Top Ten Songs by Outkast

When most Hip-Hop is sitting inside of a box and refuses to come out, Outkast cuts out with a knife and stomps all over the cardboard. These two always go out of their way to be different and I cannot do anything but appreciate them for that. Outkast consists of the Old School-driven lyricist Andre 3000 and his partner, the funk-driven lyricist, Big Boi. They have been a running pair for over a decade and haven't stopped yet. My Top 10 favorite songs by them are:

"Movin' Cool (The After Party)"
"The Whole World"
"Elevators (Me and You)"
"So Fresh, So Clean"
"Ms. Jackson"
"Behold A Lady"
"Pink & Blue"
"Prototype"
"The Way You Move"
"Morris Brown"

The reason that this duo continues to be a success is because they manage to keep listeners of Old School music interested by their soul delivery and listeners of New School interested by their aggressive and realistic delivery of today's news. Songs like "Elevators (Me and You)" talk about how it is to be famous and still stay grounded. Andre 3000 speaks of a fan who wonders if the group has now become so famous that they do not remember the people who they used to hang out with and those who don't believe they have real jobs. Big Boi gives an unapologetic view of how it is to be a father of a woman that a man no longer wants to be with in "Ms. Jackson." In this song, he talks about how he is taking care of his child but the constant nagging and persistent belittlement can almost make a man want to run for cover. It is a perfect lesson for women who feel that making the father's child as uncomfortable as possible is a useful way to keep a relationship intact. Instead it only makes the child's upbringing harder and the parents more divided on caring for that child or going to events like birthdays, graduations, etc.

In songs like "Behold A Lady" and "Prototype," Andre 3000 ponders on how women of today have changed so much, some in good ways and some bad. He also wonders what "the one" would be like, whether he's met her before, whether this potential woman is close enough to perfection, or whether he should settle for what he gets. In "Pink & Blue," Andre 3000 meets an older woman and declares she could've been born a few years later, but with attention and devotion, a couple of any age can make things work if they don't get too caught up in what others have to say. In "Movin' Cool (The After Party)," this musical almost doesn't need them because of the outstanding performance by singer Joi Gilliam-Gipp. She talks about what it's like for a woman to be with a man who has not yet grown to maturity and would rather play games. Andre 3000 melodically sprinkles out notes while she sings heavily. It is so easy for me, as a woman, to agree with her on issues she is facing in a relationship, being that I was going through the same thing at the time that the collaborative hits album "Stankonia" came out.

Some songs aren't necessarily so deep and are just good fun, such as "Morris Brown," "The Way You Move," and "So Fresh, So Clean." More time is spent dancing and crooning to the chorus, but even the words carry the multi-syllabics and bass of artists of original pioneers of Hip-Hop and the Blues. In the video, Big Boi comically pops his collar when he wakes up to show that he has no worries and wants to have a good day. I respect the way these two men are so confident in their exterior and so intelligent in their interior. That is uncommon in today's Hip-Hop, which is so filled with rage and hate, instead of trying to make the best of a situation.

But no song to me is more therapeutic than the cut "The Whole World." The chorus of this song talks about how people really make great effort to hold a person back who is trying so hard to get ahead. With the bass heavy beat and both of them going at it on the mike, you want to clap and cry at the same time. This is the song that I turn to first when I'm having a bad day. I never really understood artists when they said that making a song for a fan that can relate to and find solace in their work is the best gift, but once I heard this song, I knew this was it.

I believe I will be an eternal Outkast fan as long as they keep throwing out these songs that bring the funk, soul, Blues, rhythm, bass, news, love, and all the other things that everyday people can relate to no matter the culture or race. Even when doing black musicals such as "Idlewild," in which they sang many songs from the "Idlewild" soundtrack, I kept thinking "Anybody can relate to this music because they make themselves so humble." How can you not love them for sharing their craft with our ears?