- Audio Cassette (29 Sep 1998)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Explicit Lyrics, Import
- Label: La Face
- ASIN: B00000DFBQ
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
It takes a few listens to sink in, but on Aquemini, Outkast have pulled off a rare feat in hip-hop: they've made a good record that's a masterpiece of subtlety. What's more, it's their third record, and they've yet to fall into a rut--and that alone puts them in line for an award. The Organized Noize production crew is sublime, working with live musicians and crafting hook-filled soundscapes that complement Big Boi and Andre Benjamin's melodic patter. (See "Rosa Parks," "Chonkyfire," and the epic "Liberation" which features Erykah Badu, Cee Lo, and Big Rube--and clocks in at just under nine minutes.) Classy and intelligent, Outkast haven't sacrificed anything in their quest to make challenging, innovative hip-hop that forgoes idle boasting for the duo's message. A sample, from the title track: "Now, question: is every nigga wit dreads for the cause? / Is every nigga wit golds for the fall? Naw / So don't get caught in appearance."--Randy Silver
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Aquemini was an album I discovered in retrospect after hearing the commercial & critical hit follow-up Stankonia- which sent me hurtling for that Outkast back-catalogue. The debut Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik had some great tracks on (Playa's Ball, Git Up/Out, the title track) but was a little indebted to Snoop Dogg; its follow-up Atliens (1996) was rather odd- Outkast stepping into a sonic maelstrom of Sun-Ra & synths. On Aquemini, Big Boi & Andre3000, produced a key Hip-hop album- one that advanced the genre and looked to the future, while at the same time aligning themselves with the best hip-hop, that which played with eclectic sources (samples/styles),eg Afrika Baambaata, De La Soul, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest.
Return of the 'G' is a brilliant opening track, the delivery of Dre & Big Boi is suitably lethal over samples from Giorgio Moroder's soundtrack to exploitative drug classic Midnight Express. For those who adored their Prince/Soul thang on hit Ms Jackson- here they try out this territory with Rosa Parks- that fuses "lacka lacka" with an amusing take on civil rights leader Rosa Parks. No pious soul-sister nonsense like Primal Scream's Star (which assumes RP is dead!), more of a statement saying, forget all that, let's get dirty! Rosa Parks is reportedly sueing at present...
There are some great guests- Wu-Tang's Raekwon on Skew It on the Bar-B, easily one of the great Wu-related tracks of recent years (when the albums became less enjoyable)- up there with Killah Priest's One Step Up, ODB's Recognize or Cappadonna's If It's Alright With You. The title track is a stoned-funk that opens with a mantra "Even the sun goes down, heroes eventually die/Horoscopes often lie and sometimes 'y'/Nothing is for sure, nothing is for certain, nothing lasts forever/But until they close the curtain, it's him and I, Aquemini". Legend George Clinton (Parliament/Funkadelic)assists on Synthesizer where GC spurts up that madgenius "Conceived under the influence of toxic wasted doctors/Computer bugging and debugging devices and vice versa, various viruses/Performing with laser light precision and verbal incision/For a linguistic ballistic lobotomy mind f-ing you of psycho sodomy/Of the medulla oblongata exit your mind down your spine and out your behind"!
West Savannah is like a futurist take on the sound of the first album, easily ranking up there with stuff by the Neptunes- notably the first version of the NERD album. Da Art of Storytellin Pt2 is a harsh semi-industrial assault, not far from the territory of Eric B & Rakim (Lyrics of Fury) & Wu Tang Clan (I Gotcha Back).
The album becomes even more adventerous as it moves toward the end- from the latin-dub-hip-hop inflections of Mamacita to epic tracks like SpottieOttieDopaliscous & Liberation - the former has brass reminiscent of The Specials 2nd album, while the latter has the joy of vocals by Erykah Badu). The album goes out on the best messed up beats/guitar combo this side of Prince's Black Album (there's even a Camille-style voice), Chonkyfire- which feels suitably apocalyptic and leads the way towards later tracks like Gasoline Dreams (play the two against each other to see how Outkast progress).
Aquemini remains one of the great hip-hop albums of the 1990s and is worth discovering at this budget price- there's not much between this and its popular follow-up and is proof that it may take a few albums for a great artist to produce a suitably great album. Listening to this record, all my usual gripes about music being dead or over in a morass of retroism are quelled; an album that looks backwards to move forward, or moves forward while looking back. Classic stuff-
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Very simply, this is definitely my album of the moment. Clever, laid back lyrics with a melodic beat I can't stop playing it. If I had any criticism it would be the talkovers between tracks. Much love to all those that feel this; and also to those that don't.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is the most origional, perfect piece of hip-hop that I have ever heard. It's so unconventional but they still manage to keep it good. I couldn't say a bad thing about this group, their lyrics are amazing and they never seems to get boring. For me, the best tracks are probably "Chonkyfire", "Da Art Of Storytellin' (Part II)" and "Rosa Parks" but any track from this album would be a standout on most others.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
absoloute classic
this album is fantastic it sounds like an album that came out this year, it doesnt sound like it was released in 1998 at all. Read more
Published on 21 Jun 2008 by Mrs. S. Oconnor
BRILLIANT
I am one of those people that have slept on Outkast over the years, until i heard their album 'Stankonia' which was brilliant and said to myself i have to hear more from this... Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2007 by Marshall
OutKast: Aquemini
Upon the first listen of this album many people will get the feeling of disappointment. But listen again and it will sink in. Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2004 by J. Booth
Kast take it to another level
This is a work of pure genius! Musically this is one the finest albums in hip hop. Aquemini combines the poetic brilliance of Big Boi and Dre with the live band production of... Read more
Published on 27 Nov 2003 by "posdnous"
AMAZING
I bought this album not knowing much about outkast at all, I thought that I would give the album a chance and I definately made the right choice. Read more
Published on 3 April 2003 by Charlie
Atlanta's Finest Cook up a Classic
Outkast's third album "Aquemini" duly received "The Source's" much revered five mics, which they should already have got for "ATLiens" - but anyway. Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2000
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