Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertain ...

LaFace Records LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...

outer space Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsabbreviation of

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

) and " aliens", which has been interpreted by critics as a commentary about the feeling of being isolated from American culture. ''ATLiens'' debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and it sold nearly 350,000 copies in its first two weeks of release. The album was very well received by music critics upon its release, who praised the record's lyrical content. It has been certified

double platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

(RIAA), for shipments of two million copies in the United States. The album spawned the singles " Elevators (Me & You)", " ATLiens", and " Jazzy Belle". Since its release, ''ATLiens'' has been listed by several magazines and critics as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.

Background

In 1994, Outkast released their debut album, ''

Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik ''Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Outkast, released on April 26, 1994, by Arista Records and LaFace Records. Having befriended each other two years prior, rappers André 3000 and Big Boi pur ...

'', which was recorded when members Big Boi and

André 3000 André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), better known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a part of southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi. ...

were eighteen years old. Bolstered by the success of the single "

Player's Ball "Player's Ball" is the debut single from hip hop duo Outkast. Originally released two weeks prior on the compilation ''A LaFace Family Christmas'', the single was released on November 19, 1993, to promote the forthcoming debut album, ''Southern ...

", the record established Outkast as prominent figures in the Southern hip hop scene. After the album was certified platinum, LaFace Records gave Outkast more creative control and advanced money for their 1996 follow-up album ''ATLiens''. The duo took the opportunity to recreate their image. On a trip to

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...

with producer Mr. DJ, the two decided to abandon their

cornrow Cornrows are a traditional style of braids in which the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to make a continuous, raised row. Cornrows are often done in simple, straight lines, as the term implies, but they ...

hairstyles in favor of a more natural aesthetic, vowing to stop combing their hair. Dungeon Family member

Big Rube Ruben Bailey (born September 27, 1969, Atlanta, Georgia), professionally known by his stage name Big Rube, is an American spoken word artist, rapper and hip hop producer. He is a first-generation member of the Dungeon Family and of Society of S ...

observed an increase in the duo's confidence after returning from their first tour, remarking, "They started understanding the power they had in their music. They started showing a swagger that certain artists have—the ones that are stars." The members also underwent changes in their personal lives; in 1995, Big Boi's girlfriend gave birth to their first child and André 3000 and

Total Total may refer to: Mathematics * Total, the summation of a set of numbers * Total order, a partial order without incomparable pairs * Total relation, which may also mean ** connected relation (a binary relation in which any two elements are comp ...

's Keisha Spivey ended their two-year relationship. Despite its success, ''Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik'' had some detractors, including hip hop tastemakers who were unaccustomed to the album's style. As the East Coast and West Coast hip hop scenes were already well-established at the time, many did not view the South as a legitimate and respectable scene. At the 1995 Source Awards, an award ceremony held by ''

The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the maga ...

'' magazine, Outkast won in the "Best Newcomer" category, but were booed upon taking the stage and delivering their acceptance speech; Big Boi managed to deliver his shout outs, while André 3000 was nervous and said, "The South got somethin' to say." The latter recalled how the album was received by some listeners, "People thought that the South basically only had bass music. At first people were looking at us like 'Um, I don't know.'" Taken aback by the backlash, André 3000 and Big Boi channelled their frustration in the studio to improve upon their debut.

