Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

Been bumping this album for a while now; it's damn consistent, bangers from start to finish. Only real problems I have with it are the skits and two other tracks Other than that, though, the album's tight. Despite this, though, I've always held it in lower regard than Aquemini and ATLiens. When I reviewed it about a year ago, I think I rated it 4.25 stars out of 5, but I've been considering upgrading that rating. "Crumblin Erb," "Claimin True," "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik," and "Git Up, Git Out" are some of the best tracks Outkast has ever done; the latter might be the best. More than this, though, I think this is, in many ways, the definitive Southern album; it broke through to the mainstream in a way that albums from the likes of Geto Boys and UGK couldn't at that point in time. Part of the reason that this album is so overlooked, though, is because of the year it was released. 1994 is widely considered to be one of the best years in hip-hop's history. Consider that during this year:

- Nas released Illmatic
- The Notorious BIG released Ready to Die
- Redman released Dare Iz a Darkside
- OC released Word...Life
- Gangstarr released Hard to Earn
- Jeru the Damaja released The Sun Rises in the East
- Method Man became the first Wu-Tang Clan member to release a solo album with Tical

Needless to say, Outkast had some tough competition that year. Add to that the fact that the South had not yet broken into the mainstream; the No Limit and Cash Money Empires wouldn't hit it big until three years later, and UGK wouldn't make a mainstream splash until "Big Pimpin." What does this mean? That Outkast's debut album--by going platinum within a year of its release-- opened the door for an entire region of music to be heard. Think about this for a minutes. Where artists like Scarface and UGK failed, Outkast was able to succeed. Again, I'm not sure if this album is a classic, but it's definitely the group's most significant album.

Some tracks:

Git Up, Git Out:


Claimin True:


Crumblin Erb: