Ok kids, here's the scoop: This here is my second album review for the local school paper. I just want to bounce it off you heads and have you tell me what you think i'm doing right or wrong. How does it sound? I'm not interested if you disagree with my claims (actually i am), that's not the focus of this excercise. 1 note: i don't know exactly how many minutes the cd is (i have it on vinyl) so i randomly inserted the number 72 minutes. If somebody could provide the correct minutes i would appreciate it. Here we go: Let's rewind to the late spring/early summer of 1994. Nasty Nas just dropped everybody's jaws with Illmatic, Suge Knight and Dr. Dre were solidifying the Death Row empire, and the East Coast/West Coast war was merely a conflict. Then, out of nowhere, came two partners from Atlanta, GA hollering about "All the playas came, from far and wide". They rapped about hustling and other standard braggado, but they also told us to git up, git out and get something. 1996 comes along, and Outkast hits us with the now classic, ATLiens. They're still the two dope boys in a Cadillac that we remember from before, but they have matured quite a bit and it's evident that they're thinking about growing old. While many will agree that ATLiens is a higher quality album than Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, Outkast was criticized by many south of the Mason-Dixon for not coming "South enough". This sets the stage for their third full-length release, Aquemini. Big Boi and Andre, Aquarius and Gemini. If this one doesn't answer their critics, I don't know what will. Aquemini is their most prolific and dynamic effort yet. The subject matter of this album ranges from riding around with a 9mm and an ounce in your lap (The Leader does not endorse the despicable act of smoking marijuana) to what to do if a lesbian assaults you, and everything in between. George Clinton stops by to lend his vocals and funk things up on "Synthesizer", a track that deals with the madness of living in the information age. Raekwon is featured on the first single, "Skew it on the Bar-B", and the song bumps even though he sounds about 500 miles out of place. The only real blemish on this album is "Mamacita", with its boring production, a subpar verse by Witchdoctor, and a chorus about as cool as passing a kidney stone. Nevertheless, the pluses of Aquemimi overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives. What really sets this album apart from many recent hip hop releases is the whole unconventionality of it. These cats inserted a harmonica-infested hoedown in the middle of "Rosa Parks" and it's ill as hell. The vocals on "Da art of Storytellin' pt. 2" are purposely severely distorted, and when coupled with the explosive beat, they work perfectly. Also, spoken word and authentic soul singing are used to greatly enhance "Liberation" and the infectious horns of "Spottieottiedopalicious", and propel Aquemini beyond the classification of a hip hop album. Andre and Big Boi are pushing the boundries and expanding the definition of hip hop music over the course of these 72 minutes. They prove that the static standard of an 8 bar loop, 3 structured verses, and a scratched or sung hook can be completely ignored. Praise due to Outkast for defying the status quo, and praise due to Aquemini for being one of the significant releases of 1998. 4 ½ of 5 La Face Records I'm still a novice at this, so i would appreciate some insight from you seasoned album reviewers. Please don't consider the length (of my article) when responding, as i'm limited to about this size. So i don't want to hear: "Well, its too short". This is about my length constriction. Thanks in advance..... respectfully, applesauce