The Future of Outkast

http://www.undercover.com.au/pics/gnarlsbarkley.jpg

after reading this , it's hard to be optimistic - even Outkast dont't think "The Mighty O" is all that, but had to release it 'coz it's apparently the only "Idlewild" track they recorded together. as for "Dré's crooned contributions, largely inspired by swing-era jazz"... ugh.

Also, I liked his acting in "The Shield" and "Four Brothers."

"The future of OutKast gotta..."(static)

It's a funk record. If you really think it's an unprecedented achievement, I recommend such obscurities as "1999", "Sign O The Times" "One Nation Under a Groove" "Talking Book" and "Control"

No need to be condescending. Did I say it was an unprecedented achievement? No. But, cmon, it's not just a funk record. There are splashes of hip-hop, pop, rock, soul, jazz and electronica (ugh, horrible word), and a playfullness and unpredictability at work which I personally find, yes, thrilling. Granted, Prince was juggling all these genres twenty-odd years ago, but Andre is certainly not just apeing him; his personality is stamped all over the album.

------------------

It's a funk record

deej OTM!

They had a great run tho, truly something unprecedented in hip-hop.

Welcome to a new year at ILM High!

Give me a fucking break. She was with Andre 3000 - and they broke up - long before there were "problems" in his relationship with Big Boi. And she dated Common, too. So fucking what?

Oh, and for unfortunately-not-the-last-fucking-time, Yoko did NOT break up the Beatles. Their egos did. This is just ignorant bullshit.

Ps Cheers Austin, no offence taken.

W.
T.
F.

"Unhappy" "Bowtie" "The Rooster" "Last Call" etc didn't hold up w you?

I really like "Morris Brown". The unsettling thing about it is how totally made-for-Andre Scar's part sounds.

"Idlewild Blue" is okay. These songs are much more reassuring about the album (despite their seperation) than "The Mighty O" was.

I agree both are leagues ahead of "The Mighty O", which was mighty bad.

the future of Outkast = socks

mad at the commenter who beat me to the "daddy fat socks" joke

eh if someone makes the same joke as you it's prob not a terribly original joke worth feeling any type of way about

lol got me

well played

YO
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/outkast-to-headline-governors-ball-20140109
also headlining coachella
it's on

I have no idea what I do. I honestly don't.

bodes well lol

https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/live/coachella--14-friday--outkast-s-audience-more-idle-than-wild-113004299.html

:(

setlist was pretty solid, even did "Kryptonite". lame.

"Are y'all alive?" Andre 3000 queried, more than once. "We just want to know one thing — are you having a good time?" Big Boi asked.

Yeah, I've never heard questions like this at a show before, let alone a hip-hop show.

And then here we are again:

Twitter was soon teeming with outraged posts from fans watching the audience's lackluster response on the livestream.

Fuck the livestream. If this is the level of criticism we're going to get, I half expect:

Big Boi was beset by microphone problems, based on his repeated requests to "turn my mic up!"

Or:

The crowd was really into it, but the hundreds of people sitting at home on their couches watching the stream were much more apathetic. "Yo, everyone home watching the stream," began Dre. "Y'all having a good time?" Alas, his query was met by silence, as the people at home could not actually respond out loud, but a few enthusiastic followers on Twitter responded with a resounding "yes!"

sure, when you selectively hack apart the article and ignore the actual tweets from people who were there, it doesn't look quite so bad!

Thank you for going the extra step.

*salute*

I enjoyed what I saw of the stream but didn't watch to the end and apparently they seemed less and less interested towards the end, particularly 3 stacks

i only tuned in for the last half an hour when i woke up and andre looked srsly uncomfortable

basically the crowd was totally wack and Andre eventually just started going through the motions and Miles Davised them for "Hey Ya"

i'm debating seeing them at Guava fest but I'm not sure how Florida is gonna treat them. plus it's $80 and the only other act on that day I like is Sleigh Bells (which is a 'kinda').

still kicking myself for saying "I'll buy tix later" in 2001 on the Stankonia tour and then having em sell out before I had the money

