Welcome to Stankonia (Stankonia - Outkast)

Member Name: jennystevenson

Product:	Stankonia - Outkast
Date:	18/02/01 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun, good blend of styles, every track as good as the next

Disadvantages: Don't listen if you take rap seriously.

Which genre should I put this album in? That's a very good question. I would describe it as a blend of hip-hop, soul and 70's funk. It's unlike anything I've heard before and the most attention grabbing album that's come along in years. Apparantly, this band have been around for years, but I don't know any of their earlier music, I'll certainly give them a listen though.

Outkast are two guys, Big Boi and Andre 3000 from Southern USA. You may have heard their upcoming single Ms Jackson? It's one of those melodical hip-hop tunes that sticks in your head for days. I don't know exactly what it is, but something that these guys do is infectious and the album is like visiting their strange world for an hour or so.

Tracks range from soulful, sedate tunes (Ms Jackson, Red Velvet), to frantic rap (B.O.B., Xplosion) then onto funky keyboards and vocals (So fresh so clean, I'll call before I come). It's enough to make your head spin (in a good way).

It sounds like a lot of work went into this album, with each song being strong and potential releases. There's a range of guest vocalists, from Eryka Badu to B-Real from Cypress Hill.

This is 77 minutes crammed with good vocals, frantic rapping, strong beats and a range of comic interludes. As a band who don't take themselves too seriously and aren't afraid of trying something new (or mocking their peers), I hope the future is bright for them. I recommend this for anyone who fancies something different from your average hip-hop act, so go and enter the world of Stankonia and you'll be glad you did.

Summary: