ATLiens (1996) by André 3000 and Big Boi, otherwise known as the famous and influential hip-hop duo Outkast, was their second studio album and arguably their most important one. This album solidified their place in the hip-hop world, making a name for themselves and for the South, which had quite often been ignored because of the dominating East and West coasts.
Outkast always tried to create new sounds and push the boundaries of hip-hop. They also always tried to express themselves lyrically through their music, especially so in ATLiens. They experimented with new sounds and samples that gave the album its futuristic, alien sound while at the same time talking about their insecurities and maturing lifestyles.
ATLiens is 58 minutes long and consists of 15 tracks:
You May Die (Intro) (1:06)
Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac) (2:41)
ATLiens (3:50)
Wheels of Steel (4:03)
Jazzy Belle (4:12)
Elevators (Me & You) (4:25)
Ova da Wudz (3:48)
Babylon (4:25)
Wailin’ (1:59)
Mainstream (5:18)
Decatur Psalm (3:58)
Millennium (3:09)
E.T (Extraterrestrial) (3:06)
13th Floor / Growing Old (6:51)
Elevators (ONP 86 Mix) (4:37)
The most popular track off this album is ATLiens and Elevators (Me & You). The song ATLiens features a catchy chorus and lots of lyrical content talking about how much cooler they are than a lot of the rappers during that time, and how different they are from the rest of hip-hop.
Elevators (Me & You) focuses on the theme of “coming up” like an elevator. Their success from their first album allows them to buy nice things like a Cadillac, which they promptly show off in the lyrics:
“Me and you
rolling down the strip on Vogues
Coming up slamming Cadillac doors.”
But despite their success, they’re not rich and don’t waste their money on too many things, as André describes in this lyric:
“True, I’ve got more fans than the average man, but not enough loot to last me to the end of the week
I live by the beat like you live check-to-check.”
André emphasized that while he and Big Boi are growing in popularity, they aren’t making millions of dollars as they are perceived to. Outkast talks a lot about record labels and how they take a large portion of their earnings, and even compares them to pimps.
Outkast talks a lot about how successful they started to be and how much better they are than a lot of the rappers at the time, but they also dive into deep personal topics, such as the song “Mainstream”. In this song featuring T-Mo and Khujo, the rappers express how scary it is to become an adult and the dangerous career they’ve chosen. Outkast and the featured rappers are from Atlanta, Georgia, which is a prominent spot for gangs and gang wars, with most rappers being a part of a gang and often getting shot and dumped into rivers, thinking they are invincible, hence the lyrics:
“Fast living’ll get you took
Thinking it can’t happen to you, and then it do
Off crooked schemes, it’s just a dream
Floating face down in the mainstream.”
In another song, “Babylon,” André opens with the verse:
“I came into this world high as a bird
From secondhand cocaine powder–I know it sounds absurd
I never tooted, but it’s in my veins.”
André is describing how he was surrounded by cocaine growing up, and while he never did cocaine, it still impacted him heavily and his way of life.
After André finished his verse, Big Boi opens his with:
“People don’t know the stress I’m dealin’ with, day to day
Speakin’ about the feelings I’m possessin’ for Rene”
Big Boi is talking about his aunt Rene, who passed away from pneumonia. Her death hit him especially hard since she was the one who pushed him to pursue expressing himself through music.
ATLiens by Outkast is an extremely important album that put the South on the hip-hop map and inspired rappers for years to come. It is an amazing album, the beats are finely-tuned but rather quiet, and the lyrics are full of metaphors. It’s great to listen to while just chilling out or going for a late-night drive. Personally, my favorite songs are ATLiens, Mainstream, Elevators, and Wheelz of Steel. Overall, I’d give this album a 9/10 and would heavily recommend it to anyone who loves hip-hop.