Phenomenal at Wireless in Finsbury Park yesterday. Only complaint is that in Birmingham the night before they had more time so also did Spottie, Ghetto Musick and International Players' Anthem. This is the London setlist:

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/outkast/2014/finsbury-park-london-england-23c1ec8b.html

damnit, only down the road and I didn't even know :(

Sound awesome on the stream right now:

http://www.lollapalooza.com/2014/2014-lolla-livestream-schedule/

Been watching a while, and Andre 3000 has busted out this death metal growl at least four or five times.

y'all gotta stop hating on Love Below "Prototype" is so awesome

is it cool to hate Love Below now? You're right, that's one of the best songs on either album.

http://www.thefader.com/2014/12/03/andre-3000-art-show-jumpsuits-nicolas-jaar-interview

"Honestly, just, you know—I didn't wanna do the tour."

no kidding. it's sad he can't acknowledge what he's best at/feels the need to pursue all this other dumb shit but whatever it's his perogative.

They were so damn good on this tour. He faked it sublimely.

man, nicolas jaar did a great job on that interview

NOT

I want a jumpsuit that says "I actually draw and paint for real."

Question for people who know a lot about hip-hop:

Despite being one of the first big rap acts from Atlanta, which has now been the genre's #1 city for many years, and despite being widely beloved to this day, it seems like Outkast never had much influence on the sound of hip-hop.

What am I missing?

i think of them in the same way as something like the later talk talk albums: more influential in spirit than actual sound.

Uh.

Funny you post this, for Tom Breihan wrote this magisterial essay today: https://www.stereogum.com/2103765/outkast-stankonia-turns-20/franchises/reviews/the-anniversary/

stankonia has about five good tracks. absolute disappointment and the beginning of the end. anyone who says otherwise is more interested in image than sound. i can think of few better examples of "just because it's different doesn't make it good" than 'b.o.b.'

I can't imagine To Pimp a Butterfly existing without Outkast

"beginning of the end" is description, not criticism

^Ahhhh good call UMS. I knew I had to be overlooking something big.

can think of few better examples of "just because it's different doesn't make it good" than 'b.o.b.'

― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Friday, October 30, 2020 7:26 PM (twenty-five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Not sure I've ever disagreed with a music opinion more strongly than this. Not only because I think "B.O.B." is great, but also because I think it's so far from being weird-for-the-sake-of-weird. It is weird, but for the sake of being really viscerally exciting in a very accessible way IMO.

otm

the reason why not v much rap sounds like outkast is bc its v hard and expensive to pull off.

Why expensive?

I never listened to Idlewild (or the Big Boi albums) after I found the double CD 40% great but mostly exhausting. I know that no tracks from it made the top 50 in the ILM Outkast poll, is it that much of a drop off?

xp

i guess rap albums can get expensive if you're buying production and getting feature verses from huge name artists. but outkast used more live instrumentation which means more studio time to buy and session players to hire. can't emulate their sound with your home copy of fruity loops, but you can imitate metro boomin or dj mustard or whomever bc you're using similar tools.

xp Idlewild has some good stuff (Hollywood Divorce, The Train) but it's long and kind of a bummer - even the good songs seem to mostly be about how they're going their separate ways and the Outkast thing has worn out its welcome.

I can't imagine To Pimp a Butterfly existing without Outkast

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, October 30, 2020 5:34 PM

p much

https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/goodie-mobs-new-album-features-andre-3000-and-big-boi-news.120355.html

I never listened to Idlewild (or the Big Boi albums) after I found the double CD 40% great but mostly exhausting. I know that no tracks from it made the top 50 in the ILM Outkast poll, is it that much of a drop off?

Outkast owned their own studio (the name should have been a clue), and produced nearly all of Stankonia themselves, but for three or four tracks produced by their former mentors and house producers.


Another anniversary essay: https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/10/29/21539426/outkast-stankonia-20th-anniversary-bombs-over-baghdad

and accompanying Top 50: https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/10/29/21538412/best-outkast-songs-ranked

I think they’re influential for sure. More like in the push the boundaries type of way. Not many groups/rappers sound like them tho that’s true

Austin your stankonia opinion is bad and wrong. Listen again with new 2020 ears

Outkast owned their own studio (the name should have been a clue), and produced nearly all of Stankonia themselves, but for three or four tracks produced by their former mentors and house producers.

