EPISODE 09
Ain't Nobody Dope As We.
Our Podkast's So Fresh, and So Clean Clean
OUTKAST | RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2021
Rose
Hello and welcome. To the listeners. To Jake... and to our very special, first ever guest co-host. Yes, that’s right. We have a good friend, and a lover of Outkast with us here today to listen with us… and maybe guide us a littletoo. Because I will admit, my knowledge of Outkast, I learned, was not as deep as I might have first thought. So let me stop talking and go ahead and officially introduce Chris. Chris, how are you today? How’s that coffee?
Chris
Firstly, thank you Rose for letting me bully my way onto your podcast to talk about Outkast, who are in my opinion, the best band of all time, and so much more than ‘Hey Ya’, even though, yeah, that song’s fucking brilliant. [pause] Wait, can I swear? If not you can edit me… very brilliant. ‘Hey Ya’ is very brilliant. This is excellent coffee by the way.
Jake
You can swear. I hope you can swear, anyway. Otherwise, I don’t know what the hell I’m still doing here.
Rose
Do we know what the hell we’re doing here? Or are we just masters at winging it? Speaking of, just when you thought you had the format down, we’re going to switch it up. Because there are three of us, we decided to each just pick two. For time’s sake basically. You still end up with 6 picks and we’re not in your ear all day. Because maybe you all have lives and aren’t stuck teaching summer school… like two thirds of us here today. Although, let me be clear. We are not at school at the moment. We’re in my special podcasting corner in my house. Anyway, there you go Chris. That’s just one of the many examples of the tangents you asked about. Yes, there will be tangents. So, two songs each. And since Chris is our guest of honor, we’re going to let him go first. What do you have for us Chris?
Chris
Good, I’m not going to curse every other word, but sometimes when I get to talk about something I love I just get very passionate. And I fucking love Outkast. So I’m bringing to the table Slump from their third album, Aquemini. Technically this is a Big Boi song, and I’m going to have to confess that this might be a running theme through my picks. Like André 3000 is super cool, ice cold, if you will, but my favorite from the start has always been Big Boi. And his solo albums are really good, you should check those out if, you know, six Outkast albums aren’t just enough for you. So yeah, Slump, it’s a really good song. [pause] How do you guys even talk about music without just saying ’You should listen to it’ But yeah, listen to it. There’s just such a groove to it.
Rose
Sometimes the music really does just speak for itself. And I think about that too. Do I sometimes just sound like an idiot because all I can really say is how much I just love a song or what it represents for me? But, honestly, I think that’s part of what makes this interesting. I know, I always love hearing Jake’s connections.
Chris
I guess now Atlanta hip-hop isn’t particularly rare, like that’s where so many amazing artists have come up from, but this was my introduction, as a fifteen-year-old white kid from Maine. And I’d be introduced to Outkast then by ‘So Fresh, So Clean’ and stuff you would hear on pop radio. And it was better than anything I’d ever heard before, so I went to the record store, remember those? And I bought Stankonia and Aquemini with my birthday money or something.
Rose
I don’t know if things happen that way anymore. Well, I’m sure it does but it’s just a different way of going about it. I know for all of us, we were teens before we had the convenience of the internet and Spotify. We were just getting into Napster, Limewire… all those… and guys, do you remember how long it took to get just one song downloaded? You really had to prioritize your music stealing schedule. But yes, I absolutely remember the thrill of having $20 to spend and really making hard decisions about which cds to buy. And then you really committed to those albums. I feel like I used to spend way more time with whole albums than I do now.
Chris
Thankfully my parents had a pretty hands off approach to stuff like is this music appropriate for our fifteen year old. So there I am, listening to this song about selling dope. And it blew my tiny mind. [pause] Oh a fact! I have one of those. So I said this is a Big Boi song, and yeah André isn’t in this at all, but he kinda is, because that kid crying is actually his and Erykah Badu’s son, Seven. So André is still represented, even though he doesn’t feature on this track, which is pretty cool.
Rose
Is this one of the first deeper tracks you attached to, Chris?
Chris
Firstly can I just say that I loved that I got you both to listen to Outkast. They are just… so good.
Rose
I love it too. It definitely got us to step away from our normal sound. And I’m glad to do that.
Chris
Now I'm going to say something that might be weird, but I don't really listen to lyrics. So I know that these things are about stuff, but really I just listen to the groove. So like the beat, and how Big Boi raps, I feel that right in my heart. But the lyrics? I don't really pay that much attention. So yeah, 'Slump' has literally nothing to do with my experiences, but has it been one of my favorite songs for the last twenty years…. shit, I'm old.
Rose
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with not necessarily focusing on lyrics. And I don’t think you need the lyrics as an anchor. Music makes you feel things either way.
Chris
Who goes next?
