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This album was released on April 26th in 1994. As with most of these marathons, I’m gonna kick this shit off by divulging some personal information that’ll make Hip Hop elitists wanna fucking kill themselves. I’ve never listened to an Outkast album. I’m pretty unfamiliar with Outkast’s music. I know that’s messed up since I’m technically from “Da Souf,” but I tend to gravitate more towards New York Hip Hop. I FUCK with Little Brother tho. I can only name a handful of Outkast songs, and I haven’t even heard all them. This marathon has been requested a few times, and I honestly don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get to it. I guess I just didn’t want to have too many marathons going on at once, even tho I said I would be doing more in an update last year. Obviously I’m expecting this to be a great album. I’m honestly more familiar with Big Boi than Andre 3000. I know that sounds crazy, but you’ve got to remember that I didn’t even really start getting into music like that until 2011 or 2012. Andre 3000 has NEVER released a solo album. The last Outkast album came out in 2006. So yeah. I’ve never heard an album with Andre 3000 as a primary artist. On the other hand, Big Boi dropped his first solo album in 2010. I only heard a few singles from it, but it’s still better than nothing. I listened to his entire second solo album, which came out in 2012. I don’t really remember what I thought about it… I probably didn’t like it. I know there are definitely songs on there that I do like tho. He released an EP with Phantogram last year, but I never listened to that shit. So I’ve only really heard Andre 3000 on features. I’ve heard a full solo album and a few singles from Big Boi. And yes, after I finish the Outkast marathon I’ll probably just go ahead and get Big Boi’s solo discography outta the way. Wow. According to Wikipedia, Andre 3000 has an accent in his name. So it’s André 3000. Nah. I’m not gonna write André 3000. It’s Andre 3000. I feel like I was about to say something important, but I can’t remember what it was… I guess I’ll just mention that the entire album is produced by Organized Noize, which is a production group consisting of Rico Wade, Ray Murray, & Sleepy Brown. For ignorant Hip Hop “fans” who don’t know any better, Outkast is a legendary rap duo consisting of Andre 3000 & Big Boi. You should know that by now. They’re often named as one of the greatest Hip Hop groups of all time. In fact, Andre 3000 is often mentioned as one of the greatest rappers of all time, and that’s saying a lot since he doesn’t really have a solo career outside of a few notable features. His verse on Sorry by T.I. was fucking incredible. Sorry. That was kinda random. Y’all really need to listen to that song now if you haven’t heard it before tho.

Track 1: Peaches (Intro)

This is just a Spoken Word intro from a woman named Peaches. I have a friend named Peaches. Well, we ain’t really friends. We went to school with each other in 8th grade. His real name was Amir. He was always actin’ all tough and angry all the time, so my friends & I started calling him Peaches just to piss him off. We were gonna make a diss song towards him called Peaches & Cream. In the music video, we were gonna have someone hitting a peach with a baseball bat, and then we were just gonna show Peaches eating a bowl of peaches or something. I don’t think he would’ve wanted to do it tho. Anyway, as you can probably tell, I don’t really have shit to say about this intro. It does it’s job, and rolls into the next track seamlessly.

Track 2: Myintrotoletuknow

Oh shit. Okay, this beat is dope af. I can already tell that they had live instrumentation for this project. I usually don’t like guitars, but it actually sounds pretty damn good over the rest of this beat. Big Boi’s on the first verse. Wow. He sounds really young. His verse was great. The hook is dope af. This sounds exactly how I expected it to sound. It’s dope af. Andre killed his verse too. Damn. Organized Noize put they ass in this beat. This shit is dope af. How have I never heard anything from this album? This was a great way to open the album up. Everybody involved in this song did a fantastic job. Big Boi & Andre 3000 both had great verses, and Organized Noize made a phenomenal beat. I fuck with this shit. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 3: Ain’t No Thang

The transitions between each track on this album are REALLY seamless. This beat sounds really dark. I just heard a gun cocking. I can already tell this is about to be hard af. Oh shiiiit. The beat just switched up… God fucking damn. Organized Noize fucking snapped with this beat. This shit is crazy. Andre’s first verse was dope af. This is so dope. The hook is great. Big Boi had a great verse too. Neither of them are really stealing the show from each other so far. The way people always worship Andre had me thinkin’ that he’d be blowing Big Boi away on every track, but Big Boi’s just as good to me on this shit so far. I’m only on the second song tho, so that might change eventually. Andre’s on the third verse. He killed it. Big Boi’s last verse was great too. That part where he said “you fuckin’ slave” as an insult kinda rubbed me the wrong way, but it doesn’t really hurt the track that much since it’s only one line. This song is dope af. There’s really not anything that I can shit on. The beat is dope af, and both members did a great job on the hook and verses. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 4: Welcome To Atlanta (Interlude)

I have nothing to say about this interlude. It’s not necessary for me. I get that they wanted to represent their city and everything, but I personally don’t really give a shit. It’s not a song tho, so it doesn’t actually hurt the album in any way.