Recording and production

After acquiring their own recording studio, the duo immediately started working on new material and assimilated themselves with music recording and studio equipment, as they sought to become more ambitious artists and less dependent on other producers. The two also became more accustomed to playing live, particularly Big Boi, and André 3000 significantly changed his lifestyle, as he adopted a more eccentric fashion sense, became a vegetarian (he has since resumed eating meat), and stopped smoking marijuana. Having dropped out months before graduation, André 3000 also returned to high school to earn his diploma during the recording of ''ATLiens''. Before beginning work on ''ATLiens'', André 3000 purchased an SP1200 drum machine, an MPC3000 sampler, a TASCAM mixing board, and turntables with stacks of classic records. Although he had never produced a song before, he used techniques learned from observing the Dungeon Crew at work. " Elevators (Me & You)" was the first song the duo created together for the album. The duo refrained from sampling on the album, with Big Boi explaining "I feel like you cheat the listener when you sample. If it's an old school jam, leave it to the old. We wanna have our own school of music." Outkast recorded the album in sessions at several Atlanta studios—Bosstown Recording Studios, Doppler Recording Studios, PatchWerk Recording Studio, Purple Dragon Studios, and Studio LaCoCo—as well as Chung King Recording Studio and Sound On Sound Recording in New York City. For ''ATLiens'', the band aimed for a consistent set of songs in which a listener would not need to skip tracks; Outkast wrote around 35 songs for the album and reduced them to fourteen. The duo's songwriting style for the album had no solid structure and was mostly spontaneous; Big Boi noted, "Stuff'll just come to you. I'll be sittin' in the truck, and I'll start rhymin'. People look at me like I'm crazy, but that's how it starts."

Composition

Music

Two-thirds of the album is produced by Organized Noize, Outkast's primary production team. The rest is produced by Earthtone III, a production team that includes Outkast themselves and Mr. DJ. André 3000 and Big Boi produced the songs "Jazzy Belle" and "Elevators (Me & You)". It also has a notably more laid-back, spacey production sound, which they expanded upon on their follow-up album '' Aquemini''. Although the group drew from George Clinton's outer-space inspired compositions, the band utilizes a more laid-back style as opposed to Clinton's hard funk leanings. Many tracks feature strong echo and reverb, taking influence from dub and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...

. Andrea Comer of the ''

Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New H ...

'' perceives an "extraterrestrial feel" in the record's production. MTV wrote that the album's production "built giddy, chaotic hooks around throbbing bass grooves, neck-snapping drums and bits of backwoods

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...

and

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

for good measure." Outkast also incorporated elements of

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

into the music; being from the South, the group felt obligated to "stay close to heirslave roots". The album's introduction track "You May Die" has been described as "churchy". "Elevators (Me & You)" contains atmospheric elements including echoes, dub-influenced bass, organ riffs, and telephone tones. "13th Floor/Growing Old" contains a

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics o ...

introduction from Big Rube, somber soul vocals from Debra Killings, and a "

Prince A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

-ish" piano riff, while "Wheelz of Steel" features "furious" turntable scratching by Mr. DJ. "Extraterrestrial" offers a break in the continuity of the record as it features no drum beat.

Lyrics

Lyrically, André 3000 and Big Boi abandon the "hard-partying playa characters" of their debut album in favor of more spacey, funky, and futuristic personas on ''ATLiens''. With their lyrics, the duo hoped to reflect on maturity in the wake of the birth of Big Boi's daughter. André 3000 explained, "It's like everybody's talking about sipping champagne and being big time, so we just took it upon ourselves to do something new ... I want my children to say, 'Daddy really said something, he wasn't just trying to brag on himself.'" Many songs on ''ATLiens'' feature more unconventional subject matter for hip hop. The lyrical content ranges from addressing urban life as hustlers and pimps to extraterrestrial life and space travel. The title track's chorus expresses Southern pride, while its verses feature André 3000 explaining his newly adopted drug-free lifestyle. "Elevators (Me & You)" illustrates Outkast's rise to fame, and was inspired by a show the band played at

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

with P. Diddy in the audience. The song also discusses the unlikely partnership of André 3000 and Big Boi, and uses the metaphor of an elevator for the ups and downs of fame.Bradley, 2011. p. 498 The final verse illustrates André 3000 dealing with a fan who pretends to have been childhood friends with him. It also references Southern culture, including mentions of

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed ...

s and extended family gatherings. "Babylon" reflects on religious attitudes towards sex and illustrates André 3000's upbringing and his forbidden attractions throughout childhood. "Jazzy Belle" discusses the group's "increasingly enlightened" view regarding women: "Went from yellin' ... bitches and hoes to queen thangs". The album's closer "13th Floor/Growing Old" is a meditation on aging and emphasizes Southern hip hop's legitimacy.

Release

Promotion

''ATLiens'' was released on August 27, 1996, by

LaFace Records LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...

