Nearly two decades after OutKast’s last album, the Atlanta duo’s indomitable legacy remains “so fresh and so clean.”

Their 2000 album “Stankonia” was ranked the No. 4 best album of the 21st century so far, according to Rolling Stone. The outlet published its list, containing 250 projects, on Friday.

Of the ranking, which has already fueled social media debates, Rolling Stone said the following:

“In compiling our top 250 albums of the quarter-century, we wanted to show as much of the scope of this story as possible. So when given the choice between including multiple albums by an artist and finding room for a record that added something important or interesting to the list, we almost always took the second option.”

That would explain why “Stankonia” is the only OutKast album on the list. Their Grammy-winning 2003 LP “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,” which was recently named the bestselling rap album of all-time and includes the group’s only diamond single “Hey Ya!,” is a glaring omission especially considering that artists like Lil Wayne, Missy Elliott and Billie Eilish have multiple entries.

However, “Stankonia” only ranked below Frank Ocean’s “Blonde,” Radiohead’s “Kid A,” and — the coveted No. 1 spot — Beyoncé's “Lemonade.”

“As the clock turned to the new millennium, they pulled off their most stunning act of liberation with “Stankonia” — the wildest, most out-there hip-hop blockbuster ever made,” wrote Rolling Stone’s Simon Vozick-Levinson about the album. “ ‘B.O.B.’ hotwires drum-and-bass, gospel, and a Jimi Hendrix-style guitar solo; ‘Ms. Jackson’ is instant-classic soul with an eye on forever; even the cruder moments, like ‘We Luv Deez Hoez,’ keep all that high-flying genius grounded firmly on Earth.

While an OutKast reunion will likely never happen, the news is yet another example of how the duo’s Southern-inflected, funk-infused hip-hop sound shaped the zeitgeist of popular music. Even across genres, as André 3000′s flute-anchored album is up for album of the year at next month’s Grammy Awards.

Other Georgia-based artists (or those with strong connections to the state) have a hefty showing on the list. Young Thug, Janelle Monáe, R.E.M. are among the over a dozen hometown entries.

Below is a complete list:

No. 18: Missy Elliott- “Under Construction”

Missy Elliott performs at the Los Angeles stop of her Out of This World Tour- her first one as a headliner. The Atlanta resident stopped at State Farm Arena on July 27-28, 2024. Photo credit: Derek Blanks

No. 52: Usher- “Confessions”

Usher speaks during a homecoming rally at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. Along with other honors, Amazon presented a $25,000 donation to Usher’s New Look Foundation. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

No. 89: Future- “DS2″

Future packed the second headlining stage at Music Midtown on Sept. 17. 2017. He brought fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug on stage during his set. Photo: Melissa Ruggieri/AJC

No. 97: Young Thug — “So Much Fun”

Young Thug performs at the Bud Light Seltzer stage during the final day of Lollapalooza on Aug. 1, 2021. (Vashon Jordan Jr./Chicago Tribune/TNS)

No. 136: Migos — “Culture”

Migos headline the annual Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday, June 15, 2019. Gucci Mane, Lil Baby and Lil Yachty were other the major acts. Robb Cohen Photography & Video /RobbsPhotos.com

No. 144: Playboi Carti — “Die Lit”

HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 09: Playboi Carti performs during the second annual Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 9, 2019 in Houston, Texas. Photo: Trish Badger/imageSPACE/MediaPunch /IPX

No. 152: Rich Gang — “Tha Tour Part 1″

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 20: Rappers Young Thug (L) and Rich Homie Quan perform onstage during the BET Hip Hop Awards 2014 at Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on September 20, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brad Barket/BET/Getty Images for BET)

No. 164: Missy Elliott — “Miss E … So Addictive”

Missy Elliott performs during her Out of This World Tour stop in Los Angeles. She kicked off the first of her two-night experience in Atlanta on July 27, 2024. Photo credit: Derek Blanks

No. 171: Mastodon — “Leviathan”

Mastodon will perform at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre on May 6.

No. 180: Killer Mike- “R.A.P. Music”

Rapper Killer Mike performs at half time of the Atlanta Hawks game against the San Antonio Spurs in the Hawks’ annual MLK Day game at State Farm Arena, Monday, January 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

No. 186: Janelle Monáe — “Dirty Computer”

Janelle Monáe will stop at the Fox Theatre for The Age of Pleasure tour on Oct. 6. Monáe said the album is all about "decentering chaos and centering joy."

No. 224: R.E.M. — “Reveal”

The original members of the band R.E.M. are Peter Buck (from left), Mike Mills, Michael Stipe and Bill Berry. The Athens group delivered a surprise reunion performance during their induction ceremony for the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 13, 2024. Photo credit: AJC Staff Photo/Celine Bufkin