Maps of Music

ATLiens (1996)

Where the lyrics of ATLiens take you, and where it was really made.

The title fuses "ATL" with "aliens", and critics read it as the duo feeling estranged from American society.

Key places

Doppler Recording Studios, Atlanta (1996)

Recording site Doppler Studios — Doppler Recording Studios in Atlanta was one of several Atlanta studios where Outkast recorded ATLiens in sessions from 1995 to 1996. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

PatchWerk Recording Studio, Atlanta (1996)

Recording site PatchWerk Recording Studios — PatchWerk Recording Studio in Atlanta was one of the studios where Outkast recorded ATLiens between 1995 and 1996. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Chung King Recording Studio, New York City (1996)

Recording site Chung King Studios — Chung King Recording Studio in New York City was one of the studios where Outkast recorded ATLiens between 1995 and 1996, outside Atlanta. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• ATLiens: second studio album by the American hip hop duo Outkast
• Released August 27, 1996 by Arista Records and LaFace Records
• Recorded from 1995 to 1996 in several Atlanta studios and two studios in New York City
• Title is a portmanteau of "ATL" (Atlanta, Georgia) and "aliens"
• Production has an outer-space feel, with dub and gospel elements in the compositions
• Lyrics range from urban hustler life and existential introspection to extraterrestrial life
• Three singles: "Elevators (Me & You)", "ATLiens" / "Wheelz of Steel", and "Jazzy Belle"

Background

• Debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994) established Outkast as prominent figures in Southern hip hop
• After the debut went platinum, LaFace gave the duo more creative control and advanced money for this follow-up
• On a trip to Jamaica with producer Mr. DJ, the duo gave up cornrows for a more natural look
• In 1995 Big Boi's girlfriend gave birth to their first child, and André 3000 and Keisha Spivey ended their two-year relationship
• André 3000 returned to high school to earn his diploma while the album was being recorded

Recording

• Before work began, André 3000 bought an SP1200 drum machine, an MPC3000 sampler, and a TASCAM mixing board
• Although he had never produced a song before, he learned techniques by watching the Dungeon Crew at work
• "Elevators (Me & You)" was the first song the duo created together for the album
• The album uses no samples, as Big Boi wanted the group to build its own school of music
• Outkast wrote about 35 songs and reduced them to fourteen

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• OutKast was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992.
• Members were Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin).
• The two met in 1992 at Lenox Square mall in Atlanta at age 16 and attended Tri-Cities High School.
• They were pursued by the producers Organized Noize and signed to LaFace Records, becoming the label's first hip-hop act.

Members

• Big Boi (Antwan Patton) was the "player" in the duo, covering conventional hip-hop topics.
• André 3000 (André Benjamin) was the "poet", discussing more unorthodox themes.

Career

• Debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994) is credited with laying the foundation for southern hip-hop.
• ATLiens (1996) and Aquemini (1998) were critically acclaimed.
• Stankonia (2000) brought mainstream recognition; "Ms. Jackson" topped the Billboard Hot 100.
• Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy for Album of the Year.
• The duo split in 2007 after the film soundtrack album Idlewild (2006); both members pursued solo careers.
• They reunited in 2014 for performances at more than 40 festivals worldwide.
• Credited with sales of 20 million records and six Grammy Awards.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Critics praised the album's unique sound and lyrical content on release
• Andrea Comer of the Hartford Courant said the group's lyrical skill came through despite the mumbling and Southern slang on some tracks
• Sonia Murray of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the album more thoughtful than its predecessor
• Allen S. Gordon of The Source observed growth from Outkast and Organized Noize
• Kevin Powell of Rolling Stone called it a gritty document of Southern black ghetto life
• Richard Harrington of The Washington Post praised the record's more serious and focused lyrical sensibility

Reappraisal

• AllMusic editor Steve Huey viewed the album as Outkast's most focused work
• RapReviews critic Steve Juon recommended it to listeners who want to be challenged by hip hop
• Roni Sarig in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) felt the music suffered from the duo's first attempt at self-production
• Sarig described the record as a sophomore slump
• The Source listed it among its 100 Best Rap Albums in 1998
• Complex ranked it fifth on its list of the 50 Greatest Sophomore Albums in Hip-Hop History

Records

• Debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200
• Sold nearly 350,000 copies in its first two weeks
• Spent 33 weeks on the Billboard 200
• Reached number 16 in Canada and number 82 in Germany
• RIAA Platinum certification on November 6, 1996 for one million US shipments
• Sold over 1.2 million copies by 1998
• RIAA double platinum certification on June 24, 2003 for two million US shipments
• "Elevators (Me & You)" reached number 12 on the Hot 100 and spent 20 weeks on the chart
• "ATLiens" / "Wheelz of Steel" reached number 23 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
• "ATLiens" alone reached number 35 on the Hot 100
• "Jazzy Belle" peaked at number 52 on the Hot 100

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title merges "ATL" with "aliens", and critics read it as the duo feeling estranged from American society.
• The duo refrained from sampling, and Big Boi said listeners get cheated when artists sample.
• Outkast wrote about 35 songs for the album and reduced them to fourteen.
• The inner booklet includes a 24-page comic strip foldout starring the members, who defend positive music against the villain Nosamulli.
• The comic strip continues in the artwork for each single except "Elevators (Me & You)".

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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