Outkast: Andre 3000 (vocals, synthesized guitar); Big Boi (vocals).

Additional personnel includes: Sleepy Brown (vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, Moog bass); Khujo Goodie, Killer Mike, J-Sweet, Gangsta Boo, Eco, B-Real, Backbone, Big Gipp, Erykah Badu, Slimm Calhoun, C-Bone, T-Mo Goodie, Cee-Lo Goodie, Big Rube, Rosalin Heard (vocals); Big Boi, Dre (rap vocals); Donnie Mathis, David "Whild" Brown (guitar); Jason Freeman, Jerry Freeman (horns); Marvin "Chanz" Parkman (piano, keyboards); Earthtone III, Organized Noize (keyboards, programming); Preston Crump (bass, synthesized bass); Aaron Mills, Robert Grister, Dookie Blossumgame (bass); Victor Alexander (drums); Cutmaster Swift (cuts); Myrna "Screechy Peach" Crenshaw (background vocals).

Producers: Earthtone III, Organized Noize, Carl Mo.

Engineers include: John Frye, Neal H. Pogue, Kevin Parker.

Principally recorded at Stankonia Recording, Atlanta, Georgia.

STANKONIA won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. "Ms. Jackson" won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.

Initial pressings of STANKONIA will include a mix of alternate cover art.

Outkast: Andre 3000 (vocals, synthesized guitar); Big Boi (vocals).

Additional personnel includes: Sleepy Brown (vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, Moog bass); Khujo Goodie, Killer Mike, J-Sweet, Gangsta Boo, Eco, B-Real, Backbone, Big Gipp, Erykah Badu, Slimm Calhoun, C-Bone, T-Mo Goodie, Cee-Lo Goodie, Big Rube, Rosalin Heard (vocals); Donnie Mathis, David "Whild" Brown (guitar); Jason Freeman, Jerry Freeman (horns); Marvin "Chanz" Parkman (piano, keyboards); Earthtone III, Organized Noize (keyboards, programming); Preston Crump (bass, synthesized bass); Aaron Mills, Robert Grister, Dookie Blossumgame (bass); Victor Alexander (drums); Cutmaster Swift (cuts); Myrna "Screechy Peach" Crenshaw (background vocals).

Producers: Earthtone III, Organized Noize, Carl Mo.

Engineers include: John Frye, Neal H. Pogue, Kevin Parker.

Principally recorded at Stankonia Recording, Atlanta, Georgia.

STANKONIA won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. "Ms. Jackson" won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

Personnel: Dré , Big Boi (vocals).

Audio Mixer: Josh Butler.

Recording information: Stankonia Recording, Atlanta, GA; The Dungeon, Atlanta, GA.

Stankonia was OutKast's second straight masterstroke, an album just as ambitious, just as all-over-the-map, and even hookier than its predecessor. With producers Organized Noize playing a diminished role, Stankonia reclaims the duo's futuristic bent. Keyboardist/producer Earthtone III helms most of the backing tracks, and while the live-performance approach is still present, there's more reliance on programmed percussion, otherworldly synthesizers, and surreal sound effects. Yet the results are surprisingly warm and soulful, a trippy sort of techno-psychedelic funk. Every repeat listen seems to uncover some new element in the mix, but most of the songs have such memorable hooks that it's easy to stay diverted. The immediate dividends include two of 2000's best singles: "B.O.B." is the fastest of several tracks built on jittery drum'n'bass rhythms, but Andre and Big Boi keep up with awe-inspiring effortlessness. "Ms. Jackson," meanwhile, is an anguished plea directed at the mother of the mother of an out-of-wedlock child, tinged with regret, bitterness, and affection. Its sensitivity and social awareness are echoed in varying proportions elsewhere, from the Public Enemy-style rant "Gasoline Dreams" to the heartbreaking suicide tale "Toilet Tisha." But the group also returns to its roots for some of the most testosterone-drenched material since their debut. Then again, OutKast doesn't take its posturing too seriously, which is why they can portray women holding their own, or make bizarre boasts about being "So Fresh, So Clean." Given the variety of moods, it helps that the album is broken up by brief, usually humorous interludes, which serve as a sort of reset button. It takes a few listens to pull everything together, but given the immense scope, it's striking how few weak tracks there are. It's no wonder Stankonia consolidated OutKast's status as critics' darlings, and began attracting broad new audiences: its across-the-board appeal and ambition overshadowed nearly every other pop album released in 2000. ~ Steve Huey

The Atlanta-based critically acclaimed duo of Big Boi and Dre returns with yet another innovative contribution to hip-hop. STANKONIA, an album borrowing its title from the group-owned recording studio, continues Outkast's tradition of delivering groundbreaking music.

The two MCs cover topics that only they would rap about, over self-produced tracks that only they could make. Songs like "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)" are in contrast to the current hip-hop scene, with its bass music background, while "Ms. Jackson," a dedication to a baby's momma's momma, sports a soulful melody in the tradition of Outkast's previous efforts. Either way, Outkast still proves to be in its own elite class.

The Atlanta-based, critically acclaimed duo of Big Boi and Dre offers yet another innovative contribution to hip-hop. STANKONIA, an album borrowing its title from the group-owned recording studio, continues Outkast's tradition of delivering groundbreaking music.

The two MCs cover topics that only they would rap about, over self-produced tracks that only they could create. Songs like "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)" are in contrast to the contemporaneous hip-hop scene's lyrical preoccupations, while "Ms. Jackson," a dedication to a babymama's mama, sports a soulful melody in the tradition of Outkast's previous efforts. With STANKONIA, Outkast proves to be in its own elite class.