Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 73008-26053-2
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile© 1998 LaFace Records
AllMusic Review by Steve HueyEven compared to their already excellent and forward-looking catalog,
OutKast's sprawling third album,
Aquemini, was a stroke of brilliance. The chilled-out space-funk of
ATLiens had already thrown some fans for a loop, and
Aquemini made it clear that its predecessor was no detour, but a stepping stone for even greater ambitions. Some of
ATLiens' ethereal futurism is still present, but more often
Aquemini
plants its feet on the ground for a surprisingly down-home flavor. The
music draws from a vastly eclectic palette of sources, and the live
instrumentation is fuller-sounding than
ATLiens. Most importantly, producers
Organized Noize imbue their tracks with a Southern earthiness and simultaneous spirituality that come across regardless of what
Dre and
Big Boi
are rapping about. Not that they shy away from rougher subject matter,
but their perspective is grounded and responsible, intentionally
avoiding hardcore clichés. Their distinctive vocal deliveries are now
fully mature, with a recognizably Southern rhythmic bounce but loads
more technique than their territorial peers. Those flows grace some of
the richest and most inventive hip-hop tracks of the decade. The airy
lead single "Rosa Parks" juxtaposes front-porch acoustic guitar with DJ
scratches and a stomping harmonica break that could have come from
nowhere but the South. Unexpected touches like that are all over the
record: the live orchestra on "Return of the 'G'"; the electronic,
George Clinton-guested
"Synthesizer"; the reggae horns and dub-style echo of
"SpottieOttieDopaliscious"; the hard-rocking wah-wah guitar of
"Chonkyfire"; and on and on. What's most impressive is the way
everything comes together to justify the full-CD running time, something
few hip-hop epics of this scope ever accomplish. After a few listens,
not even the meditative jams on the second half of the album feel all
that excessive.
Aquemini
fulfills all its ambitions, covering more than enough territory to
qualify it as a virtuosic masterpiece, and a landmark hip-hop album of
the late '90s.