. In September, LaFace created a promotion for the record in conjunction with

Blockbuster Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to: *Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived. Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain ** Blo ...

in which customers could enter to win a 1970s Cadillac car, emphasizing Outkast and Cadillac's connection with the Southern lifestyle. The record's inner booklet features a 24-page comic strip foldout starring the members, who must defend "positive music" against the villain Nosamulli. The strip continues in the artwork for each single released from ''ATLiens'' except for "Elevators (Me & You)". The album's title is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsabbreviation of

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

) and " aliens". In his book ''Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture'', author T. Hasan Johnson interprets the album's title as "partly a statement about being from Atlanta, while also signifying on the theme of the group's name (by using the term ''aliens'') framing themselves as societal outcasts." Mark Bould, author of ''The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction'', observes that the title symbolizes Outkast's "estrangement from American society", suggesting that "the inner city of their formative years is out of this world and its hostile conditions."

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and it sold nearly 350,000 copies in its first two weeks of release. It ultimately spent 33 weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Three singles were released for the album—" Elevators (Me & You)" on July 5, 1996, " ATLiens" in November 1996, and " Jazzy Belle" in April 1997. "Elevators (Me & You)" reached number 12 and spent 20 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It was certified

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

(RIAA) on September 13, 1996, for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. "ATLiens" reached number 35 and spent 17 weeks on the Hot 100, and "Jazzy Belle" spent 14 weeks and peaked at number 52 on the Hot 100. The album was certified

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

by the RIAA on November 6, 1996, for shipments of one million copies in the US. By 1998, it had sold over 1.2 million copies. On June 24, 2003, the RIAA certified ''ATLiens'' double platinum, having shipped two million copies in the US.

Critical reception

''ATLiens'' received critical acclaim. Andrea Comer of the ''

Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New H ...

'' felt that Outkast's "lyrical acumen shines through" despite "Heltah-Skeltah mumbling and Southern slang", and stated, "after a few rotations, the alien feeling wears away, and

he album is He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

just out of this world." Sonia Murray of ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'' called the album "more thoughtful" than its predecessor, noting, "What the second album lacks in adventurous arrangements it more than makes up for in lyrical dominance." ''

The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the maga ...

''s Allen S. Gordon observed "growth" from Outkast and Organized Noize, and stated, "Big Boi and Dre have gone out of this world into a new dimension of sight, sound and mind". Kevin Powell of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' felt that, like Outkast's debut album, ''ATLiens'' is "a gritty document of what's happening here and now, an up-to-the-minute briefing on Southern black ghetto life on which Outkast members Andre and Big Boi cast their feelings of alienation in familiar, realistic characterizations". Powell asserted that unlike East Coast hip hop's "hedonistic materialism" or "the gunplay and pimpism" of West Coast hip hop, "Andre and Big Boi display a unique ability to describe ghetto life while offering up life-affirming possibilities, something all too rare in today's hip-hop nation." Richard Harrington of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' enjoyed the record's "more serious and focused lyrical sensibility", explaining, "The raps are generally inventive, clever without being cloying, more proof (if any were needed) that hip-hop innovation isn't just an East-West thang."

Legacy

In a retrospective review,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

editor Steve Huey viewed the album as Outkast's "most focused work" and commented that "In addition to the striking musical leap forward, Dre and Big Boi continue to grow as rappers; their flows are getting more tongue-twistingly complex, and their lyrics more free-associative". RapReviews critic Steve Juon recommended it to listeners who "want to be challenged by heirhip-hop" and wrote of the album's aesthetic: In ''

The Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'' (2004), Roni Sarig felt that, strong rapping notwithstanding, the album's music "suffers as the duo make their first attempt at self-producing" and stated, "Although ''ATLiens'' promised expanded vistas with its interstellar motif, the record delivered something of a sophomore slump ... At best, ''ATLiens'' is the sound of an ambitious group searching for its voice." In 1998, the album was selected as one of ''The Source''s "100 Best Rap Albums". In 2000, ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' listed the album on their "100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues of ''Exclaim!''" list. '' Hip Hop Connection'' ranked it number six on their list of "The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005". '' Complex'' ranked the album fifth on their list of "The 50 Greatest Sophomore Albums in Hip-Hop History", its title 15th on "The 50 Best Rap Album Titles Ever", and the title track's beat 91st on "The 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats of All Time". Rappers Isaiah Rashad,

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Records, Warner Bros ...

and Dom Kennedy, and DJ Jesse Marco have named ''ATLiens'' as one of their favorite albums.

