Comments on: Outkast: ATLiens

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:22:56 +0000

Don’t get me wrong, ATLiens is a jam. But where is the Aquemini Love? Aquemini is hands down the greatest OutKast album, and possibly top 10 hip hop albums ever made. Stankonia is the shit, but that was when Dre and Big Boi started doing their own thing. If ATLiens gets a 93.5 (well deserved), Aquemini should be a 95+.

By: Tokyo Cigar

Tokyo Cigar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:19:46 +0000

Yo Deez very well written review. I liked the way you pointed out that it was masterpiece that was laid back with fierce lyricism. Dre and Big Boi dropped a lot of knowledge. “they dont feel like marching cause they shoes is over run” is deep on so many levels. This was one of those albums that really makes you think about life deeply. Truly a great album. One of the best ever in hip hop.

Now there is a lot of controversy sorrounding your statements. I think you wilded out by sayin that Wu only have 1 classic. Damn son the solos have to count in their catalog cause those were Wu albums too. Even with the group projects they were on another level. The level of intelligence the Wu brought to hip hop was enough to help cats graduate college just by studying the references they made. They were a lot more aggressive and ignorant but thats what made the knowledge they dropped more interesting.

The same way you defend Stankonia and the Love below/spaekerboxx is the same way heads defend the W ( i see you goon good looking out for the set ), Wu Tang forever and Iron flag. I aint trying to get you to change your mind on what you like ( you know my policy about that ) But the Wu put in way too much work in this rap shit to be played like that.

Anyway dope review still. It actually has me about pop the cd in the system again to bump it.

One

By: Deez

Deez — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:38:23 +0000

Reggie, great post my man, I agree entirely from a different perspective. I am a man of absolutes though, but I totally see your perspective

Trapper on the other hand….

By: Trapperjohnmd

Trapperjohnmd — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:14:12 +0000

Deez, a dope song isn’t just the lyrics, something that you clearly stated when mentioning Nas. The track wasn’t banging!

By: reggiejaxxx

reggiejaxxx — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:58:24 +0000

I’m a hip hop head thats been in the game when ppl was home on fridays using bent wire coat hangers in their boomboxes for antennas. Went from that to mixtapes w/ my ppl to now being a historian… and I honestly like experiencing Outkast is just like experiencing De La, Tribe, Wu, PE, Gang Starr and Cypress Hill. You cant fairly compare any of these groups ( or a numbers of the groups from back in the day) because they were “broadcasting” individual statements. No A-alikes. It makes no use for me to hold any sort of order of favorite emcees because I will be naming for days. For example, Rakim, KRS, Pharoah, Andre 3000, QTip, Posdonus, Ras Kass, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Sadat X, Black Thought, Mad Skillz, Phonte, Ghostface, GZA. Would you like me to keep on….. Big Gipp, Cee Lo, Nas, Raekwon, Freddie Foxxx(Bumpy Knuckles), Mos Def( he has been in the game earlier than many even know…remember the group UrbanThermoDynamics- Pay day Records), Redman, M.O.P, Busta, Craig Mack, Biggie, Souls of Mischief.
What I’m getting at is that each MC served their own purpose. An outright Top 5,10 or 20 wouldn’t work.
And the awkward thing about me is I’m in the center of Georgia, a little spot called Macon, Ga, home of Otis Redding, James Brown, yeah I said it James Brown. Geography ain’t the issue either ppl, its where your head is at.

By: Trapperjohnmd

Trapperjohnmd — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:26:19 +0000

I Meant Verse

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:45:10 +0000

Interesting debate I might say!

By: Trapperjohnmd

Trapperjohnmd — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:09:06 +0000

What 3 are mediocre? I’m assuming you will say U GOD, who has maybe the best individual lyrics spit on their albums(i.e.-Triumph and Black Jesus). I agree he’s lost his mind lately, but he spit hard on the albums. Masta Killa, both of his albums are dope, especially No Said Date, a definite banger. Who’s the third, Cappadonna, who’s first in Winter Warz is arguably one of the best spit lyrics in history. His first CD was dope also.

By: S.T.T.R.E.S.S.

S.T.T.R.E.S.S. — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:24:02 +0000

I will say that Outkast was definitely one of a couple of groups that paved the way for the dirty south,and especially for ATL.There’s a big possibility that there wouldnt be a southern movement like it is,without one of the hardest hitting albums to come out to break open the regional barriers:Southernplayalistic!!!!That album was so hot,you couldnt help but love it,and really before that,i swore to up north hip hop,on the real!!If i can remember correctly,it was only 2 groups that were repping the south that hard.Outkast,which was putting it down for ATL and MJG & Eightball,which was repping Memphis.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:36:31 +0000

This discussion has really gotten amazing. I really hadn’t expected a review of an album that over a decade old to cause so much debate. Honestly I think the comparisons between Outkast and the Wu-Tang are crazy. They are two totally different groups… like comparing apples to oranges. Run-DMC? I guess a little closer, but still too different genres of hip hop.