Track 5: Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

This was the second single from this album. It’s starting now. God. This production is so fucking dope. Organized Noize is such an under appreciated production team. This beat is incredible. Big Boi and Andre both went in on the first and second verses respectively. The hook is so fuckin’ smooth. The song just ended. What is there to say? It’s just a great song. The beat is dope af, the hook is great, and both MCs had dope verses. Their flows are really dope by the way. I don’t think I mentioned that before. They killed this shit tho. They have really good chemistry with each other. They really make a great pair. You can tell that they really fucked with each other. It’s just another great song. I don’t really see why anyone wouldn’t like this. Unless you just don’t like Hip Hop. This is dope af. I definitely fuck with this. The music video isn’t super creative or anything, but it does its job I guess. It’s decent. The actual song is fantastic. This is probably my favorite song on the album so far. 5/5

Track 6: Call Of Da Wild Feat. Goodie Mob

I’m even less familiar with Goodie Mob than I was with Outkast before I started this shit. I know the names of all the members, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard any music from any of them—except Cee-Lo obviously. Okay, it’s starting now. This beat is dope. I’m not really blown away by it like I was with a lot of these other beats. It’s still dope tho. Eeehhhh. I really like the primary loop, but something about that bassline just doesn’t sound right to me. It doesn’t really seem to mesh well with the rest of the beat. It only gets worse when Cee-Lo starts singin’ the hook. I’m not feelin’ this hook. Andre’s first verse was great tho. T-Mo’s verse was cool. I really can’t get behind this hook. I’ve never really been a big fan of Cee-Lo in the first place, so I guess it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that I wouldn’t like this. Big Boi’s verse was great. This hook is just so bad to me tho. I can’t take this hook. It lasts way too long too. Fuck. Khujo’s verse was dope. You know, I’d actually like this if it weren’t for Cee-Lo. I just can’t take that hook tho. I feel like Andre 3000 could’ve done a much better job singing that shit. The melody itself isn’t even that good tho. This is alright I guess. The hook kinda ruins it for me, and I wasn’t crazy about the beat, but the verses were all very good. 3/5

Track 7: Player’s Ball

This was the first, and most successful single from this album. It’s starting now. Andre’s on the first verse. This beat is smooth af. Andre’s verse was great. Oh shit… I know this song. I’ve heard this hook before. I remember hearing this shit a lot when I was little. Honestly, I had no idea this was a Hip Hop song. I guess the only part I ever heard when I was little was the hook. It’s catchy af. It features uncredited vocals from Sleepy Brown. I love this song. Damn. I forgot about this song. This is so good. The hook is amazing. Big Boi’s on the next verse. Wow. I’m so glad I’m finally hearing this song again. Whenever I used to hear this song, I just assumed it was an old Funk record or something. This is another one of them classic songs like N.Y. State Of Mind or C.R.E.A.M. that you’ve probably heard before, even if you don’t know it. This hook from Sleepy Brown is so fuckin’ smooth. Both members did a great job with the verses too. This is dope af. I definitely fuck with this shit. 5/5

Track 8: Claimin’ True

This beat is dope. It didn’t really go in the direction that I wanted it to when it dropped, but I still like it. Big Boi’s verse at the beginning was great. The hook is cool. Andre had a great verse too. This shit is actually really hard. They were rapping about how they’ve been Gs ever since elementary school. This shit didn’t hit me as hard as most of the other tracks, but it’s still good. I fuck with this song. It’s dope. 4/5

Track 9: Club Donkey Ass (Interlude)

I guess this is just a skit of some bad ass chick walkin’ up to one of the members of Outkast in the club. He tells her to tell the DJ to play something long and slow, and then it ends. I guess that’s what the next track is gonna be like…

Track 10: Funky Ride (Performed by Society Of Soul)

Society Of Soul is an R&B group comprised of Organized Noize, Big Rube, and Espraronza. I’ve never heard any shit from them, but hopefully they’re dope. This beat is dope af. The first verse just ended. I’m not really fuckin’ with this track. It’s not like the vocals are bad or anything, but the melody isn’t really doin’ much for me, and I definitely didn’t need to hear that chick moaning in the background. Also, y’all already know I wasn’t feelin’ that guitar solo during the second half of the song. I can see a lot of people FUCKin’ to this song, but I don’t think I’m gonna wanna come back to this shit. It’s not for me. It’s alright tho. I guess. 3/5

Track 11: Flim Flam (Interlude)

This is a skit in which somebody tries to sell one of the members of Outkast a fake ass chain. It didn’t need to be here.

