Aquemini

by OutKast

Overview

Even 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 cliches. 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. ~ Steve Huey

Product Details

Release Date:	09/29/1998
Label:	Laface
UPC:	0730082605328

Tracks

1. Hold on, Be Strong
2. Return of the "G"
3. Rosa Parks
4. Skew It on the Bar-B
5. Aquemini
6. Synthesizer
7. Slump
8. West Savannah
9. Da Art of Storytellin', Pt. 1
10. Da Art of Storytellin', Pt. 2
11. Mamacita
12. Spottieottiedopaliscious
13. Y'All Scared
14. Nathaniel
15. Liberation
16. Chonkyfire

Album Credits

Performance Credits

OutKast   Primary Artist
CeeLo Green   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals,Lead Vocals
Khujo   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals,Lead Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Big Gipp   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Lead Vocals
T-Mo   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Lead Vocals
George Clinton   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Raekwon   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
4.0   Guest Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Joi   Guest Artist,Vocals
Erykah Badu   Guest Artist,Vocals,Lead Vocals
Witchdoctor   Guest Artist,Vocals,Lead Vocals
Pat Brown   Guest Artist
Cool Breeze   Guest Artist,Lead Vocals
Lil' Will   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Goodie Mob   Guest Artist
Jamahr Williams   Vocals
Delvida Flaherty   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Theresa Hightower   Vocals (Background)
Seven Benjamin   Children's Voices
Ahjane Green   Vocals (Background)
Andrea Nivet   Vocals (Background)
Buullllllll!   Lead Vocals
Pastor Robert Hodo   Harmonica
Playa Paul   Vocals (Background)
Sonja Mickey   Vocals (Background)
Jerry Freeman   Horn
Darian Emory   Horn
Preston Crump   Guitar,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Electric)
Joi Gilliam   Vocals (Background)
Kenneth Wright   Piano,Synthesizer
Jim Smith   Vocals (Background)
Earthtone III   Synthesizer
Rajinder Kala   Congas
The South Central Chamber Orchestra   Strings,Woodwind
Masada Hogans   Lead Vocals
Skinny Miracles   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Jermaine Smith   Vocals (Background)
Martin Terry   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Donny Mathis   Guitar,Lead Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Victor Alexander   Drums
Backbone   Lead Vocals
Debra Killings   Vocals (Background)
Whild Peach   Vocals,Lead Vocals
Mr. DJ   Scratching,Turntables,Synthesizer
Jim Sitterly   Violin
Marvin "Chanz" Parkman   Piano,Keyboards,Moog Bass,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass)
Tomi Martin   Guitar,Lead Guitar
André 3000   Lead Vocals
Andre Benjamin   Kalimba
Ruben Bailey   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
LaMarquis Jefferson   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Sleepy Brown   Lead Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Big Boi   Vocals,Lead Vocals
Omar Phillips   Percussion
Craig Love   Guitar

Technical Credits

Thomas Burton   Composer
Jamahr Williams   Composer
John Bernasky Wall   Engineer
Myrna Grenshaw   Composer
Willie Knighton   Composer
Neal H. Pogue   Mixing,Engineer
Robert Barnett   Composer,Composer
Courtney Taylor   Coordination
Ruben Bailey   Composer
Organized Noize   Programming,Executive Producer,Composer,Producer
Vernon Mungo   Mixing Assistant
Rico Wade   Composer
Joi Gilliam   Composer
Claudine Pontier   Mixing Assistant
Kenny Stallworth   Assistant Engineer
Tom Smugala   Photography
D.L. Warfield   Design,Art Direction
Myrna Crenshaw   Composer
Eric Johnson   Composer
Earthtone III   Horn Arrangements
Erica Wright   Composer
Nigel Sawyer   Design Assistant,Assistant Art Director
Ray Murray   Composer
Jonnie "Most" Davis   Mixing
The South Central Chamber Orchestra   Musician
Erin Johnson   Composer
Patrick Brown   Composer
Greg Hawkins   Artwork
John Horesco IV   Mixing Assistant
Charles Veal   Orchestral Arrangements
Masada Hogans   Composer
Kevin Parker   Engineer
Antwan Patton   Composer
Alberto Perez   Assistant Engineer
Donny Mathis   Composer,Producer
Ricco Lumpkins   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Frederick Bell   Composer
Katy Teasdale   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Jason Stokes   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
David Sheats   Composer
Josh Butler   Mixing
Joi   Composer
Ryan Williams   Engineer
Brian Gardner   Mastering
Ralph Cacciurri   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Raekwon   Performer
OutKast   Producer,Executive Producer
Mr. DJ   Mixing,Arranger,Producer
George Clinton   Composer
Cameron Gipp   Composer
John Frye   Engineer
Mort Stevens   Composer
Giorgio Moroder   Composer
Andre Benjamin   Composer
Shawn Grove   Mixing Assistant
Blake Eiseman   Engineer
Bernasky Wall   Engineer
Big Gipp   Performer
Babyface   Executive Producer
Khujo   Performer
Corey Woods   Composer
Jason Rome   Assistant Engineer
Jean B. Smit   Engineer