Top Ten Outkast Songs

When Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton met in 1991 at a shopping mall in Atlanta, they were no more than high school students with little more than loose change in their pockets and a dream. Little did they know that in just ten years they would be a Grammy winning rap duo blazing a trail in hip hop for other Atlanta acts to follow like Young Jeezy, Ludacris and Future. Before Atlanta established the South as the most thriving region in hip hop in the late 2000’s, Outkast helped put the Southern city on the map with their consistently brilliant releases. More than the millions of albums sold and the numerous awards won, Andre 3000 (Benjamin) and Big Boi (Patton) influenced a generation of rappers who saw in the duo a dizzying level of creative possibility with hip hop music. Ask Kanye West, J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar or Janelle Monae about how Outkast influenced their music and fashion sense then maybe you’d understand why many hip hop fans consider the Atlanta duo as one of the greatest rap groups ever. Choosing a top ten of their greatest songs is difficult when you consider the depth and quality of their discography, but the good news is there is no right answer when it comes to determining the best of Outkast.

Ten

Hollywood Divorce (feat. Lil Wayne & Snoop Dogg)

Idlewild (2006)

What do you do when you find yourself in a toxic relationship that isn’t working anymore? That’s what Dre and Big Boi address in Idlewild’s standout track about falling out of love with stardom. Featuring the hottest rapper in the game at the time, Lil Wayne and legendary mc, Snoop Dogg, this track examined the cruel nature of fame and the complications that come with being a household name. Gold diggers, online trolls, unrealistic expectations and invasive media get addressed as potential deal breakers to what is supposed to be a happy union. Perhaps the most tragic part of this relationship is how exploitative it is. As Andre notes in his outro, Hollywood has a penchant for absorbing the organic culture and style of black people only to eventually kick these same people to the curb after they’ve been used.

Nine

Ain’t No Thang

Southernplayalisticadillacmusick (1994)

Part of the charm of going back to listen to Outkast’s outstanding debut album is how much the duo grew over the years. Not just in terms of their cadence and their flow, but even their subject matter. Take “Ain’t No Thang”, the third track. Hearing Andre spit ferocious gangster threats over Organized Noise’s menacing production is jarring when you consider the preppy, family-friendly persona he’s taken on since. It might not be the best representation of what made Outkast special, but this song shows that even when the duo were at their most straight-laced, their raw ability was still evident.

Eight

Roses

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2004)

There tends to be mixed reactions among Outkast fans when discussing the double album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. It’s not just the typical issues that tend to plague double albums like too many songs and lack of focus. It was the fact that Andre 3000 and Big Boi were each doing their own halves of the double album that caused some unease. Did this signify that the duo were going their separate ways? Did they no longer see eye to eye creatively? Outkast fans needn’t have worried though as this creative experiment would go down as their most successful effort ever. It yielded chart topping singles (“Hey Ya”, “The Way You Move”), sold over ten million copies and won them several Grammy awards (including the much coveted award for album of the year). But above all the album gave us “Roses”, one of the only actual collaborations between them on the album. The song focuses on the fictional Caroline, a pretty babe with a snotty attitude. While Andre plays the part of the sensitive theatre kid who has had his heart broken by her foul ways, Big Boi plays the cocky player who sees right through her attitude and calls her out on her crap. Alas, neither of them were destined to end up with the girl at the end of the day.

Seven

Da Art of Storytelling 1

Aquemini (1998)

Storytelling has always been one of the fundamental skills great rappers have in their arsenal. From Slick Rick to Kool G Rap, Ghostface Killah to the Notorious B.I.G, the ability to use words to paint vivid pictures in the listener’s mind is part of what makes a total mc. In “Da Art of Storytellin”, Big Boi and Andre 3000 show that they are more than capable. Big Boi tells the story of a groupie aptly named Susie Screw who wants nothing more than a tryst with a rap superstar. Although he could only get her to “sick his duck” in the parking lot, it ends up been a decent experience for both parties – he gets a funny story and she gets a fond memory and a poster. Andre’s story is more poignant as he tells the story of a Sasha Thumper who he met one summer as a teenager. She blows him away with her wisdom and maturity and as such he falls for her. With him chasing his music career and everything that comes with it (touring), he loses touch and hopes maybe one day he’ll run into her again. But when he comes back into town, he learns that his one-time crush was found dead with a needle in her arm. This track was released as a single with Slick Rick contributing a verse, but the original is probably better. It went on to become one of ‘Kast’s most iconic songs and they’ve since gone on to create three more versions.