Another anniversary essay: https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/10/29/21539426/outkast-stankonia-20th-anniversary-bombs-over-baghdad

and accompanying Top 50: https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/10/29/21538412/best-outkast-songs-ranked

― edited for dog profanity (sic), Friday, October 30, 2020 10:23 PM (thirty-two minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

didnt know abt the studio

Austin your stankonia opinion is bad and wrong. Listen again with new 2020 ears

― Spottie, Friday, October 30, 2020 11:28 PM bookmarkflaglink

BREAK

yoskie woskie peeskie weeskie

don't everybody like the smell of gasoline?

I put my BradNelson hat on and wagered what Austin’s 5 good tracks might be and they are as follows:

?
Xplosion
Humble Mumble
Spaghetti Junction
Red Velvet

ATLiens best Outkast album, top 5 rap albums.

so we listened to this while taking a drive this evening and i stand by it— one of the most disappointing albums i've ever heard. still decent, but when your previous two albums were two of the of the best records that will ever be made, there's nowhere to go but down. too many guest appearances, too many tracks just generally speaking, and too many skits. i'm usually a fan of "mess" albums, but this one just rubs me the wrong way and it always has.

top tracks are:

'humble mumble'
'red velvet'
'slum beautiful'
'stanklove'
'so fresh, so clean'

sorry if that upsets anyone. outkast is easily in my shortlist of alltime favorites, so i'm extra critical.

Stankonia is less consistent or cohesive than the earlier albums but the highs are higher.

The love below and speakerboxxx are both quite poor though, apart from a handful of songs on each.

And to pimp... would still be around without outkast..but not without the roots, common etc

top tracks are:

'humble mumble'
'red velvet'
'slum beautiful'
'stanklove'
'so fresh, so clean'

I don't disagree. I'd add "Snappin' and Trappin'."

any list without “gasoline dreams” is no list at all. glad you dig “slum beautiful,” tho, always thought that one was under appreciated.

realising all over again how good B.O.B is was a highlight of the 00s pool I ran

poll

Question for people who know a lot about hip-hop:

Despite being one of the first big rap acts from Atlanta, which has now been the genre's #1 city for many years, and despite being widely beloved to this day, it seems like Outkast never had much influence on the sound of hip-hop.

What am I missing?

― JRN, Friday, October 30, 2020 6:45 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

there's a whole cohort of left-of-center ATL rappers that seem to be directly influenced from outkast. the most obvious example is earthgang, who are also a duo, but with two "andres", and attempt a similar mix of soulful, spacey, southern rap. they're in a collective called spillage village with fellow ATL rapper JID and rap-n-b-er 6lack among others, and their album is a decent bit of aquemini cosplay (this is not my favorite song on that album, but it's the one that sounds most like outkast.

big krit's early '10s music shared a similar conceptual bent (references to cadillacs, outer space, etc.).

i could go on and list direct influences, but that would understate their full. to pimp a butterfly doesn't bear the least sonic resemblance to outkast (though the "for sale (interlude)" has a bit of the burbling otherworldly choirs that big boi likes t ouse), but it still owes a debt. the 'kast made ambitious, weird, and singular albums, changing up their style for each one. and they still sold like crazy. you have to think their success made rappers from all over the map, including kendrick, understand that you could be "weird" and still be a massive star.

also, important to mention the whole dungeon family scene that outkast led--hard to deny that the likes of goodie mob, organized noize, etc. didn't make a huge influence on the sound of hip-hop. killer mike started his career by appearing on outkast songs. future is rico wade's nephew, and spent a lot of his youth hanging his uncle's studio.

*didn't have a huge influence

speakerboxxx .... quite poor though, apart from a handful of songs

― candyman, Saturday, October 31, 2020 5:15 AM (one hour ago)

man speakerboxx for yourself

also, important to mention the whole dungeon family scene that outkast led--hard to deny that the likes of goodie mob, organized noize, etc. didn't make a huge influence on the sound of hip-hop. killer mike started his career by appearing on outkast songs. future is rico wade's nephew, and spent a lot of his youth hanging his uncle's studio.

