Aquemini

''Aquemini'' is the third studio album by American hip hop duo Outkast. It was released on September 29, 1998, by LaFace Records. The title is a portmanteau signs: Aquarius (Big Boi) and Gemini (André 3000), which is indicative of the album's recurring theme of the differing personalities of the two members. The group recorded the majority of the album in Bobby Brown's Bosstown Recording Studios and Doppler Studios, both in Atlanta, Georgia.

Released as the follow-up to the duo's commercially successful 1996 album '' ATLiens'', ''Aquemini'' expands on the previous record's outer space-inspired compositions by incorporating live instrumentation and drawing on 1970s funk, southern soul, gospel, country, psychedelic rock, and other influences. The album reflected a greater level of creative freedom for the group, which led to the members self-producing the majority of the tracks and employing a large number of session musicians who filtered in and out of the studio throughout its recording, exerting a major influence on the album's compositional development. Featured guest artists include Raekwon, George Clinton, and Erykah Badu. Lyrically, ''Aquemini'' explores various subjects including individuality, human nature, addiction, self-inflicted struggles, technology, and interpersonal relationships, as well as blending science fiction concepts and urban narratives.

''Aquemini'' was certified platinum in November 1998, only two months after its release, and was certified double platinum on July 2, 1999, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It peaked at number two on both the ''Billboard'' 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Four of the album's tracks had already or would later become singles, although some were limited (promotional) releases and not available commercially. ''Aquemini'' received widespread critical acclaim from music critics, who praised the album's musicality, eclectic sound, and unique lyrical themes. Since its initial release, it has gone on to be considered one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2003, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the album number 500 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In a 2020 updated list, it was moved up to number 49.

Background

In 1994, the American hip hop duo OutKast released their debut album, ''Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik'', which was recorded when members Big Boi and André 3000 were 18. Bolstered by the success of "Player's Ball", the record established OutKast as prominent figures in the Southern hip hop scene.Nickson (2004), pp. 32–33. After the album was certified platinum, LaFace Records gave OutKast more creative control and advanced money for their 1996 follow-up album ''ATLiens''. On ''ATLiens'', André 3000 and Big Boi abandoned the "hard-partying playa characters" of their debut album in favor of personas that were more futuristic, and produced many of the songs on their own for the first time.Sarig, 2007. p. 140 Critics praised the group's maturing musical style on the record, which debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart and sold nearly 350,000 copies in its first 2 weeks of release. The single " Elevators (Me & You)" reached number 12 and spent 20 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.

After the release of ''ATLiens'', André 3000 entered a relationship with neo soul singer Erykah Badu, who was part of a burgeoning movement in the urban music scene described as "more bohemian than ghetto".Sarig, p. 171 André 3000 adopted a more flamboyant style of dress during performances in promotion of ''ATLiens'' that included large glasses, blond wigs, and marching band uniforms. Badu gave birth to his first child in November 1997, which presented new artistic inspiration for the rapper.

Recording

Due to OutKast's newfound commercial success and higher budget for the album, the group enjoyed a more relaxed schedule and "could really just live" at the studio. The duo and studio musicians lived and worked in the studio for weeks straight, with Big Boi noting, "It usually takes us two to three years to make a record because we take our time; we ain't giving you that fast food, trying to meet a deadline. It ain't done until it's done sonically." For ''Aquemini'', the duo used live instrumentation and improvisation, bringing a baby grand piano into the studio and hiring musicians who played "everything from stoner funk to prog rock".Westhoff, 2011. p. 110 Producer Neal H. Pogue recalled, "That was the beauty of making all those records – having musicians come in and out. It was almost like a Motown, that's what we had. Or like a Stax Records thing. That's what I loved about it. It brought back that whole feeling of making records. It was organic." Much of the music on ''Aquemini'' was formulated during jam sessions, in which one musician would begin with creating a chord pattern and the rest would incorporate their instruments following that sequence. While recording ''Aquemini'', André 3000 drew influence from reggae music and listened to Bob Marley constantly during the sessions. After the musical aspects of a song were developed, André 3000 and Big Boi would then create lyrics that they felt would fit with the tone of the song.

