Album: Aquemini
Artist: OutKast
Release Date: September 29, 1998
Genre: Hip-Hop
Length: 1:14:47
Label: La Face & Arista
Producer: Organized Noize/OutKast/Mr. DJ
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2012): #500
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2020): #49
Yes, you read that right. OutKast. The band behind the 2003 smash hit, "Hey Ya!" with an album that establishes them as hip-hop moguls before they would forever be remembered as a meme.
Aquemini stems from a combination of the zodiac signs from the group's two members, Big Boi (Aquarius) and André 3000 (Gemini) and is the third studio album released by the group. Unlike their previous two albums, Aquemini showcases the talent of OutKast as both an artistic group and also as producers. The album quickly rose the charts, peaking at #2 on both Billboard 200 and the top Hip-Hop/R&B Albums charts and eventually certified platinum in November 1998. The album was certified double platinum on July 2, 1999.
With lyrics touching on subjects that were highly prominent in 90s Hip-Hop such as class and race struggles, crime, freedom, and relationships, this album stands by releases from artists and groups around that time such as Tupac Shakur, N.W.A, Wu-Tang Clan and Notorious B.I.G, just to name a few. The biggest difference from other groups and OutKast on Aquemini is the use of live instrumentation and vast amount of experimentation throughout the record. A great example of this is the harmonica break in the middle of "Rosa Parks". This style of Hip-Hop and R&B has continuously been innovated upon even with artists nowadays such as Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Lamar. One of the most entertaining aspects of the album are the skits performed by Big Boi, André 3000 and various guests such as Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan. The skits almost always have some underlying theme the group, or Hip-Hop community has dealt with, but in a humorous way. It's a great way to transition between songs and makes you feel almost as if you're passing a joint with your best friends, Big Boi and André 3000 in the living room on a Friday night.
I personally find this album to be really GOOD. Keyword - "Good". I'm not sure I can consider it to be a great album but it's as close to great as you can get without ever reaching that level. The reason it doesn't hit that level for me is sometimes the songs seem to drag on. The Length of songs was something a lot of R&B albums unfortunately struggled with in the 90s and 2000s. Length aside, the legacy of this record is what puts it into a tier above the rest for me. You can hear how this album has influenced the entire genre of Hip-Hop and paved the way for not only Southern Hip-Hop, but music in general. Many current groups would not have found success as both artists and producers if not for OutKast and Aquemini and that in itself is reason to listen to this gem.
Favorite Song: "Rosa Parks"
Least Favorite Songs: "Hold On, Be Strong" & "Nathaniel" (slight cop-out to include two filler songs)
Production Quality:
Mix = 9/10
Innovation = 10/10
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 8/10
Lyricism = 7/10
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 8/10
Instrumental Timbre = 9/10
Group Chemistry = 7/10
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 8/10
Overall Rating: 8.3/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at the "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!