Nearly two decades after OutKast’s last album, the Atlanta duo’s indomitable legacy remains “so fresh and so clean.”
Their 2000 album “Stankonia” was ranked the No. 4 best album of the 21st century so far, according to Rolling Stone. The outlet published its list, containing 250 projects, on Friday.
Of the ranking, which has already fueled social media debates, Rolling Stone said the following:
“In compiling our top 250 albums of the quarter-century, we wanted to show as much of the scope of this story as possible. So when given the choice between including multiple albums by an artist and finding room for a record that added something important or interesting to the list, we almost always took the second option.”
That would explain why “Stankonia” is the only OutKast album on the list. Their Grammy-winning 2003 LP “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,” which was recently named the bestselling rap album of all-time and includes the group’s only diamond single “Hey Ya!,” is a glaring omission especially considering that artists like Lil Wayne, Missy Elliott and Billie Eilish have multiple entries.
However, “Stankonia” only ranked below Frank Ocean’s “Blonde,” Radiohead’s “Kid A,” and — the coveted No. 1 spot — Beyoncé's “Lemonade.”
“As the clock turned to the new millennium, they pulled off their most stunning act of liberation with “Stankonia” — the wildest, most out-there hip-hop blockbuster ever made,” wrote Rolling Stone’s Simon Vozick-Levinson about the album. “ ‘B.O.B.’ hotwires drum-and-bass, gospel, and a Jimi Hendrix-style guitar solo; ‘Ms. Jackson’ is instant-classic soul with an eye on forever; even the cruder moments, like ‘We Luv Deez Hoez,’ keep all that high-flying genius grounded firmly on Earth.
While an OutKast reunion will likely never happen, the news is yet another example of how the duo’s Southern-inflected, funk-infused hip-hop sound shaped the zeitgeist of popular music. Even across genres, as André 3000′s flute-anchored album is up for album of the year at next month’s Grammy Awards.
Other Georgia-based artists (or those with strong connections to the state) have a hefty showing on the list. Young Thug, Janelle Monáe, R.E.M. are among the over a dozen hometown entries.
Below is a complete list:
No. 18: Missy Elliott- “Under Construction”
Credit: Derek Blanks
Credit: Derek Blanks
No. 52: Usher- “Confessions”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
No. 89: Future- “DS2″
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri/AJC
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri/AJC
No. 97: Young Thug — “So Much Fun”
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
No. 136: Migos — “Culture”
No. 144: Playboi Carti — “Die Lit”
Credit: ImageSpace/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
Credit: ImageSpace/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
No. 152: Rich Gang — “Tha Tour Part 1″
Credit: Brad Barket/BET
Credit: Brad Barket/BET
No. 164: Missy Elliott — “Miss E … So Addictive”
Credit: Courtesy photo/Derek Blanks
Credit: Courtesy photo/Derek Blanks
No. 171: Mastodon — “Leviathan”
Credit: Clay Patrick McBride
Credit: Clay Patrick McBride
No. 180: Killer Mike- “R.A.P. Music”
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
No. 186: Janelle Monáe — “Dirty Computer”
Credit: Nickia Delaware
Credit: Nickia Delaware
No. 224: R.E.M. — “Reveal”
Credit: (AJC Staff Photo/Celine Bufkin)
Credit: (AJC Staff Photo/Celine Bufkin)
No. 244: 21 Savage & Metro Boomin: “Savage Mode”
Credit: Robb Cohen for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Robb Cohen for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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