For the record, André 3000 did most of the album's production, while Big Boi crafted hooks for the songs. André 3000 and producer Mr. DJ learned about beat creation through observing the members of Organized Noize at work, with Mr. DJ observing that despite André 3000's normally frugal lifestyle, his enthusiasm for production led him to splurge on costly recording equipment. At one point, André 3000 attempted singing and modifying his voice with pitch-correction equipment, but Big Boi warned him that this would alienate the group's urban audience.Westhoff, 2011. p. 111 Another point of contention was the order of the track listing; Big Boi wanted to begin the album with "Y'all Scared" while André 3000 and the other producers and musicians wanted the first track to be "Return of the G", preferring that the record start with a song with just the duo as opposed to one with multiple collaborators. Big Boi missed his flight to attend the album mastering session and by the time he arrived, the others had already settled on a cohesive track list for the record. After a long, heated discussion, Big Boi eventually agreed to opening the album with "Return of the G". The album features the song "West Savannah", which had been recorded during the ''Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik'' sessions, and was included on ''Aquemini'' to give listeners a "bonus" that had sentimental value for the duo, as well as to pay homage to Big Boi's family living in Savannah.

Musical style and lyrics

Big Boi described the music on the album as "very experimental" noting that it featured live instrumentation that included horns, guitar, piano, and harmonica. AllMusic's Steve Huey detected the "ethereal futurism" of ''ATLiens'' in the music on ''Aquemini'', but also noted that "more often ''Aquemini'' plants its feet on the ground for a surprisingly down-home flavor". He also observed a "Southern earthiness and simultaneous spirituality" in Organized Noize's production work on the record. According to Rashod D. Ollison of ''The Baltimore Sun'', the album "fus sorganic soul and progressive rap with touches of electro-funk, dub and rock". Similarly, ''The Boombox'' writer Todd "Stereo" Williams says the music fuses their debut album's raw funk with the "futuristic soul" of ''ATLiens'' for a sound that "genre-hop from southern rap odes ('West Savannah') to flirtations with P-Funk ('Synthesizer'), hard rock guitars ('Chonkyfire')", and collaborations beyond the duo's core of Dungeon Family artists. ''Pitchfork'' stated that the album draws from southern soul, gospel, and country, and noted that it "favors live-band sounds without making the purist’s mistake of shunning synthetic ones," praising both "Preston Crump’s mellow, sustained basslines and the swing-friendly drum tracks of Mr. DJ and Organized Noize."

Lyrically, much of ''Aquemini'' features introspection about the desolation of the human condition, and themes related to individuality and self-determination. Overarching themes addressed on the record include drug addiction, precarious relationships, and freedom from self-inflicted struggles. Other subjects include excessive reliance on technology and the Atlanta club scene. On the record, the group often shifts between science fiction-inspired topics and the harsh realities of urban life. Saul Austerlitz of the '' Yale Herald'' notes the central theme of the group's "ability to move between two worlds—the G-funk glamorized by the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur and the group's own spacier, more poetic excursions" in the album. Another theme is the duality of the two members and their differing personalities, with Big Boi as "the player" and Andre 3000 as "the poet", according to the album's cover. Big Boi generally covers the more conventional hip-hop topics such as his childhood in the South and attractive women, while Andre 3000 discusses more unorthodox themes. In contrast to much of hip hop music in the late 1990s, OutKast did not tone down the regional qualities, like the harmonica break on "Rosa Parks" and distinctive Atlanta slang and diction throughout. The duo experimented with several delivery styles on the record, using "relaxed, hyper, distorted, speedy and conversational presentations."

Songs

''Aquemini''s opening track "Hold On, Be Strong" was written by session guitarist Donny Mathis and originally conceived as a full song with verses, but the group preferred to only use the refrain. André 3000 played a kalimba on the song after purchasing the instrument at a flea market, drawing inspiration from Earth, Wind & Fire. "Return of the G" addresses concerns from fans who felt that the group's style had changed too drastically since the release of ''Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik'', as well as those who make poor decisions in order to keep their street credibility. When discussing the lyrical content of the song, André 3000 explained, "I was young and wilder and some of my fashion choices people didn't accept at the time. I started getting flak from some people, so they were like, 'Either he's gay or on drugs' ... 'Return of the Gangsta' was trying to give them a sense of, 'Hey, I'm still a regular person.'" "Rosa Parks" contains blues-influenced guitar work and folksy harmonies that "announce OutKast's distinctive style of Southern boogie. The groove goes into overdrive during a clapping, foot-stomping breakdown funkified by a fierce harmonica as the kick drum pounds incessantly."