Track listing

Track listing and samples compiled from album liner notes. All tracks produced by Organized Noize Productions, except where noted. Notes * "You May Die (Intro)" features additional vocals by Joi,

Screechy Peach Myrna Crenshaw Brown (July 6, 1959 – April 1, 2007), best known as Screechy Peach, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially the lead singer of Whild Peach, alongside her husband, guitarist David Whild, she would acquire fame in the 19 ...

and Trina * "Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac)" features additional vocals by

Screechy Peach Myrna Crenshaw Brown (July 6, 1959 – April 1, 2007), best known as Screechy Peach, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially the lead singer of Whild Peach, alongside her husband, guitarist David Whild, she would acquire fame in the 19 ...

* "Ova Du Wudz" and "E.T. (Extra-Terrestrial) feature additional vocals by EJ Tha Witch Doctor * "Babylon" features additional vocals by

Andrea Martin Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and '' Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), '' ...

* "Wailin'" features additional vocals by Cee-Lo of

Goodie Mob Goodie Mob is an American hip hop group based in Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of CeeLo Green, Khujo, T-Mo, and Big Gipp. History The group was formed in 1991 by Cameron " Big Gipp" Gipp, Willie "Khujo" Knighton Jr., CeeLo Green (born Thom ...

* "Mainstream" features additional vocals by

Khujo Willie Edward Knighton Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known as Khujo, is an American rapper. He is one-fourth of Goodie Mob (along with T-Mo, Cee-Lo, and Big Gipp), and one-half of The Lumberjacks (with T-Mo). Life and career Khujo was bor ...

and T-Mo of Goodie Mob * "Decatur Palm" features additional vocals by

Big Gipp Cameron Gipp (born April 28, 1973), better known by his stage name Big Gipp, is an American rapper from Atlanta. He is best known for his work as a founding member of Goodie Mob, which he has gone on to release six studio albums. Aside from Go ...

of Goodie Mob and Cool Breeze * "Millennium" features additional vocals by ShaJuanna Edghill * "13th Floor / Growing Old" features additional vocals by

Big Rube Ruben Bailey (born September 27, 1969, Atlanta, Georgia), professionally known by his stage name Big Rube, is an American spoken word artist, rapper and hip hop producer. He is a first-generation member of the Dungeon Family and of Society of S ...

and Debra Killings Sample credits *"You May Die (Intro)" is an interpolation of "Summer in the City" performed by

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

. *"Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac)" contains a sample of "D.E.E.P." performed by Outkast, and "Danger, She's a Stranger" performed by The Five Stairsteps. *"ATLiens" contains a sample of "Around the World" performed by Attilio Mineo, and "So Tired" performed by

The Chambers Brothers The Chambers Brothers are an American psychedelic soul band, best known for their eleven-minute 1967 psychedelic soul hit " Time Has Come Today". The group was part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions w ...

. *"Wheelz of Steel" contains a sample of "Focus III" performed by Focus, "Saturday Night Style" performed by Mikey Dread. *"Jazzy Belle" contains a sample of "It's Yours" performed by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay, and "Prelude" performed by

Lamont Dozier Lamont Herbert Dozier (; June 16, 1941 – August 8, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He co-wrote and produced 14 US ''Billboard'' number-one hits and four number ones in the UK. Career Doz ...

. *"Elevators" contains a sample of "Blue Suede Shoes" performed by

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998) Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, beginning in 19 ...

. *"Elevators (Me & You)

NP 86 Mix NP may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''NP'' (novel), by Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto Organizations * Nashua-Plainfield Community School District, Iowa, United States * National Party (disambiguation), various political parties * Ngee ...

contains a sample of "Come in Out of the Rain" performed by

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. ...

