BBC crowns Stankonia (Outkast) the greatest hip hop album of the 21th century

[MINT]

Don't be mad because this is the truth

Imagine the hip hop of today without the influence of OutKast’s fourth album. No Stankonia: quite possibly no Frank Ocean, no Janelle Monáe, no Shabazz Palaces; no southern playas taking the four elements from New York to outer space via the suburbs of the ATL. How boring.

While Stankonia wasn’t the first taste of this dynamic duo’s inspired interpretations of rap – schizophrenic pieces that tapped funk up for its number before forgetting to call it back; snapping trap-rap rockers unleashed before the world caught up with the parlance – it was the most perfect distillation of everything that’d come before it.

Immediate long-play predecessor, 1998’s Aquemini, was a plaudit-magnet in its own right; a platinum-seller which piqued significant domestic interest yet didn’t translate to a global audience.

But with the new millennium came new opportunities for partners-in-rhyme André 3000 and Big Boi: Stankonia is the sound of every cracked-open door being kicked off its hinges.

Before Stankonia came B.O.B – an unusual lead-single selection given its ménage-a-trois of jitterbug drum’n’bass, gospel backing vocals and a virtuosic instrumental sensibility owing much to Sly Stone and Hendrix. The single was no commercial high-flyer, but set a tone that its parent LP would adroitly adhere to: anything goes, so long as it flows.

And flow Stankonia had to, brilliantly, because for the second consecutive set its makers pushed CD capacity, filling a 74-minute run-time.

Amongst its 24 tracks are skippable skits, although these add contextual colour to the album’s singular bravado, but for the most part Stankonia serves the album format, rather than the other way around. Its sequencing, its pacing, these are perfect; transitions from casual vocabulary to lightning verses, electrifying.

Time has painted some cuts as relative filler: the booty-clap bounce of We Luv Deez Hoez and fizzy meditation on carnal etiquette I’ll Call Before I Come are shallower of emotional depth than the still-exquisite Ms Jackson and the (Sign “O” the Times-period) Prince-recalling Toilet Tisha. It was Ms Jackson that cracked the UK for these ATLiens, charting at two.

That remains their highest position to date, one better than the evergreen Hey Ya! achieved. With no OutKast LP since 2006’s Idlewild, it’s unclear if they’ll ever match its chart impact.

But if Stankonia forever remains this outfit’s ultimate record, it’s some achievement to call the greatest hip hop album of the 21st century one of your own.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/v5m5

 

[MINT]

better than any Nas album ?

 

[JQ Legend]

They have lost their minds

And I fukks with Outkast heavy, my favorite group of all time along with LOX and possibly Mobb Deep

I copped all their albums from Southernplayalistic - Stankonia and at least 2 of those are classics in my book (SouthernPlayalistic and Aquemini), and Elevators one of my favorite songs of all time

Now with all that being said

Blueprint Stillmatic GRODT TM101 and plenty other albums are way better

Doubt Stankonia would even make my (or most other peoples) top 50 albums of the 21st century

 

[MINT]

none of these albums are better than stankonia lmao

 

[JQ Legend]

Sayin Stankonia the best album of the 21st century is some shyt a nikka says just to look different by mentioning an album no one even thinks about

First and foremost the 21st century is the year 2001 and up which means Stankonia wouldn't even count being that it was released in the year 2000

Secondly it wasn't even the best album of the year it dropped, not even top 5

 

[Pink Slime]

british opinion on hiphop is almost always on some bullshyt/randomness


personally stankonia was a big letdown to me after aquemini

 

[MINT]

Sayin Stankonia the best album of the 21st century is some shyt a nikka says just to look different by mentioning an album no one even thinks about

First and foremost the 21st century is the year 2001 and up which means Stankonia wouldn't even count being that it was released in the year 2000

Secondly it wasn't even the best album of the year it dropped, not even top 5

mmlp & supreme clientele, that's about it

 

[JustCKing]

They have lost their minds

And I fukks with Outkast heavy, my favorite group of all time along with LOX and possibly Mobb Deep

I copped all their albums from Southernplayalistic - Stankonia and at least 2 of those are classics in my book (SouthernPlayalistic and Aquemini), and Elevators one of my favorite songs of all time

Now with all that being said

Blueprint Stillmatic GRODT TM101 and plenty other albums are way better

Doubt Stankonia would even make my (or most other peoples) top 50 albums of the 21st century

There may be greater albums than Stankonia from last decade, but critics that make these kinds of lists and statements aren't just basing an opinion on what sounds good. OutKast was a critical favorite in the same way that Kanye West is. Critics salivated over anything that was different or unconventional compared to whatever else was out there in Hip Hop. Because the production was "out there" and sounded nothing like Kast's contemporaries or even the new artists that were coming up, critics championed that album and Speakerboxxx/Love Below.

Personally, I feel that Stankonia is one of the best albums of last decade. It still sounds fresh lyrically and musically. To me, it really defined that era with songs like "B.O.B.", "Gasoline Dreams", "Red Velvet", and "Ms. Jackson". Even today, the music on there is still relevant. A lot of the music droppin' today sounds dated compared to that album IMO.

 

[MINT]

outkast are wack

 

[MINT]

but atliens > jay disco

 

[DaveyDave]

21th?

 

[mr. smoke weed]

who gives a fukk what BBC thinks regarding hip hop?

 

[MINT]

who gives a fukk what BBC thinks regarding hip hop?

 

[osama bin fly]

Awful album
best Outkast album is Aquemini and it's not really debatable
also the greatest hip-hop album of the 21st century is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (not my opinion just a fact)

 

[MINT]

who gives a fukk what BBC thinks regarding hip hop?

bbc > thecoli