Outkast | Stankonia (LP)

Stankonia is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo OutKast, released October 31, 2000 on La Face Records. The group's previous release, Aquemini (1998), played a significant role in introducing Southern hip-hop to other areas of the United States. In the spring of 1999, OutKast began working on Stankonia in the duo's recently purchased Atlanta recording facility, Stankonia Studios. The band's ownership of the studio allowed for fewer time constraints and subsequently, more musical experimentation. Stankonia features appearances from many local Atlanta musicians whom the group discovered while visiting clubs in the city. On Stankonia, the duo hoped to create a chaotic musical aesthetic, and incorporated a diverse array of musical genres, including drum and bass, gospel, rock, salsa, funk, and psychedelia. Recording sessions became difficult as André 3000 wished to abandon his rapping vocal style in favor of a more melodic technique, an approach to which Big Boi and other producers were unaccustomed. In order to maintain musical cohesion with Big Boi and continue his musical evolution, André 3000 incorporated both techniques on Stankonia. Lyrically, the duo touches upon topics such as politics, misogyny, and personal introspection in an irreverent manner. The album debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling over 530, 000 copies the first week. Stankonia received universal acclaim from music critics and holds an aggregate score of 95 out of 100 at Metacritic. The album produced three singles, "B.O.B", "Ms. Jackson", and "So Fresh, So Clean"; "Ms. Jackson" became the group's first single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. At the 2002 Grammy Awards, OutKast won Best Rap Album for Stankonia and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Ms. Jackson". In 2003, the album was ranked number 359 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Initial pressings of STANKONIA will include a mix of alternate cover art. Outkast: Andre 3000 (vocals, synthesized guitar); Big Boi (vocals). Additional personnel includes: Sleepy Brown (vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, Moog bass); Khujo Goodie, Killer Mike, J-Sweet, Gangsta Boo, Eco, B-Real, Backbone, Big Gipp, Erykah Badu, Slimm Calhoun, C-Bone, T-Mo Goodie, Cee-Lo Goodie, Big Rube, Rosalin Heard (vocals); Big Boi, Dre (rap vocals); Donnie Mathis, David "Whild" Brown (guitar); Jason Freeman, Jerry Freeman (horns); Marvin "Chanz" Parkman (piano, keyboards); Earthtone III, Organized Noize (keyboards, programming); Preston Crump (bass, synthesized bass); Aaron Mills, Robert Grister, Dookie Blossumgame (bass); Victor Alexander (drums); Cutmaster Swift (cuts); Myrna "Screechy Peach" Crenshaw (background vocals). Producers: Earthtone III, Organized Noize, Carl Mo. Engineers include: John Frye, Neal H. Pogue, Kevin Parker. Principally recorded at Stankonia Recording, Atlanta, Georgia. STANKONIA won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. "Ms. Jackson" won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. Initial pressings of STANKONIA will include a mix of alternate cover art. Outkast: Andre 3000 (vocals, synthesized guitar); Big Boi (vocals). Additional personnel includes: Sleepy Brown (vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, Moog bass); Khujo Goodie, Killer Mike, J-Sweet, Gangsta Boo, Eco, B-Real, Backbone, Big Gipp, Erykah Badu, Slimm Calhoun, C-Bone, T-Mo Goodie, Cee-Lo Goodie, Big Rube, Rosalin Heard (vocals); Donnie Mathis, David "Whild" Brown (guitar); Jason Freeman, Jerry Freeman (horns); Marvin "Chanz" Parkman (piano, keyboards); Earthtone III, Organized Noize (keyboards, programming); Preston Crump (bass, synthesized bass); Aaron Mills, Robert Grister, Dookie Blossumgame (bass); Victor Alexander (drums); Cutmaster Swift (cuts); Myrna "Screechy Peach" Crenshaw (background vocals). Producers: Earthtone III, Organized Noize, Carl Mo. Engineers include: John Frye, Neal H. Pogue, Kevin Parker. Principally recorded at Stankonia Recording, Atlanta, Georgia. STANKONIA won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. "Ms. Jackson" won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. The Atlanta-based critically acclaimed duo of Big Boi and Dre returns with yet another innovative contribution to hip-hop. STANKONIA, an album borrowing its title from the group-owned recording studio, continues Outkast's tradition of delivering groundbreaking music. The two MCs cover topics that only they would rap about, over self-produced tracks that only they could make. Songs like "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)" are in contrast to the current hip-hop scene, with its bass music background, while "Ms. Jackson," a dedication to a baby's momma's momma, sports a soulful melody in the tradition of Outkast's previous efforts. Either way, Outkast still proves to be in its own elite class.

Tracklist

A1        Intro
A2        Gasoline Dreams
A3        I'm Cool (Interlude)
A4        So Fresh, So Clean
A5        Ms. Jackson
A6        Snappin' & Trappin'
A7        D.F. (Interlude)
B1        Spaghetti Junction
B2        Kim & Cookie (Interlude)
B3        I'll Call Before I Come
B4        B.O.B.
B5        Xplosion
B6        Good Hair (Interlude)
C1        We Luv Deez Hoez
C2        Humble Mumble
C3        Drinkin' Again (Interlude)
C4        ?
C5        Red Velvet
C6        Cruisin' In The ATL (Interlude)
D1        Gangsta Sh*t
D2        Toilet Tisha
D3        Slum Beautiful
D4        Pre-Nump (Interlude)
D5        Stankonia (Stanklove)

*Audio and/or tracklist may vary slightly from the vinyl version.

Label: LFC
Catalog: 26072
Rel. Date: 10/31/2000
UPC: 730082607216

• Released: 10/31/2000
• Genre: Rap/Hip Hop
• Format: Vinyl
• Format Detail: LP