Jake
You know, like Rose, I wasn’t the most well-versed in Outkast -- I’m still not -- but I remember hearing them on the radio, y’know, ‘So Fresh, So Clean’, or ‘Miss Jackson’, [Rose is singing the chorus to Ms. Jackson in the backgroud in exaggerated tones] or all the big ones from Speakerboxx/The Love Below. So I’ve had ‘em on my radar but never really took the time to listen through any albums before this. And I heard someone talk about this on some other podcast -- I think it was Malcolm Gladwell, pretentious little shit he is, but he did an episode on music, specifically hip-hop, rap, and country. These kind of genres that get really specific, compared to something more mainstream, like pop or rock. They tell very specific, almost esoteric stories. And so they make a bigger impact, though maybe with a smaller audience. But when it’s a story you can relate to, that specific context, when you can hear yourself in it, that’s when it hits different. So hip-hop’s not a genre I’ve spent a ton of time in because I can’t relate to a lot of it. But there’s also no denying a good beat or storytelling, and Outkast delivers both, consistently. My first pick’s also from Aquemini, Liberation. It’s a long one, clocks in at just over 8 minutes. And it’s a fucking collaborative masterpiece. You’ve got Andre and Big Boi in there, of course, but also Cee Lo Green, Erykah Badu, and Big Rube throwing in some verses. The track in general is about freedom, freedom from inequality and all the bullshit obstacles that used to be in their way. I found this quote from Andre, too, about this song and this particular time for them: “That was a really good time because we’d found our sound. We didn’t care what other motherfuckers thought ‘cause we didn’t have anything to live up to but ourselves. By that time we’d gotten to a point where we were in our own world. Anything we did, it was to impress ourselves.”
Rose
I would say I feel the same as Jake. It wasn’t stuff I could relate to. But at the same time, like Chris said, I was drawn to it. The thing with Outkast and their sound was that it was so different. Also, that’s such a good quote. Maybe we all should concentrate more on impressing ourselves and not everyone else. Let me have this deep moment and sip my tea. [Long dramatic pause followed by a loud sipping noise] Ah. Okay, should I move us away from Aquemini and onto my first pick? I don’t want to cut anyone off.
Jake
I don’t want to cut you off, either. The people need to know your first pick. But let’s drum up a little suspense, shall we? Because the people also need to know where they can get a good meal around here.
Rose
Oh, you’re right. They do. You guys ready? I might need some backup on this one. So feel free to throw in some uh huhs, yeah yeahs and babies…. That sounded weird. If you have a baby, don’t throw it actually.
[Rose starts singing in the tune of Rosa Parks]
Ah ha, hush that fuss,
Everybody go to Jacques and Gus.
Do you wanna brunch and lunch with us?
We da type of people make the club (sandwich) get crunk
I don’t know if these get better or worse each week.
Chris
So what are you picking Ms. Rose?
Rose
Gong back to what you said about lyrics... there were actually some lyrics on this track I picked that stuck out to me. And that’s part of why I chose Humble Mumble. But again, the flow, the music drew me in to start. And come on. Erykah Badu. We have to appreciate her. But yeah. That’s life got to me. And the part about rerouting dreams. But you don't get the impression that you're rerouting in a bad way. It feels positive still. And you know. Sometimes you get stuck, well, at least, I know I do, and you get in this mindset where things feel so big and so devastating and so personal and so powerful over you and the direction of your life. But the lyrics here kind of feel like they saying, hey, we all go through stuff, that’s life. That’s what life is for everyone. Regroup and get back on track because what else are you going to do?
Chris
What else is there? Exactly! So wait, we've really gone chronologically so far? And we didn't plan to do that, did we? But what I think we've all shown in our choices is that Outkast works perfectly as a duo, but also they know how to work with collaborators perfectly. They're not fighting for space in their own songs, because they know how good they are. And they're not afraid to give each other space as well. Can I talk about my second song because that's a fucking excellent segue?
Jake
Go for it. We love our fucking excellent segues here. Especially if this means we’re getting into Speakerboxx/The Love Below next.
Chris
Yes, that's exactly what I want to talk about. An album that isn't really one album at all. I think when it first came out I used to treat it like one big thing, but that's over two hours of music. No, it's just two different albums, that happened to come out at the same time. With the weird little folding plastic case, to fit both the CDs in. Maybe I just want to talk about dead musical formats for two hours. But no, Speakerboxx/The Love Below is a masterpiece, and it features so many of my favorite Outkast songs, including the absolutely stunning, underrated classic Flip Flop Rock. So yeah this is from Speakerboxx, which probably isn't a surprise, and might be one of my top songs ever. A thing I love about Outkast is that through them I discovered so much great music, and Killer Mike, who guests on this track is one of them. Run the Jewels are probably one of my favorite bands that are still out there making music now, and maybe I wouldn't have discovered them without finding Killer Mike through his collaborations with Outkast, which this is just one of. And Jay Z, obviously, but we all know who Jay Z is. Something I think really comes through in this track though, is that for a while people were like oh André 300 is the Renaissance guy, like the one who's more influenced by funk and psychedelic music, and that made Big Boi the more standard rapper. But you can't listen to this and just say this is like anything else. I think the whole of Speakerboxx is game changing music, like the best things you've ever heard, always looking to take inspiration from other genres, to make really interesting music. But the thing is that 'Hey Ya' is this masterpiece that maybe 'The Way You Move' isn't, so somehow this period of Outkast is always synonymous with that song. And to be fair 'The Way You Move' isn't the kinda music I love. But 'Flip Flop Rock'? Yeah, I'd listen to that every time. What do you guys think? Where do you fall on the Speakerboxx/The Love Below spectrum? Or are they like your kids that you love equally?
