In Hip Hop History Today “Outkast released Stankonia” October 31, 2000

Stankonia is the fourth studio album by hip hop duo OutKast, released October 31, 2000 on La Face Records. The album was recorded in the duo’s recently purchased Atlanta recording facility, Stankonia Studios, allowing for fewer time constraints and more musical experimentation. The duo worked to create an expansive and experimental musical aesthetic, incorporating a diverse array of musical styles that included funk, drum ‘n’ bass, gospel, techno, psychedelia, and rock into a Dirty South-oriented hip hop context. During the recording sessions, André 3000 worked to move beyond traditional rapping in favor of a more melodic vocal style, an approach to which Big Boi and other producers were initially unaccustomed. Lyrically, the duo touches upon a wide range of subject matter, including politics, misogyny, sexuality, African-American culture, parenthood and personal introspection. Stankonia features appearances from many local Atlanta musicians whom the group discovered while visiting clubs in the city. Stankonia received universal acclaim from music critics. The album debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling over 530,000 copies the first week. It produced three singles, “B.O.B”, “Ms. Jackson”, and “So Fresh, So Clean”; “Ms. Jackson” became the group’s first single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. At the 2002 Grammy Awards, OutKast won Best Rap Album for Stankonia and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Ms. Jackson”. In 2003, the album was ranked number 359 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.