One group I have neglected quite a bit in the recent past is OutKast, which also happens to be one of my favorite hip-hop groups of all time. But ever since the release of Speakerboxx/The Love Below, OutKast left me with a pretty horrible taste in my mouth... which I recently discovered was mostly due to the tracks that received any airplay. I wasn't a fan of "The Way You Move," "Hey Ya" and "Roses." They all sounded pretty corny to me. So ever since, I haven't given OutKast much thought. Until this past weekend...
As I spent the early portion of my Friday night at my good pal James' house, he had all his favorite OutKast tracks looping on his iTunes. First, let me tell you: When I hear old OutKast, it takes me back to my high school days. Cutting class, going to parties, keg stands, beer bongs, spin the bottle, etc. OutKast was always playing in the background.
Anyhow, I was jammin' to all these OutKast songs with my pal and I instantly remembered why I loved them so much back then. And we even listened to some of the Speakerboxxx tracks, and I realized it's not as horrible an album as I once thought. First, I heard "Bust" and this track absolutely reminds me of their older stuff. It's rough, it's hard, it's aggressive. A few tracks later, we listened to "Da Art of Storytellin' (Part 2)" off the Aquemini album. This jam made me remember why Aquemini is by far OutKast's greatest album. Andre 3000 and Big Boi focus on moral issues, the melodies and lyrics are soulful, and the entire album takes the listener on a spiritual journey.
So these two songs have been on repeat for the past three days, and I don't see myself getting sick of them anytime soon. Enjoy the throwback, folks!
And thank you, James :)
OutKast - Bust (Feat. Killer Mike)
OutKast - Da Art of Storytellin' (Part 2)
