Aquemini or ATLiens

Damn this is tough. I have to go with ATLiens all because of the 'cooler than a polar bears toenails' line.

That wasn't the question, Little Buddy. Try harder.

ATLiens

Aquemini

Stankonia

Summer of 96 was dominated by 'hay' by crucial conflict and 'crossroads' by Bone thugs n harmony

quote:

---

Aquemini was a much deeper album and parts of it were difficult to comprehend.

---

Funny how shite come together sometimes.

One moment you frequent the booty clubs and the next four years you and somebody's daughter raisin' y'all own young'n now.

That's a beautiful thang.

quote:

---

Summer of 96 was dominated by 'hay' by crucial conflict and 'crossroads' by Bone thugs n harmony

---

If you let MTV dictate your music, then it was. Crucial Conflict didn't hit mainstream for another year. 'Crossroads' was an MTV pop hit - just like "Who Sucked Out the Feeling?" by Superdrag; "Pepper" by Butthole Surfers; "Where It's At" by Beck; "Champagne Supernova" by Oasis; "Popular" by Nada Surf; and "Tonight, Tonight" by Smashing Pumpkins were all pop hits that summer. This was before TRL and all of that shite...but those were all MTV hits.

Outkast and UGK were NOT of that cloth -- not even Masta P yet (Ice Cream Man broke that summer, too). Nas made it big that summer with "If I ruled the World". But the songs you mention normally fell in with the ones I mention. It's very funny how television and music has changed forever. Now, hip-hop is either "underground" or "pop" and can be heard on world famous radio. I recall, back in the mid 90's, if one wanted to hear black music, then you put it on a black station. The black stations, for the most part, were still NOT pushing the hardcore, cuss-fanatic rap music. Southern stations certainly didn't play 8 Ball and MJG nor TRU (who was not even known as New Orleans-rap until 1996/97). The only way to hear Outkast prior to 1997 in BR was to turn on KLSU's Monday night hip-hop show (GREAT one, btw). I recall seeing Outkast and east coast legends De La Soul both in BR that fall and the later was far more played on BR radio.

But back to Outkast and staying there...it would not be until Ms. Jackson, that the duo solidified themselves with audiences of TRL and the like -- the same teens who were heart-throbbing over Incubus, n Sync, Jay Z, and Korn -- all at once. That was a game-changer and until that point, Outkast was known in Atlanta, Baton Rouge/NOLA, and the Panhandle. That was IT. Rap music...well I liken it to wrestling before Vince M took it completely sideways and over. Radio played its territorial people unless it was east/west coast mainstream stuff like 2Pac, BIG, Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, or major acts (Bone, Ghetto Boys, Craig Mack, ATCQ, et al would break this mold, too). In other words, in the early 90's, you wouldn't hear anything in NYC from Ghetto Boys unless it was on MTV. Baton Rouge radio did not play WCC and the Madd Circle. Memphis radio may play Three 6 Mafia, but absolutely did NOT play the likes of an artist like Mobb Deep. It was just too territorial.

Outkast was the best when they were territorial. They broke the mold when their music became catered to college females.

quote:

---

But back to Outkast and staying there...it would not be until Ms. Jackson, that the duo solidified themselves with audiences of TRL and the like -- the same teens who were heart-throbbing over Incubus, n Sync, Jay Z, and Korn -- all at once. That was a game-changer and until that point, Outkast was known in Atlanta, Baton Rouge/NOLA, and the Panhandle.

---

ATLiens was certified platinum two months after it was released, and Aquemini went double platinum within 10 months of its release...

I guess your main point is that they didn't "sell out" until Stankonia, but their music was reaching ears from coast to coast well before that.

Max 94.1 played outkast