TODAY IN MUSIC HISTORY: OUTKAST RELEASES "STANKONIA"

Twenty-three years ago today, OutKast unleashed their fourth studio album, Stankonia, irrefutably altering the course of modern rap in a fearless explosion of vibrant, genre-bending chaos. Drawing inspiration from their diverse music taste, legendary rap duo Big Boi and Andre 3000 crafted a one-of-a-kind amalgamation of hip-hop, rock, funk, and psychedelia.

Allow me take you on a journey to the United States of Stankonia, Big Boi and Andre 3000's parallel universe in which anything, and everything, goes. Inspired by a poster on his bedroom wall depicting the futuristic city of Plutonia, Andre 3000 envisioned his own utopia, “Stankonia,” an idyllic society ruled by funk and soul.

Stankonia served as a significant milestone in OutKast's musical evolution. The album's eclectic mix of genres, coupled with the duo's lyrical dexterity and social commentary, demonstrated a significant shift in their approach to music-making. Stankonia was a departure from their previous works, pushing artistic boundaries and challenging the conventions of the genre.

According to Andre 3000, the album was made in response to how “boring” mainstream rap had become. Unenthused by industry expectations of staying within one genre, OutKast purported having a broad music taste as positive thing in music production.

“Some people feel like if it’s not just a kick and a snare and the same one-two beat and a sample, then that’s not hip-hop. But, to me, that’s boring, so I don’t wanna do that. If that’s your version, I mean, that’s cool, but you ought to listen to everything. It’d make your music better.” -Andre 3000 to Vibe Magazine

All things considered, OutKast has always been a bit eccentric specifically in Andre 3000's style and flow. However, previous works like ATLiens and Aquemeni were largely rap-focused and lyrically driven. Stankonia's full throttle acceleration towards wacky, genre-ascending beats represented a new era of OutKast, and subsequently a new era of what is considered acceptable in popular hip-hop.

Blending elements of funk, soul, electronica, and rock with their signature Southern hip-hop style, Tracks like "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)" and "Ms. Jackson" quickly became iconic and helped redefine the boundaries of what hip-hop could encompass, both sonically and lyrically. Its enduring commercial success illuminated a path for greater creative expression in the hip-hop industry. Winning a Grammy award for Best Rap Album, it testified to the fact that experimentalism, if executed correctly, can really pay off.

Stankonia exists as a testament to the visionary artistry of OutKast in their prime. It might not have been their most commercially successful or critically acclaimed at the time of its release, but its impact on the music industry cannot be understated. To this day, Stankonia remains a standout moment in OutKast's career and a landmark in the evolution of hip-hop music.

On a tragically bittersweet note, Stankonia also marked the end of OutKast as a wholly unified group. This album is deemed to be the last “true” OutKast release, as it was the final album where Big Boi and Andre 3000 worked collaboratively in the studio together. The following release, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was created as two separate projects, with Big Boi producing the first half of the album, Speakerboxxx, and Andre 3000 producing The Love Below.

While Dre and Big Boi clearly had their personal differences, their individual creative influence worked to create some of (in my humble opinion) the best hip-hop songs of our era. Cheers to 23 years of Stankonia. If you need me I will be playing that album very, very loudly on repeat.