Six

Elevators (Me & You)

ATLiens (1996)

Until “Miss Jackson” topped the charts in 2000, “Elevators” wasn’t just the quintessential Outkast song, it was their biggest hit. The standout track from the ATLiens album saw Dre and Big Boi ponder about their rise in the music industry. This was just two years from their debut so they weren’t so far removed from their “struggling rapper” days. As such, the duo can paint detailed pictures about just how much their lives have changed since they’ve started to taste real success. Mind you, this is no typical rags-to-riches hip hop song. As Andre clarifies in his second verse, his newfound fame doesn’t exactly shield him from the financial pressures that regular folks face. Perhaps the most iconic part of the song is the chorus courtesy of Big Boi. It’s not only catchy, it’s dripping in Southern flavor. Now sing it with me, “Me and You, your momma and your cousin too…”

Five

Ms. Jackson

Stankonia (2000)

Outkast’s first major crossover hit. If Outkast were on the level of respected groups like Goodie Mob, the Roots and A Tribe Called Quest, after the release of this single they became internationally acclaimed pop figures. The irony of this success, is that the song came as a result of Andre’s divorce. The song is basically a plea of forgiveness from a divorced man to his understandably embittered mother-in-law. But more than just begging for forgiveness he’s making his case to a woman that doesn’t necessarily want to hear it. Dre’s verse is apologetic and sincerely delivered as he realizes this dissolution affects more than he and his ex (Erykah Badu) but their son. Big Boi’s verses are more confrontational as he challenges the boundaries he feels the mother-in-law is overstepping. The use of Richard Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” as a sample for the song was not just fantastic irony considering the subject matter but it helped make the song a worldwide smash.

Four

B.O.B

Stankonia (2000)

If “Miss Jackson” was the song that won crossover radio over, B.O.B (Bombs Over Baghdad) was the Stankonia single that most resonated with the critics. Despite it not having anywhere near the same degree of success on the charts, the song best exemplifies the creativity of Outkast’s music. It’s rock n’ roll mixed with southern bounce music mixed with gospel. It’s like Goodie Mob meets DMX. It’s also part fight music and part social commentary. Despite the controversial nature of the song’s title, there are few direct jabs at the government or political references of any kind (mostly in the hook). The two rappers attack the beat with double time speed and jump in and out of different topics before the Morris Brown College Gospel choir take us home with chants of “Power music, electric revival!” It’s little wonder Pitchfork magazine named it the greatest song of the 2000’s.

Three

Player’s Ball

Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994)

“All the players came from far and wide”. Outkast’s debut single needed to do two things. Firstly, it needed to put them on the map as artists to be reckoned with. With the single peaking at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, it achieved that. But perhaps more importantly, the song needed to create the right impression about Outkast. You never get a second chance at a first impression after all. But backed by a luscious Organized Noise beat, Andre and Big Boi created a tribute of sorts to the traditional gathering of pimps in Atlanta. But before you assume this is yet another song celebrating the exploitation and degradation of women, the song is more or less a celebration of all things Atlanta. Although Jermain Dupri had already enjoyed some success with Kriss Kross and Da Brat, Atlanta was certainly not at the forefront of hip hop’s consciousness in 1994. Certainly not when Death Row (representing California) and Bad Boy (New York) were enjoying the success they were. But with the release of “Player’s Ball”, Outkast sent out a message to the world – the South has something to say.

Two

Liberation (feat. Ceelo Green, Big Rube and Erykah Badu)

Aquemini (1998)

This is perhaps the most experimental song in Outkast’s diverse catalogue. For starters, it stretches to just under nine minutes which is ridiculous by hip hop standards. But while we’re on the topic of hip hop, “Liberation” is hardly a hip hop song at all. It’s more Bob Marley and Sam Cooke than Notorious B.I.G and Jay Z. The song’s core message is a cry for spiritual elevation and freedom. Then there’s the fact that there’s no rapping whatsoever. Erykah and Ceelo join Big Boi and Andre in singing about the trials and tribulations they face as young, black entertainers in this world. Big Rube then closes the song with a spoken word section where he admonishes those entertainers who choose to live in ignorance and fail to realise their actions inadvertently help keep the fans who look up to them shackled. “Liberation” doesn’t provide a lot of answers for those who might be looking for them here. What it does is show where Outkast were mentally and spiritually at this time. Its hip hop blues at its finest.

One

SpottieOttieDopaliscious (feat. Sleepy Brown)

Aquemini (1998)

Damn, damn, damn James. Why is this the best song Outkast ever done? Simply put, this represents everything that makes Outkast great. Genre bending? Check. Funky, luscious orchestration? Check. Dope storytelling? Check. Those horns? Ugh. In this track – featuring frequent collaborator, Sleepy Brown – Andre and Big Boi each give a vivid account of a random night hanging out in Atlanta. It’s a testament to the duo’s storytelling skills that their verses could very easily be repurposed into Atlanta episodes if the Glover brothers were so inclined. In Andre’s verse, he reminisces on hanging out in a van parked in front of a club drunk off Olde English. It’s all good until chaos breaks out and three men end up getting stabbed and rushed to the hospital. But Big Boi is the star of the show here as he describes meeting his spottieottiedopaliscious angel. His lyrics are suave and hilarious in equal measure as he describes meeting and falling in love with a stunning beauty. But with the passage of time comes a kid and with that comes responsibility. How does a guy who’s only ever known selling dope provide for his young family consistently? And that’s the beauty of Outkast’s music. Sure they push sonic boundaries and create music with crossover appeal. But their music always comes with lessons to heed and wisdom to assimilate.

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