves into a club groove, while "Ms. Jackson" "marries early Prince with late P-funk". The smooth melodies of "I'll Call Before I Come" have also been likened to Prince.Brackett, Nathan. Hoard, Christian. p. 610 "Gasoline Dreams" has been classified as a "gritty rock scorcher" comparable to the work of

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

.Crazy Horse, p. 183 David Bry of ''Vibe'' detected a "polished 80's pimp strut" in "So Fresh, So Clean" and an "appreciative, fat-ass bounce" in "We Luv Deez Hoes". The album ends with three psychedelic-influenced tracks, "Toilet Tisha", "Slum Beautiful", and "Stankonia (Stank Love)". "Stankonia (Stank Love)" has also been described as an "homage of sorts" to gospel choirs and '60s doo-wop groups, while also including a slowed down coda reminiscent of chopped and screwed hip hop.

Lyrics

According to

Miles Marshall Lewis Miles Marshall Lewis (born December 18, 1970) is an American pop culture critic, essayist, literary editor, fiction writer, and music journalist. He is a graduate of Morehouse College, class of 1993. Career Lewis was born in The Bronx, Ne ...

, ''Stankonia'' is among the most "eclectic" of mainstream

progressive rap Progressive rap (or progressive hip hop) is a broad subgenre of hip hop music that aims to progress the genre thematically with socially transformative ideas and musically with stylistic experimentation. Developing through the works of innovati ...

albums from its time. Paul Lester of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' described OutKast's lyrical style on the album by saying, "They are, in a way, post-hip-hop, combining PM Dawn's kooky confections with the

Pharcyde The Pharcyde (currently known as The Far Side) is an American alternative hip hop group, formed in 1989, from South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani (Emandu Wilcox), Slimkid3 (Trevant Hardson), Bootie Brown ...

's hallucinatory whimsy,

's hardline politicking with De La Soul's cartoon dementia, to fashion something vital and new." "Gasoline Dreams" assails the " bling-bling" aspirations of contemporary black culture, instead presenting a sobering view of circumstances upending the world in Outkast's perspective ("I hear that Mother Nature's now on birth control / The coldest pimp be lookin' for somebody to hold"). "Red Velvet" discusses the materialistic nature of the hip hop scene in particular, while "Humble Mumble" addresses critics who make negative assumptions about hip hop based on preconceived notions; André 3000 raps in the song: "I met a critic / I made her shit her draws / She said she thought hip hop was only guns and alcohol / I said oh hell naw / but yet it's that too / You can't discrima-hate cause you done read a book or two."Boyd, 2003. p. 59 The album commonly features the words "stank" and "smell" in their blues-rooted definition to mean "low-down, blunt, pungent: a measure of authenticity". Outkast often incorporates

word play Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, pho ...

into the lyrics, including "Humble Mumble"s references to the " underground smellroad" and chants of "I stank I can, I stank I can", an allusion to ''

The Little Engine That Could ''The Little Engine That Could'' is an American folktale (existing in the form of several illustrated children's books and films) that became widely known in the United States after publication in 1930 by Platt & Munk. The story is used to teac ...

''. The duo offers encouragement for maturity and facing adversity on the song, beginning with Big Boi's verse advising that "everything in life don't always happen like it's supposed to" while referencing Isaiah 54:17 ("No weapon formed against me prospers"). Meanwhile, André 3000 frames his perspective in the context of progressing African Americans collectively: "The game changes every day, so obsolete is the fist and marches / Speeches only reaches those who already know about it".

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

, his ex-girlfriend and friend at the time, concludes "Humble Mumble" with a "soaring

metaphysical Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...

gospel verse that celebrate the circle of life", as pop-culture writer Roni Sarig details. Much of the album discusses the status of women in the South, and contrasts with the misogynistic attitudes common in hip hop music. In his book ''Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide'', Oliver Wang writes that songs such as "Slum Beautiful" and "Toilet Tisha" "reimagine 'round the way girls, not only as just more than one-dimensional accessories, but as objects of affection with lives and concerns that are worth exploring." In "Toilet Tisha", the duo empathizes with suicidal pregnant teenagers. "Ms. Jackson" is dedicated to the mother of a mother of an out-of-wedlock child, which André 3000 refers to as "the baby's mama's mamas". Inspired by his relationship with Badu, who had given birth to their son Seven, the song serves as an apology to a "baby mama"'s mother for causing her daughter pain. "I'll Call Before I Come" discusses the members putting a woman's sexual needs before their own.

