Album Reviews |

Outkast



Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik 8 ( 1994 )
Peaches (Intro) / Myintrotoletuknow / Ain't No Thang / Welcome To Atlanta (Interlude) / Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik / Call Of Da Wild / Player's Ball (Original) / Claimin' True / Club Donkey Ass (Interlude) / Funky Ride / Flim Flam (Interlude) / Git Up , Git Out / True Dat (Interlude) / Crumblin' Erb / Hootie Hoo / D.E.E.P. / Player's Ball (Reprise)

Organized Noize is an Atlanta-based American hip hop production company consisting of Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown. They produced this debut LP by Outkast after previously having produced big hits for TLC, En Vouge and Ludacris, among others. OutKast signed to LaFace Records in 1992. In 1993, André and Big Boi released their first single, "Player's Ball". The first track proper on the album though is the statement of intent 'Myintrotoletuknow'. It isn't actually typical of the LP as a whole musically, a dark and enclosed atmosphere is presented here. It's a million miles removed from modern day, MTV friendly Outkast. The first real highlight arrives though with the title track. This is the first indication on record that Outkast had huge, distinctive potential. Smooth rap approach, music with plenty of soulful, jazzy bass lines. The whole album has a feeling that you really ought to be smoking something whilst listening to it, sipping whiskey and sitting in a cigar filled room. Cigar, ha! Ah, you know what I mean. A cigar would do though. Musically this album has the right kind of class. Lyrically they present their southern political viewpoints, giving the rap scene a new twist at the time.

Anyway, where was I? Well, 'Player's' Ball' hit a peak of Billboard number 37 upon release, indicating straight away these guys had commercial potential. Incidentally, the album topped out at number twenty, by no means a poor showing. They would, as we now know, build upon this quite spectacularly in the years to come. 'Player's Ball' is great, especially lyrically as the guys have some kind of hustlers, gangsta's Christmas/New Years pimpin'. Indeed! 'Funky Ride' is just delicious too, you know? A slow, sensual grove, slow sensual vocals. Six and a half minutes, nearly long enough, if you know what I mean? The middle section of the song includes this quiet yet soaring and impressive twisting guitar solo to keep your energy going. Speaking as a whole, the album suffers slightly from the little interludes, a hip-hop/rap album habit that really needs to die out. So, any more highlights from this thoroughly impressive debut LP? Well, most of the second half merely consolidates, but 'Hootie Hoo' is a darker track, yet still fun. Harder hitting beats, good raps and a sinister bass-line are all features of 'Hootie-Hoo'.

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