15. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik Album: Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
This was actually the first Outkast song that I ever heard. Being the title track on their first album, the duo and their sound isn’t as polished as it would later become, but this track and album played a critical role in introducing the hip-hop world to a new southern style of rap that hadn’t before been unveiled. With the hefty bass lines, live horns and heavily influenced soul and funk sound, paired with the laid back but crisp lyrical flow, Outkast was constructing a sound that neither the East or West coast’s thriving rap cultures had yet offered.
Andre Lyric: “Full of pride, now ain’t that somethin’. I’m dipping in your hood, this ain’t braille but i’m bumping.”
Big Boi Lyric: “See I get friendly getting in where I fit. Organized is on the track with the sounthernplayalistic shit.”
14. SpottieOttieDopaliscious Album: Aquemini
Without a doubt, the coolest Outkast track in their entire catalog. It opens with thirty-five seconds of a slowed funk trance and climaxes shortly after with an eruption of a horn section that seems fitting for the arrival of a king. While I wanted to rank it higher, Andre and Big Boi don’t do any rapping on it, and instead use the song as a vehicle for somewhat of a poetry session where they narrate their lyrics throughout it. But the alluring and seductive mood of this track, which is initiated by Sleepy Brown’s voice in the intro, firmly implants it as one of Outkast’s most enjoyable and classic songs.
13. Synthesizer Album: Aquemini
Synthesizer is a spastic collection of unusual sounds and instrumentation that all intertwine to create the perfect storm of musical chaos. I suppose that can be said for most of George Clinton’s music though, who helped in creating the funky alien-ish vibe on this track. That specific unconventional sound provides the absolute perfect platform for Andre’s style of precise attack rap. Big Boi is no slouch on this track, but Three Stacks absolutely murders it with conviction. In what is undeniably one of his best verses ever, Andre raps about how quickly our generation is progressing into one of exploitation and materialism.
Andre Lyric: “Ni—s bitin’ verbatim. Thought provokin’ records, radio never played em’. Instant quick grits, new, improved. Hurry hurry, rush rush, World on the move.”
12. Jazzy Belle Album: ATLiens
Regarding subject and sentiment, Jazzy Belle is one of the more emotive tracks Outkast has ever recorded. The duo spends the duration of the track rapping about the negative effects of the behavior of women in our culture who have become increasingly promiscuous and irresponsible. A smooth and mesmerizing beat with the always pleasant scratching of vinyl throughout, this is a successfully placed and welcomed change of pace track within the album. The song’s subject matter, their underlying message and how they lyrically convey it, is what makes this track one of their best.
Andre Lyric: “While our nation is a boat, straight sinking. I hate thinking that these the future mommas of our children.”
Big Boi Lyric: “I’m leaving these foes to be the flowers, wake don’t get me. See, I gotta be feeding my daughter, teach her to be that natural woman.”
11. Mainstream Album: ATLiens
One of the most overlooked songs on ATLiens. With help from a couple members of Goodie Mob (Kuhjo & T-Bu), who do their part on this track in the form of describing the hurdles and obstacles of living in the hood. Andre instead uses this track to touch on the amount of misplaced rappers who create garbage music in their pursuit of the mainstream dream. It’s evident though that both Dre and Big Boi relate the title “mainstream” to more than just the music industry, as they both theme their respective verses around the idea of staying true to yourself and not being fake.
Andre Lyric: “But we must stay in focus. We kings and queens up in this thing, get rid of all them jokers.”
Big Boi Lyric: “Thinking it’s all about your clothes? Ni–a it’s all about yourself. The way you feel about your life, the times that you done shared with your friends and family.”