― glengarry gary beers (voodoo chili), Saturday, October 31, 2020 8:39 AM (forty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

so...in a way...the future of outkast was...future

man speakerboxx for yourself

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Saturday, October 31, 2020 9:12 AM (twenty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

otm

yeah speakerboxx is full of jams, this is canon

Woe betide the canon and it's big boi apologists. (Many dre3000 apologists too fwiw)

Speakerboxx is good, but a cut below classic Outkast. and not as good as Chico Dusty

"apologists"

I agree with all that xp

Its
Stankonia
Aquemini
Atliens
Southernplayalistic
Love below (our usual standards)/speakersuxxx

Also killer Mike absolutely slayed on gangsta shit and snappin n trappin back then. For a while I thought he might never match those verses.

otm

Don't forget Outkast's marvelous production skillz on this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TurpygxuGyc

If I'm ordering them as a rap fan though, I'd say atliens and southern are better verse for verse than the later two (for me stankonia is their last album). Though aquemini is their most versatile as rappers. They really did a lot of incredible stuff on there as a rap group. Stankonia is more just about the songs.

Their production around the stankonia era was really on fire. I need to dig out all those tracks they did on soundtracks etc

I mean the beat on snappin... was just WTFWTFWTF. Both hard AF and weird AF.

If I'm ordering them as a rap fan though, I'd say atliens and southern are better verse for verse than the later two (for me stankonia is their last album). Though aquemini is their most versatile as rappers. They really did a lot of incredible stuff on there as a rap group. Stankonia is more just about the songs.

― candyman, Saturday, October 31, 2020 10:56 AM bookmarkflaglink

Their production around the stankonia era was really on fire. I need to dig out all those tracks they did on soundtracks etc

― candyman, Saturday, October 31, 2020 10:57 AM bookmarkflaglink

I mean the beat on snappin... was just WTFWTFWTF. Both hard AF and weird AF.

― candyman, Saturday, October 31, 2020 10:58 AM bookmarkflaglink

candyman
candyman
candyman
candyman
candyman

I'm glad they finished and stopped making music after stankonia. It's like tribe ending it in 94 (though I love the love movement). Or de la after buhloone. They stopped being a group on a high point. Its like a canon obsessed music critic (maybe that is dre 3000) was in charge of their career.

xpost voodoo otm

that's exactly why I brought up kendrick he doesn't sound like Outkast but I don't think he makes that album without say Aquemini already existing

The sooner ppl stop believing either of them are good independent of each other, the better. Yeah dre3000 did some cool stuff, big boi is never going to do anything outright bad, but ugh, I can't listen to their solo stuff. Dre3000 trying way too hard, and big boi just not able to carry it on his own (sorry but he is all too easily the phife dog of the pair)

ok what

xpost voodoo otm

that's exactly why I brought up kendrick he doesn't sound like Outkast but I don't think he makes that album without say Aquemini already existing

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, October 31, 2020 11:09 AM bookmarkflaglink

otm

i can understand someone who (wrongly) doesn’t like speakerboxxx not liking big boi’s solo stuff, but implying that they aren’t good apart from each other means you don’t like andre’s verse on slimm calhoun’s “it’s ok” which is...not ok

phife was great


fwiw here's kendrick talking about playing bitch don't kill my vibe in the studio for andre and how he's been a huge fan (starts 1:50) starts talking about nas/Illmatic

https://youtu.be/k4Y5UUNkA24

I listened to Lucious Leftfoot quite a bit good album

"trying too hard" is one of those criticisms I find inherently bullshitty like a fancy way of saying "I don't like it", I've done it myself a million times

phife WAS great RIP

he was on point, all the time

what's going on in this thread

mother, mother
everybody thinks they're wrong

[the cable has been disconnected and the lights have been turned out by an moderator]

you and your girl and speakin no more cos my FP all in her mouth

*ain't

Phife was good ofc but do I want to hear his solo work? No.

As I said bb solo isnt bad. But that doesnt mean it's great either. Its fine.