Track 12: Git Up, Git Out Feat. Goodie Mob

Cee-Lo’s on the hook, but he’s thankfully rapping it instead of singing. I’m finna come clean; I had no idea that Cee-Lo was a rapper until like 2 or 3 days ago. I really like the way his voice sounds when he’s rapping this hook tho. It sounds like a smoother version of T-Pain’s voice. Oh shit, Cee-Lo. He’s rapping on the first verse. The beat is dope af by the way. Lyrically, this song is pretty much the same as the hook from Institutionalized by Kendrick Lamar. “Nigga, you need to git up, git out, and git something / Don’t let the days of your life pass by / You need to git up, git out, and git something / Don’t spend all your time trying to get high.” Cee-Lo’s verse was actually really dope. That was cool. I wasn’t expecting that. This beat is really chill. It’s great. Big Boi did a good job with the second verse. Big Gipp’s verse wasn’t bad either. Andre 3000’s verse at the end was great too. I definitely fuck with this track. Each verse was great, and the beat is really dope too. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 13: True Dat (Interlude)

This is a Spoken Word interlude from Big Rube. I don’t really have shit to say about it. I definitely enjoyed this more than any of the other skits/interludes tho.

Track 14: Crumblin’ Erb

Oh shitfuck. This beat is dope af. It’s so fuckin’ smooth. The first verse from Andre was dope af. The uncredited hook from Sleepy Brown was pretty dope. It wasn’t as catchy as the hook from Player’s Ball, but it was still good. Big Boi did his thing on the second verse. This is a real laid back song. The production is dope af, and the hook was good. Andre & Big Boi had great verses. Especially Andre. I fuck with this shit. It’s not amazing to me, but it’s dope. 4/5

Track 15: Hootie Hoo

This is definitely the least interesting beat on the album so far. It’s not bad tho. Big Boi’s first verse was nice. The shit he says doesn’t interest me that much, but his flow and delivery were really dope. This hook is nothing special. This song gets a lot better once the beat finally drops. Andre’s verse was cool. I’m not gonna lie tho; that line where he hangs up on the pregnant girl whom—did I use the word “whom” properly?—he smashed kinda bothered me. He was basically bragging about being a deadbeat father. Big Boi’s flow on his last verse was dope. Andre did his thing on the last verse. Eh. I don’t know. This track doesn’t really do anything for me. The production and hook were pretty underwhelming, and I didn’t really love the verses. It’s a decent song tho. I don’t think it’s bad. It just doesn’t have any replay value for me personally. 3/5

Track 16: D.E.E.P.

Oh fuckin’ shit… Honestly, when this song first started I was a bit turned off by the “Greetings earthlings” intro, and the hook isn’t really that good to me, but that beat is incredible. Andre’s on the first verse. “You won’t catch me spreading no white thighs / I only see afro bitches up in my eyes.” I guess he gets points for relatability. He killed the first verse. Big Boi did a really great job with the second verse too. “My mama used to tell me if a nigga ever hit me / Just to pick up the closest thing and knock the living shit out of he.” They’re really goin’ the fuck off on this track. This is easily the most aggressive song on the album. Goddamn. Andre fuckin’ ripped that third verse to shreds. That was the best fuckin’ verse on the whole album. Big Boi did a good job with the last verse, but Andre really stole the show. This is the only time on the album where I feel like Andre really outdid Big Boi. They’ve been pretty much equal up to this point in my opinion. Andre controlled this shit tho. I mean, it definitely isn’t the best verse I’ve ever heard, but he still was rappin’ his ass off. I definitely fuck with this song. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 17: Player’s Ball (Reprise) [Performed by Sleepy Brown]

This is basically Sleepy Brown’s solo version of the original Player’s Ball. It has a new beat too. I fuck with this song, but I don’t really feel like I should be rating it. It just wouldn’t feel right. I like it tho. It’s dope. Sleepy Brown’s verse was good.

Final Thoughts:

This album is dope. The production was very solid for the most part. I really don’t think there are any bad songs on here. There are definitely songs that I’m not really in love with personally, but I would understand if somebody told me that they loved them. Damn near every song on this album has a very dope beat, a catchy hook, and great verses from Big Boi & Andre 3000. It’s just an hour of smooth ass Hip Hop. Honestly, this album’s title is perfect. I really feel like I’m in the South when I’m listening to this shit. I feel like I’m at a cookout with ham hocks and collard greens. It was also great to hear Player’s Ball again. I probably haven’t heard that song since I was like 7 years old. I don’t really see why anyone wouldn’t like this album. There’s not really anything bad about it. Big Boi & Andre 3000 both have very dope flows. The hooks were catchy and the production was very solid. The negative points on this album came almost exclusively from the features. This is definitely worth checking out. Again, I really don’t see what’s not to like about this album. It’s dope. I fuck with this shit.

Favorite Song: D.E.E.P.

Least Favorite Song: Funky Ride

Verdict:

85%

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