Here’s a comparison up for debate… Outkast and Kids In The Hall. I’m not saying Kids In the Hall are in any sort of league close to Outkast, but some could call KITH sort of a new school Outkast. Who else has Outkast paved the way for?

By: G.C.

G.C. — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:12:11 +0000

Wow, hostility, hostility! Lol Let’s state the facts:

1. ATLiens was a CLASSIC album. (In my top 5 all time personally)

2. Outkast, Wu and PE are contenders for top 3 groups as far as outreach, content and longevity (order obviously up for debate lol)

3. Deez gives us solid reviews that spark mad interest in the given topic.

Thanks for bringing light to one of my favorite albums Deez, and I can’t wait for future reviews!

By: Deez

Deez — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:11:09 +0000

Run DMC had a huge influence. Doesn’t mean I’d put them in my top 5 trio’s of all time.

Influence doesn’t necessarily mean good. A guy made lead the way because he speaks first in the class, but the 4 people after him speak more coherently, technically, and poetically than he did. So who’s better?

Don’t get influence and skill confused, PE are great, but did they really ever expand beyond politics? They were more or less experts in that field. I’m not gonna say Wu isn’t a great group, because they are, but when you have 6 out of 9 rappers who are dope, you still have 3 mediocre mc’s remaining, does that not take quality away? And its not like their discography is impressive. Frankly, a lot of people NEEDED 8 Diagrams because that has been their best album since Forever, its not like they were dropping ridiculous heat between that time span. Any Wu head will be the first to admit the albums in between were soft, because a lot of them as solo artist sucked ie. Method Man, at that time.

Apparently you are in the minority with Stankonia, it was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year be just about everyone. To whoever said BOB was ass, REALLY got on my nerves:

“be whatchu wanna be
Long as you know consequences, to give and for livin’
The fence is too high to jump in jail
Too low to dig, I might just touch hell
HOT! Get a life, now they on sale
Then I might cast you a spell, look at what came in the mail
A scale and some Arm and Hammer, soul gold grill and some baby mama
Black Cadillac and a pack of pampers
Stack of question with no answers
Cure for cancer, cure for AIDS
Make a nigga wanna stay on tour for days
Get back home, things are wrong
Well not really it was bad all along
before he left adds up, to a ball of power
Thoughts at a thousands miles per hour
Hello, ghetto, let your brain breathe,
believe there’s always more, ahhhhh!”

yeah, terrible

By: bags

bags — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:06:21 +0000

Thanks Deez for the time you put into your reviews I enjoy reading them and they shed a different light on artists.

By: bags

bags — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:04:51 +0000

Deez I have no prob with 3stacks he’s legit. I like the chances he takes with his music and he’s been successful with that. Who else in hip-hop would’ve made a Hey ya’and made it work.

By: Trapperjohnmd

Trapperjohnmd — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:03:50 +0000

Oh no doubt Andre has skills, but you can’t be considered in the greatest and you’ve haven’t a RAPPING CD. I thought debates were good? In the end the Wu or PE are the greatest. They have had the greatest influence in rap history. Stankonia was just that Stank!

By: Deez

Deez — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:00:49 +0000

*head explodes*

I’m gonna try real hard to avoid a lot of opinions that I just want to attack and I’ll be good for now. But this debate made me get to work on another piece.

And stop acting like whenever Andre drops a verse that it isn’t the best of the year, because all 5 of the verses he dropped last year were verse of the year material.

By: bags

bags — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:14:29 +0000

S.T.T.R.E.S.S I’m with you on this. I’m a huge Nas fan however I haven’t been happy with Nas’ choices of production on his last few Lp’s. He’s had some good cuts but no keep the whole cd in the player joints in a minute.

By: S.T.T.R.E.S.S.

S.T.T.R.E.S.S. — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:36:58 +0000

I didnt want to turn this review into a debate.I’m a Nas head since he rocked on Live at the BBQ and I have EVERYONE of his albums,but i’m with Deez on this one.Trapperjohn,if you are a true Nas fan,then you will know that this was the most dissapointing album that Nas ever made.I’m sorry,but you cant just sell albums off of lyrical content,especially nowadays.You got to have some good production to keep a crowd that dont know you as well,in place,long enough,to hear what you have to say.Case in point.Go and look up a song by suzanne vega-toms diner.this song was done by a folk singer,but it was one of the hottest songs out at the time in urban music.My point is,if she wouldnt have brought the heat with the beat,nobody that likes hip hop would have took the time to hear what she was saying.Yo Deez,keep doing your thing,critics are a part of the game.

Peace!

By: Trapperjohnmd

Trapperjohnmd — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:11:15 +0000

And called himself singing or whatever!

By: Trapperjohnmd

Trapperjohnmd — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:08:04 +0000

Outkast is a very good, not great group. I say not great because on their best albums Big Boi was thoroughly outshined by Andre and when he stepped his game up was around the time Andre started dressing like a sharecropper