“The South got something to say” was the shot heard around the hip-hop world. Spoken by the great André 3000 at the 1995 Source Awards, this acceptance speech sparked a pivotal moment in hip-hop. Not only had three-stacks and Big Boi established themselves as one of the most exciting duos to emerge from hip-hop’s golden era, but The pair single-handedly introduced a third coast to the genre. No longer was it simply East vs. West. Outkast and Organized Noize put the South on the map with the 1994 release of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Today (April 26) marks the 30th anniversary of one of the most impactful albums in modern music and a release that changed hip-hop the minute it hit the world’s ears. The legacy left behind by these 17 songs continues to inspire and shape the genre we know today. Outkast is now a household name, and Atlanta has not stopped producing exciting and innovative hip-hop. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is the heart and soul of Atlanta’s hip-hop scene—a vibrant collection of artists that grows with each passing day.
If you look at the list of hip-hop albums released in 1994, the longevity achieved by this album was no easy accomplishment. Outkast’s soulful funk and melodic hooks could’ve easily been overshadowed by albums like Biggie’s Ready to Die and Nas’ Illmatic, two giants from the already established New York scene. At the time, southern hip-hop was not the juggernaut we know it as. Landing a record deal was nearly impossible if you weren’t from California or New York. Thanks to the Atlanta-based LaFace Records, Outkast was given a $15,000 advance and dutifully holed themselves up in studios across the city. Going up against the likes of Warren G and Gang Starr, Outkast was debuting their uniqueness in a sea of gritty verses from the East and G-funk from the West.
Therein lies the magic of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. No one was doing what Outkast was doing. Mixing in country-fried live instrumentation, Organized Noize played just as significant a role in shaping Atlanta’s sound. By combining soaring melodies from funky basslines and blaring horns with the blips of electronic drum patterns, the production group created what would become the standard for Southern hip-hop. The blank slate of what the album could sound like allowed their loftiest ideas to sound conventional and futuristic simultaneously. The soulfulness of “Crumblin’ Erb” sounds right at home next to the tongue-in-cheek funk of “Ain’t No Thang.” This album introduced the world to Southern hip-hop but, more importantly, opened the door for Outkast and Organized Noize to begin a career of borderless creativity.
The album was an instant hit. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik reached number three on the Billboard Hip-hop charts and even broke into the top 20 of the Billboard 200. It is certified platinum and was praised by critics for its vulnerable lyrics and expansive delivery. Outkast’s sleek rhyme schemes and bouncy cadence took the world by storm, earning them the “Best Newcomer” award at the 1995 Source Awards. It was the acceptance speech for that award where André 3000 uttered the six words that changed the genre’s landscape for good.
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is, in a word, timeless. Outkast kicked down the door for future generations of Atlanta by establishing a sound you couldn’t find anywhere else. With melodic hooks that touch on the history of soul and live instrumentation combined with hip-hop drums, Outkast landed on a sound they could call home. Organized Noize laid the foundation, and Outkast built a colossal, abstract structure with jagged edges and unknown colors. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik continues to inspire artists thirty years later. No album, besides maybe other Outkast releases, can sound this futuristic and present at the same time.