Jake
Y’know, Chris, I thought I was pretty equal opportunity on this one. But I’m looking back on my list, the rough draft I’ve got here before I narrowed it down to my final two, and I’ve got five on here from The Love Below. So...I guess that answers that, huh? Now, ‘Flip Flop Rock’ is on here, too. That’s the only one from Speakerboxx, though. Ultimately, I ended up getting stuck on ‘Church’. Not just because the beat’s been stuck in my damn head since I first listened to it, but...yeah, I just like it. And going back to something y’all both touched on earlier, lyrics really do come second. Usually. I think that’s how it is with most music. The hook is in the beat or the melody or the bass line or maybe just the way something’s said. And how many times have you gone back and listened to a song that you loved as a kid, only to realize, oh, shit, that’s what they were saying? With this one, with ‘Church’, the story it’s telling doesn’t resonate, not really. But I like what I’m hearing, and I’ll be listening to this one again and again.
And speaking of again and again… I think it’s about that time, Rose.
Rose
I try not to come up with these ahead of time. This is all off the top of my head and this is what we get.
[sung to the tune of Hey Ya while playing the ukulele]
One, Two Three [brief pause an laugher]
My baby don’t mess around
Because she loves food so
This I know fo sho!
But does she really wanna
But can’t stand to see me cook dinner no more.
Don’t try to fight the feeling
Because the thought alone is killing me right now.
Thank god for the Harbor Restaurant
For sticking food together
Cause we don’t know hooooow
(the) Haaaarbor (restaurant) Haaaaaarbor.
(the) Haaaarbor (restaurant) Haaaaaarbor.
I hope this is worthy. Chris, does it meet your approval? Can this be the official restaurant jingle?
Chris
Wow, wow, wow. I am speechless, this is like the best thing.
Rose
Thank you, thank you [laughter] There you go, guys. Make sure you take advantage of this generous offer. You’re not going to be sorry. You will love it. The food there is amazing and so is the staff.
But, it’s time to get this thing back on track. And my next one---and our last one, wow, are we here already? This one comes from the Idlewild soundtrack. And firstly, let me confess. I have never seen the movie. And I probably should have this week for research. So shame on me. Have you guys seen it? The one I chose was Chronomentrophobia. Because it’s so catchy. And what a phrase to get stuck in your head the way you will after you listen to it.
Jake
Honestly, I didn’t spend nearly as much time with this album as I wanted to. I did see the movie, but it was a shitty bootleg copy, back in...well, a long time ago. With distracting subtitles, and the sound was off by a couple seconds. So, does that count? I don’t think so. Add it to the summer bucket list. Chris, you got some thoughts to share on Idlewild?
Chris
I definitely saw this movie when it came out, but like much of my 20s I don't really remember it. Because, as a fan of your podcast...
Rose
Ah that made me all warm inside. That really got me. And it’s not from the tea because I finished that up when Jake was taking us to Church. So thank you for that, Chris.
Chris
I was expecting that you would ask me to bring three songs, and probably my third pick might have been In Your Dreams from Idlewild. Which again is more Killer Mike, and another guest spot from Janelle Monáe, way before she was Janelle Monáe. I don't think that song's in the movie, cause I'm pretty sure the movie has some Speakerboxx/The Love Below tracks as well as Idlewild tracks. But that song is another absolutely perfect Big Boi track, and again I think really highlights that he was writing these jazzy, soul influenced songs. I love it. Although maybe Idlewild is a little overlong, so I get that you didn't get as much time to listen to it as you wanted Jake.
Rose
And you know, I’m glad you brought three because we clearly needed an Outkast education. And all your picks were so good. So we’re going to include that last one on the playlist. Because, we make the rules here and we break the rules here.Jake, Chris, do you have any famous last words?
Jake
I don’t know about famous, but I did want to thank Chris for suggesting a group that, honestly, I don’t think I would’ve listened to this in-depth on my own. Which is really the whole point of this podcast, right?
Chris
And thank you for letting me, a guy who knows nothing about music, talk about music for a little while. And maybe a couple of these songs might creep into your musical rotation right?
Rose
Yes, this has been great. I definitely think they will. Thank you Chris. Thank you Jake. Thank you caffeine. Join us next time as we try to answer the burning question Are you experienced?.
Jake
You’re welcome, and goodbye.