Outkast haters are are almost as hard to find as Bob Marley haters. Like my boy Hec said once, “Who doesn’t like Bob Marley, think about it…” I’ll admit while Outkast was releasing their earliest work, my walkman was glued shut with my Wu-Tang tape inside. But after constant influence from my big homie Evan Frey I began to take notice. Then came Stankonia in 2000 which turned me, and I’m sure countless others, into true fans. I recall first coming across the “Bombs Over Baghdad” video, it was unlike anything I had ever seen. The group’s eccentric style made them standout in an always over saturated market and separated them from the rest. Their ability to maintain such different identities yet stay strong as a group is what ultimately propelled them to their Hall of Fame status.
Ain’t nobody dope as me.. I’m dressed so fresh, so clean.”
The catchiest tune on Stankonia’s diverse soundscape is definitely the smooth “So Fresh, So Clean”, which features a sample from the renowned Joe Simon. It’s hard to even tell if the sample is laid underneath the chorus, but there’s no doubt where Outkast got that funky vocal melody from. The song was produced by long time collaborators Organized Noize, with Sleepy Brown on the hook. The record was released as the third single and charted with moderate success… but still a defining moment for the duo. (K.Casey/P.Walsh)