The next track, "Skew It On the Bar-B", features rapper Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan and discusses the disappointment of the group's debut album not achieving the coveted "five-mic" rating from ''The Source'': "I gotta hit the Source / I need my other half mic / because that ''Southernplayalisticadillacmusik'' was a classic right?".Sarig, 174. "Skew It On the Bar-B" is followed by the title track, which has been compared to the music of soul singer Isaac Hayes. Pogue experimented with delays and echos in his production to make the song "dimensional, like you could actually put your hands through the song." "Synthesizer" contains elements of electrofunk and features funk musician George Clinton. ''Billboard'' called "Synthesizer" an " electronic-leaning, George Clinton-featuring spasm of technological paranoia." Emma Warren of ''The Guardian'' called the track "raw and woozy", dubbing it the "weirdest moment of the record". On the seventh track, "Slump", Big Boi is joined by two members of the Dungeon Family as they describe their experiences selling dope. One of the few tracks that doesn’t have Andre on it, since he is the "unique" one of the group, while Big Boi is more of the traditional gangster. On "West Savannah", Big Boi discusses his Southern roots, and references individuals who grew up outside of the South who fail to recognize different regional Southern identities by stating "You might call us country, but we's only Southern".Miller, 2010. pp. 38–39

"Da Art of Storytellin' (Part 1)" tells the story of a self-destructive childhood friend named Sasha Thumper who dies of a drug overdose.Hess, p. 462 Commenting on the song's lyrical content, author Mickey Hess remarks that André 3000 "manages to walk the fine line between emotionalism and masculinity by articulating this highly emotional narrative with an almost emotionless tone." The next track, "Da Art of Storytellin' (Part 2)", is an apocalyptic song that represents the group's vision of "the last song recorded in the world", with André 3000 commenting, "I do remember thinking, 'What if it was the end of the world and we had to get to the Dungeon on some X-Men superhero shit. I think I was vibing on some end-of-the-world, last-recorded-song shit'". Following is "Mamacita", which features Dungeon Crew rapper Masada in a meditation on male-female relationships, inspired by an ex-girlfriend of André 3000 who began pursuing women after their breakup. "SpottieOttieDopaliscious" relates a story of ill-fated romance, with André 3000 describing the infatuation during an encounter with a woman at a club and Big Boi noting the hopelessness of the relationship as the song progresses.Wang, 2003. p. 133

"Y'all Scared" is a collaboration with three members of Goodie Mob and contains the chant "If you scared, say you scared" accompanied by prominent organ and guitar work. "Nathaniel" is an a cappella rap by the group's close friend who at the time was an inmate in a Georgia prison, and the song is a recording of an actual collect call during his time in jail. The track is an introduction to "Liberation". The eight-minute-long "Liberation" combines a variety of musical styles, including gospel, jazz, blues, and world music. The song is notable for not including rapped vocals and instead features vocal alternations between singing and spoken word styles.Sarig, p. 172 Lyrically, the track utilizes images of slavery to symbolize artistic freedom and not being concerned with the opinions of the public and record labels. The album closes with "Chonkyfire", which features a fuzzy guitar riff and snippets from OutKast's speech at the 1995 Source Awards in which the group emphasized the Southern hip-hop scene as a legitimate subgenre.Sarig, pp. 173–174 ''Billboard'' called "Chonkyfire" a track of "bad-trip psychedelic rock."

Release

The group originally planned to create a film in conjunction with ''Aquemini'', completing a script three months before the release of the record. OutKast met with MTV for the project, who, despite liking the idea for the film, hoped to instead buy the project and cast Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes instead, feeling they had more "star power." Although the duo recalls being "heartbroken" at the time, André 3000 and Big Boi continued to work on ideas for a collaborative film, eventually resulting in the 2006 musical '' Idlewild'' starring the group. David Browne of ''The New York Times'' viewed the album art as an homage to blaxploitation films of the 1970s. The record's title is a combination of the two members' zodiac signs, with André 3000 being a Gemini and Big Boi being an Aquarius. The packaging featured a sticker describing Big Boi as "the playa" and André as "the poet".

''Aquemini'' debuted behind Jay-Z's '' Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life'' at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 200, the same opening position of both ''ATLiens'' and the group's next release, ''Stankonia''. The record sold 227,000 copies in its first week of release, ahead of A Tribe Called Quest

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