Commercial performance

''Stankonia'' debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, selling 525,844 copies in its first week, behind Jay-Z's '' The Dynasty: Roc La Familia''; which sold 557,789 copies. Outkast's ''Stankonia'' sold more than ahead U2's, which finished in third place in the U.S. The album was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) within its first week of release. It also reached number two on the ''Billboard'' R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, remaining on the chart for 45 weeks. By February 2002, the album has sold 3.79 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. On November 3, 2003, ''Stankonia'' was certified quadruple platinum, for shipments of four million copies. In Canada, the album peaked at number four, and was certified double platinum by the

Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It ...

on September 23, 2003, for shipments of over 200,000 units. The record also became a top ten hit in Germany, Finland, and Norway, reaching the number six, number eight, and number eight spots on the countries' official charts, respectively. The lead single released from ''Stankonia'', "B.O.B", peaked at number 69 on the R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart. However, the single was banned from many urban Top 40 radio stations due to its title and the subject matter it was assumed to have. On February 3, 2001, "Ms. Jackson" topped the R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart, and then on February 17, the single also reached number one on the Hot 100, remaining on the chart for 22 weeks. The song also reached number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Songs chart, as well as number three on the magazine's Radio Songs chart. The third single, "So Fresh, So Clean", peaked at number 30 on the Hot 100, and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks. The single also peaked at number ten on the ''Billboard'' R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart, and number 24 on the Radio songs chart.

Critical reception

''Stankonia'' received universal acclaim from contemporary

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an

average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7 ...

score of 95, based on 20 reviews. Derek A. Bardowell of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' noted that with ''Stankonia'', OutKast "hit that rare balance of creative eccentricity and mass appeal" and wrote that the album contains "eternal qualities that will unravel in time on an emotional, intellectual and spiritual level." Nathan Brackett of ''

'' called the record "one of the best albums of the year" noting that all of the tracks contain "a down-home generosity and accessibility" and that "even the most street-oriented songs have some sort of commentary in them." Tony Green of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...

'' praised OutKast's "feel for sonics and structure" and stated, "they've moved toward harder, darker textures, in service of song designs that are often disarmingly subtle." Steve Huey of

commented that, "given the variety of moods, it helps that the album is broken up by brief, usually humorous interludes, which serve as a sort of reset button. It takes a few listens to pull everything together, but given the immense scope, it's striking how few weak tracks there are". Aishah Hight of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' stated, "Within ''Stankonia'', Outkast successfully presented a southern perspective of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But on the surface, phat beats and pure funk should suffice." ''

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...

'' commented that "experienced, acclaimed groups rarely make albums as bold and confrontational as ''Stankonia'', because they have too much to lose", but felt that "OutKast don't care", writing that they "coalesced the political and societal challenges of hip hop's past into what is one of the genre's most artistically unorthodox releases so far." Robert Christgau of ''The Village Voice'' observed "more bounce-to-the-ounce and less molasses in the jams, more delight and less braggadocio in the raps", and opined that Big Boi and André 3000's "realism and high spirits drive each other higher". ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

''s Ken Tucker wrote that "''Stankonia'' reeks of artful ambition rendered with impeccable skill" and described OutKast as "endlessly good-humored and imaginative even when dealing with the most grim and mind-deadening facets of ghetto life."

Yahoo! Music Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds o ...

's Soren Baker commented that "Dre and Big Boi again reinvent themselves, this time as

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

-inspired musicians who specialize on male-female relationships, boasting, and out-there lyrics." Baker concluded in his review, "With another nearly flawless album, OutKast arguably solidifies their reputation as one of the best hip-hop groups of all time." The ''Los Angeles Times'' opined that "the record's most interesting moments are gorgeous Prince-style soul."

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' wrote that "OutKast's music savors the viscous propulsion of funk, with raps and tunes that never ignore the body and its instinctive desires ... Yet OutKast -- taking cues from a band it obviously reveres,

-- never forgets that bodies are attached to minds." '' URB'' called the album "a complex tome that enmeshes contemporary hip-hop values with a timeless Southern soul, while pushing the envelope damn near off the table." '' Mojo'' called it "hip hop with the power to convert even the most reactionary nonbelievers."

Legacy and influence

''Stankonia'' has received many accolades and appeared on many magazines' "best of" lists; in his book ''Dirty South'', author Ben Westhoff noted that the album appeared on "every critical best-list worth mentioning." At the

2002 Grammy Awards The 44th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 2002 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The main recipient was Alicia Keys, winning five Grammys, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for " Fallin'". U2 won four ...

, OutKast won

for ''Stankonia'' and

for "Ms. Jackson". Despite OutKast's being expected favorites,

The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...

instead chose the 2000 soundtrack album ''

O Brother, Where Art Thou? ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' is a 2000 comedy drama film written, produced, co-edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, with Chris Thomas King, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and ...

