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Stankonia
by
Stankonia Image
Metascore
95

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 478 Ratings

  • Summary: Featuring the hit singles "B.O.B." and "Ms. Jackson," 'Stankonia' was a commercial and critical hit for the innovative Atlanta hip-hop duo of DrĂ© and Big Boi.

Top Track

Ms. Jackson
Yeah this one right here goes out to all the baby's mamas, mamas Mamas, mamas, baby mamas, mamas Yeah, go like this I'm sorry Ms. Jackson (oh), I am... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    100
    On their astonishing new Stankonia (LaFace/Arista), Outkast explore their own disappointment with hip-hop's self-satisfied acquisitiveness. But though it attacks the genre's tunnel vision, the album -- which takes its name from George Clinton's vision of funk as expressing the raw, unruly side of life -- does so with joy (and huge doses of absurdity) instead of with the polemics of Public Enemy.... Stankonia is among the most exciting albums of the year, not only because it brazenly addresses hip-hop's spiritual emptiness (other well-intentioned rappers have tried) but because it musically surpasses the most innovative work of street production dons like Swizz Beatz, Manny Fresh, and Timbaland. By offering something for both the mind and the ass, to borrow from George Clinton's slogan, Outkast, like Gang of Four and Funkadelic before them, make revolution you can dance to.
  2. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    100
    There's more bounce-to-the-ounce and less molasses in the jams, more delight and less braggadocio in the raps.
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    100
    Stankonia reeks of artful ambition rendered with impeccable skill -- or as one song title so concisely has it, ''So Fresh, So Clean.''
  4. Vibe
    90
    Stankonia leaves nothing to be desired as it is energized by Outkast's clever lyrics coupled with their cutting edge production, which is an expansive take on the original Atlanta sound.
  5. Wall of Sound
    86
    Outkast's fourth album, Stankonia, is a far more complex effort than the critically acclaimed Aquemini. While Aquemini dealt with Big Boi and Dre's -- the self-described "player and poet," respectively -- contradictory personalities, Stankonia addresses the contradictory impulses of hip-hop itself.
  6. Ink Blot Magazine
    80
    Scattered among the jewels are shiny bits of glass that aren't as valuable as they might be.
  7. HOB.com
    70
    As the tracks shift from smooth R&B to frantic, drum machine driven beats, Outkast prove able to pull from a big enough bag of tricks as rappers to remain unpredictable. The problem is that they come out of it all without having left any defining mark on the songs. It's almost as if Stankonia would be more memorable if the duo stuck to one sound, one rhythm, and one train of lyrical thought.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84 out of 95
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 95
  3. Negative: 8 out of 95
  1. hiphop
    Aug 25, 2009
    10
    Outkast , still very original and funky.
  2. QuintonB
    Jan 4, 2013
    10
    One of the greatest albums of all time by the greatest hip hop group of all time. Andre 3000 and Big Boi are a match made in hip hop heavenOne of the greatest albums of all time by the greatest hip hop group of all time. Andre 3000 and Big Boi are a match made in hip hop heaven and this album only showcases their musical genius. It's a damn shame that the two are on hiatus; hip hop could use a little revitalization.… Expand
  4. DanC
    Feb 1, 2004
    10
    One of the greatest hip hop albums ever!
  5. ieattoehair
    Mar 8, 2020
    10
    Everything about this album is good. The lyrics, the beat, the rapping and vocals 10 out of 10
  6. AndrewR
    Nov 21, 2003
    9
    A fine piece of work. Boi and Dre have impeccable chemistry, and their creative muse never rests on its laurels, resulting in a restless and A fine piece of work. Boi and Dre have impeccable chemistry, and their creative muse never rests on its laurels, resulting in a restless and often convoluted but thoughtful and endlessly entertaining piece of art. I love the deep Prince-ly funk that drives the largely satirical "So Fresh So Clean," the Bomb Squad-esque guitar workout behind "Gasoline Dreams" and the acid jungle groove on the unfreakingbelievable "B.O.B."-- and I love what it stands for. Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, The Roots, and Blackalicious are all counteracting mainstream rap's lazy, piss-poor knuckle-dragging, and so are Outkast-- they've just come from Mars and rode in on Parliament's Mothership.… Expand
  7. demarderozan
    May 9, 2022
    9
    One of the most original albums that anyone has made... it sets the foundation for lots and lots of albums to come, and just is overall "SoOne of the most original albums that anyone has made... it sets the foundation for lots and lots of albums to come, and just is overall "So Fresh, So Clean". That's all I need to say.… Expand
  8. MusicLover
    Nov 18, 2002
    0
    How can such awful music get 96, that's a mistery to me

See all 95 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Album of 2000
3
#3 Most Discussed Album of 2000
4
#4 Most Shared Album of 2000