On this day in 1996, Atlanta hip-hop duo OutKast released their sophomore album ATLiens.
The release of ATLiens followed their highly successful debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. The duo's sophomore album solidified Outkast as a pair of artists who would forever change the culture of hip-hop by tapping into uncharted territory with their innovative style and lyrics.
The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 and pumped out three singles ("Elevators (Me & You)", "ATLiens", and "Jazzy Belle") that charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Elevators" peaked at No. 12 and is credited as OutKast's biggest hit on the chart until the release of "Ms. Jackson" in 2000.
Aside from the impeccable production from Atlanta collective Organized Noize, ATLiens was highly regarded for Andre 3000 and Big Boi's refined lyrical maturation. The two made a point to shy away from the typical subject matter expected of hip-hop artists, especially those emerging from the South.
Their lyrical subject matter, as noted by XXL, ranged from the negative effects stemming from a woman's promiscuous behavior ("Jazzy Belle"), the pressures of faith and succumbing to sin ("Millennium"), to the obstacles in overcoming poverty and attaining your dreams ("E.T."), and ultimately condemning the lack of substance in the music industry, while encouraging one to stay true to thyself ("Mainstream").
"It's like everybody's talking about sipping champagne and being big time," Andre 3000 said in an interview with Billboard upon the album's release. "So we just took it upon ourselves to do something new. When we came out in'94, we were just out of high school, but now we're older - some of us have babies. I want my children to say, 'Daddy really said something, he wasn't just trying to brag on himself.' We're just trying to take care of our families."
Seven years post-release, ATLiens was certified double platinum by the RIAA.
