OutKast ranks in top five on Rolling Stone’s best albums of the 21st century
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”
No. 52: Usher- “Confessions”
No. 89: Future- “DS2″
No. 97: Young Thug — “So Much Fun”
No. 136: Migos — “Culture”
No. 144: Playboi Carti — “Die Lit”
No. 152: Rich Gang — “Tha Tour Part 1″
No. 164: Missy Elliott — “Miss E … So Addictive”
No. 171: Mastodon — “Leviathan”
No. 180: Killer Mike- “R.A.P. Music”
No. 186: Janelle Monáe — “Dirty Computer”
No. 224: R.E.M. — “Reveal”
No. 244: 21 Savage & Metro Boomin: “Savage Mode”
About the Author
DeAsia is a music and culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She focuses on the intersection of arts, culture and diverse communities, as well as how emerging social trends are being expressed through the lens of the Atlanta aesthetic. DeAsia's work can be seen in Pitchfork, Essence, Teen Vogue, Elle and more.