As for trying too hard, I should clarify. I mean, making music that sounds very self conscious. Again,not a bad thing, and i like hey ya, those gwen Stefani songs, and other stuff, but at the time I just thought it was a bit too aware of itself, of what it is. But I should give these albums another chance. Not returned to them in years

Sometimes I think vehment bb fans are just defined by not wanting to be those fans who think dre3000 was the superior member and all that bestows on them

Chico dusty is not better than Stankonia, come on

Phife only had one solo album and it was pretty bleh but most of Q-Tip's solo career also wasn't very good

Sure. But most of dre3000s solo career wasnt fab either!

speakerboxxx is perfect

this ball & g album is up there with the best outkast and goodie mob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_DUJ2rcctw

Snappin & Trappin one of the most annoying unpleasant beats from any group I like. Never liked BOB either but respected the attempt at something avant garde.
Aquemini>Atliens>1st one>Stankonia>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>everything else

Throw ur hands up is so good

who cares what Andre's "solo career" is like. he's never even released a solo record. his legacy is outkast and an all time mc

I don't really like listening to Rick Rubin (or how he keeps trying to steer Andre 3000 back into making product here), but it's pretty interesting to hear Andre talk about losing confidence & not wanting to be in the spotlight, just learning different instruments and getting into Steve Reich, etc
https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/episode-13-andre-3000-and-rick-rubin-in-conversation

I used to not like Stankonia as much as the earlier albums but it really opened up to me as I got deeper into electronic music and now it's my favorite. Beautiful fuckin technicolor fantasia

also are y'all talking about the same 3 Stacks who post-Outkast has been putting mindbending verses on the guest rap circuit every time he steps down from the clouds for 15 years?

Maybe we should stop writing off Outkast until after Idlewild comes out.

― max (maxreax), Saturday, June 24, 2006 6:06 AM (fourteen years ago)

ding a fuckin ding ding ding

― Forksclovetofu, Saturday, June 24, 2006 6:09 AM (fourteen years ago)

you know what's actually a really amazing track is "toilet tisha"

true

but like.... this the Possum Aloysius Jenkins y'all are talking about like he ain't been shit since Aquemini? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEdBe04dwms

yeah he has amazing guest verses

you know what's actually a really amazing track is "toilet tisha"

― the late great, Saturday, October 31, 2020 12:26 PM

this would be my honorable mention for the album. great track. almost feels like a genuine classic prince song — and i mean that as a very high compliment.

if anyone else isn't ready to argue with me yet, here: as an album, speakerboxxx is better than stankonia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXY6_jKH_x4

^^ love that song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCE5MwAMgNI

oh shit here we go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r1-v5x0aCk

He's still got the juice, but if he doesn't need the money, I respect him for not wanting to turn all eyes on him and do the album/pr/tour thing. It's got to be weird to know that millions of people are going to hear whatever you do and most will be disappointed no matter what.

"speakerboxxx is better than stankonia."

Some weird kind of cult I'm privy to here

Stankonia is one of my favorite albums of all-time, and for a "messy" album, there's almost nothing I'd cut from it. But the hook on "Snappin and Trappin" is pretty annoying

My only feedback about Stankonia is that Andre was very root with Erykah mama

anybody who refuses to fuck with “so fresh so clean” doesn’t deserve music

Made me fall back in love with patty melts

"who cares what Andre's "solo career" is like. he's never even released a solo record. his legacy is outkast and an all time mc"

Yes hes an all time mc but hes now got the air of I'm too good to do this but ok sure since his asked if I really must then ok let me be so kind as to gift you an occasional verse when I can spare the time

As for no solo records, uh,there was that love below album, as well as that kids album. I'd say all those generous guest verses constitute a career of a sort

https://youtu.be/UbYw1kOBUPA
Was only a few months ago when I discovered this

hes an all time mc but hes now got the air of I'm too good to do this

Andre doesn't owe you anything otm

Induction to the R&R Hall of Fame, deserved or no?

Oh fuck off it’s not even arguable (just referencing the simultaneous White Stripes talk tbh). Outkast got the whole Dungeon Family on stage with them too.