'' for Album of the Year. Before the group's nominations, much of the hip hop community felt that rappers were not being awarded enough attention from The Recording Academy. However, the album's musical diversity allowed the band to reach a wider audience and was credited for opening the academy up to more hip hop musicians. In 2006, ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'' named ''Stankonia'' as one of the 100 best albums of all time. ''

'' ranked the album number 16 on the magazine's list of the 100 Best Albums of the 2000s. In 2009, ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' ranked ''Stankonia'' number 13 on its list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s, and Rhapsody ranked it at number 2 on its "100 Best Albums of the Decade" list. Rhapsody also ranked the album number 6 on its "Hip-Hop's Best Albums of the Decade" list. ''Vibe'' ranked the record at number 23 on its list of the "100 Greatest Albums from 1985 to 2005". ''

'' put it on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list, saying, "With hummable hits ('Ms. Jackson') and out-there experiments ('B.O.B.'), the rap duo gave us all a visa to the funky if fictional land of Stankonia in 2000." '' Q'' listed ''Stankonia'' as one of the best 50 albums of 2001. The album was also included in the book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

''. In 2015, '' Mic'' stated that "Stankonia helped hip-hop build its foundation in the mainstream," adding that in addition to the "irresistibly quotable" hit singles, "the deep cuts are still some of the most rewarding

experimental hip-hop Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confor ...

around." With ''Stankonia'', OutKast became the first hip hop act to openly acknowledge

rave culture A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mu ...

as an influence.Reynolds, 2007. p. 333 During the late 1990s, rappers tended to embrace slow, laid-back beats in their productions. On several tracks on ''Stankonia'', the group employed faster, more chaotic tempos to reflect rave culture and the introduction of new drugs such as ecstasy into the hip hop scene. Boston-based DJ Armand Van Helden recalls, "In the nineties, the bpms in hip-hop got slower and the clubs were moody ... it just kind of dragged. I really missed that kind of hands-in-the-air shit." A remix of "B.O.B" created by

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commer ...

Zack de la Rocha Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, and political activist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through both Rage Agains ...

received airplay on alternative radio stations, expanding the group's fanbase beyond hip hop and urban listeners. Despite containing anti-war sentiments, "B.O.B" became popular amongst American troops deployed in Afghanistan. While working on her acclaimed album '' The ArchAndroid'' (2010), American R&B singer

Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson (; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, rapper and actress. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Mon� ...

cited ''Stankonias experimental nature as an influence. Rapper

Pill Pill or The Pill may refer to: Drugs * Pill (pharmacy), referring to anything small for a specific dose of medicine * "The Pill", a general nickname for the combined oral contraceptive pill Film and television * ''The Pill'' (film), a 2011 fil ...

also acknowledged ''Stankonia'', and particularly the production of Organized Noize, as an inspiration: "The sounds, the instrumentation of the samples, the different horns—everything about the tracks were great to me."

Track listing

All tracks are produced by Earthtone III (Outkast and

), except where noted. Notes * signifies a co-producer. *"So Fresh, So Clean" contains a sample of "Before the Night is Over" by Joe Simon. *"Ms. Jackson" contains a sample of "Strawberry Letter #23" by

The Brothers Johnson The Brothers Johnson were an American funk and R&B band consisting of American musicians and brothers George ("Lightnin' Licks") and Louis E. Johnson ("Thunder Thumbs"). They achieved their greatest success from the mid-1970s to early 1980s, ...

. *"We Luv Deez Hoez" contains a sample of "Worldwide" by Allen Toussaint.

Personnel

OutKast *

(Antwan Patton) – vocals,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

(Andre Benjamin) – vocals, synthesizers, guitar, production *

(David Sheats) – production Guest performers *

Sleepy Brown Patrick Leroy "Sleepy" Brown (born January 24, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Savannah, Georgia. He is one-third of the successful Atlanta-based production team of Organized Noize, which has created hits for act ...

Khujo Goodie Willie Edward Knighton Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known as Khujo, is an American rapper. He is one-fourth of Goodie Mob (along with T-Mo, Cee-Lo, and Big Gipp), and one-half of The Lumberjacks (with T-Mo). Life and career Khujo was bor ...

*J-Sweet *

Gangsta Boo Lola Chantrelle Mitchell (born August 7, 1979), better known by her stage name Gangsta Boo, is an American rapper, who was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She was the second female member (after K-9) of the Memphis-based hip hop group Thr ...

*Eco * B-Real *

*Backbone * Big Gipp *Slimm Calhoun *C-Bone *T-Mo Goodie *

Cee-Lo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...

*Big Rube * Joi Musicians *Donnie Mathis – guitar *David "Whild" Brown – guitar *Jason Freeman –

horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...

*Jerry Freeman – horns *Sleepy Brown – piano, synthesised bass *Marvin "Chanz" Parkman – piano, keyboards *Earthtone III – keyboards * Organized Noize – keyboards *Preston Crump – bass guitar, synthesized bass *Aaron Mills – bass guitar *Robert Grister – bass guitar *Dookie Blossumgame – bass guitar *Victor Alexander – drums *Rosalin Heard – backing vocals *Paul Douglas-Feddon – backing vocals * Myrna "Screechy Peach" Crenshaw – backing vocals *Cutmaster Swiff – cuts Design * Michael Lavine – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

External links

* * *
Playing God: Stankonia
at Stylus Magazine
Graphic Designer, J. Michael Rush
{{Good article 2000 albums Outkast albums LaFace Records albums Albums produced by André 3000 Albums produced by Organized Noize Grammy Award for Best Rap Album Progressive rap albums Funk albums by American artists