; the original contains SFX from the video game Super Mario Bros. *"Ova Da Wudz" contain a sample of "Judas" performed by

Society of Soul Society of Soul was a five-member R&B group that consisted of the members of Organized Noize ( Sleepy Brown, Rico Wade and Ray Murray) as well as Espraronza and Big Rube. Discography Albums *''Brainchild Brainchild may refer to: * Brainchi ...

. *"Babylon" contains a sample of "12 O'Clock" performed by

Vangelis Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou ( el, Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; el, Βαγγέλης, links=no ), was a Greek composer and arranger of ...

. *"Wailin'" contains a sample of "To the Establishment" performed by Lou Bond. *"Mainstream" contains a sample of "Sesame Street" performed by

Goodie Mob Goodie Mob is an American hip hop group based in Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of CeeLo Green, Khujo, T-Mo, and Big Gipp. History The group was formed in 1991 by Cameron " Big Gipp" Gipp, Willie "Khujo" Knighton Jr., CeeLo Green (born Thom ...

and "Soldier In Our Town" by

Iron Butterfly Iron Butterfly is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit " In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal mus ...

. *"Decatur Psalm" contains a sample of "Cebu" performed by The Commodores.

Personnel

Compiled from album liner notes.

Musicians

;OutKast * Andre 3000 – vocals * Big Boi – vocals ;Guests *

Andrea Martin Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and '' Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), '' ...

– vocals *

Big Gipp Cameron Gipp (born April 28, 1973), better known by his stage name Big Gipp, is an American rapper from Atlanta. He is best known for his work as a founding member of Goodie Mob, which he has gone on to release six studio albums. Aside from Go ...

– vocals *

Big Rube Ruben Bailey (born September 27, 1969, Atlanta, Georgia), professionally known by his stage name Big Rube, is an American spoken word artist, rapper and hip hop producer. He is a first-generation member of the Dungeon Family and of Society of S ...

– vocals * Carlos Glover – acoustic guitar * Cee-Lo – vocals * Cool Breeze – vocals * Craig Love – guitar * Debra Killings – vocals * Dee Simmons – drums * Ed Stroud – guitar * James "Jay" Nicholas – bass * Jazzyfatnastees – vocals * Joi – vocals * Kenny Wright – keyboard * Kerren Berz – violin *

Khujo Willie Edward Knighton Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known as Khujo, is an American rapper. He is one-fourth of Goodie Mob (along with T-Mo, Cee-Lo, and Big Gipp), and one-half of The Lumberjacks (with T-Mo). Life and career Khujo was bor ...

– vocals * Marq Jefferson – bass guitar * Martin Terry – guitar * Marvin "Chanz" Parkman – keyboard, organ * Mr. DJ – scratches * Preston Crump – bass guitar * ShaJuanna Edghill – vocals * Skinny Miracles – piano * Sleepy Brown – vocals * T-Mo – Vocals * Tamara Powell – vocals * Tommy Martin – acoustic guitar * Trina Powell – vocals *

Screechy Peach Myrna Crenshaw Brown (July 6, 1959 – April 1, 2007), best known as Screechy Peach, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially the lead singer of Whild Peach, alongside her husband, guitarist David Whild, she would acquire fame in the 19 ...

– vocals * Witchdoctor – vocals

Production

* Alvin Speights – mixing * Bernasky Wall – engineering * Blake Eiseman – engineering * Brian Frye – engineering * Carlton Batts – mastering * Derrick Williams – engineering * Dexter Simmons – engineering, mixing * Jarvis Blackshear – engineering * John Frye – engineering * John Wydrycs – engineering * Leslie Brathwaite – mixing * Mike Wilson – engineering * Neal Pogue – mixing * Organized Noize – drum programming, keyboard programming, mixing, production * Outkast – drum programming, keyboard programming, mixing, production

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

*
"The Inside Story on Hip-Hop's Outsiders"
by the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' {{Authority control 1996 albums Outkast albums Albums produced by André 3000 Albums produced by Organized Noize Albums recorded at Chung King Studios

Background

Recording and production

Composition

Music

Lyrics

Release

Promotion

Commercial performance

Critical reception

Legacy

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links