ATLiens

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ATLiens
Studio album by OutKast
Released	August 27, 1996
Recorded	1995-1996
Genre	Hip hop
Length	58:31
Label	LaFace/Arista
Producer	Organized Noize, OutKast
Professional reviews
Allmusic [1] Atlanta Journal-Constitution [2] Blender [3] Hartford Courant (favorable)[4] RapReviews (10.0/10)[5] Rolling Stone [6] The Source [7] Washington Post (favorable)[8]
OutKast chronology
Southernplaya- listicadillacmuzik (1994) ATLiens (1996) Aquemini (1998)

ATLiens is the second album by hip-hop duo OutKast. It was released on August 27, 1996. The title is a portmanteau of "ATL" (an abbreviation of Atlanta, Georgia) and "aliens".

[edit] Music

Unlike their debut, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, in which the two portrayed themselves as Southern pimps, many songs on ATLiens feature more unconventional subject matter for hip hop. It also has a notably more laid-back, spacey production sound, which they would continue to a certain extent on their follow-up album Aquemini. 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.

[edit] Reception

Upon its release, ATLiens received positive reviews from music publications, including The Hartford Courant, Rolling Stone, and The Washington Post.^[4][6][8] In a retrospective review of the album, RapReviews music critic Steve Juon wrote:

It's deep. So deep that listening to 'ATLiens' you might feel like drowning, but the smooth vo-cals of Big Boi and the earthy flows of Andre always push you back up to the surface. They are players in the truest sense of the word; not just playing for ends but playing to win in the ultimate battle of life over death, good over bad, and righteousness over evil. Yet, it's not that heavy either. This album is nod your head music, shake your ass music. It makes you think and groove at the same time. If you don't want to be challenged by your hip-hop, 'ATLiens' is not the album for you; matter of fact OutKast is not the group for you. They refuse to be conventional in a world of formulaic mediocrity, which may make them harder to grasp but ultimately makes them that much better to listen to.^[5]

—Steve Juon

While critically acclaimed, it would not be until they released Aquemini (1998) and most notably Stankonia (2000) that OutKast would receive significant mainstream popularity. The hit single "Elevators (Me & You)" was later included on the "Big Boi & Dre Present... OutKast" greatest hits album in 2001. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Sample credits

• "Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac)" contains a sample of "Danger, She's A Stranger" by The Five Stairsteps.
• "Wheelz of Steel" contains a sample of "Focus III" by Focus (from the 1972 album Focus III).
• "Jazzy Belle" contains a sample of "Prelude" by Lamont Dozier (from the 1974 album Black Bach).
• "Elevators (Me & You)" contains a sample of "Come In Out of the Rain" by Parliament (from the album First Thangs) and SFX from the video game Super Mario Bros.
• "Wailin" contains a sample of "To The Establishment" by Lou Bond.
• "Mainstream" contains a sample of "Sesame Street" by Goodie Mob.

[edit] Album singles

[edit] Chart history

Album

Singles

[edit] Personnel

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• ATLiens at Discogs
• The Inside Story on Hip-Hop's Outsiders at Los Angeles Times