Dissect - Aquemini by OutKast | LAST SONG STANDING (E6)

Episode Date: August 13, 2024

Our journey to crown the greatest OutKast song of all time continues with the duo's classic album Aquemini. Cole and Charles discuss its creation and release, quiz each other with album trivia, and then nominate which songs should be in contention for OutKast's all time best. Hosts: Cole Cuchna & Charles Holmes Producer: Justin Sayles Audio Engineer: Kevin Pooler Theme Music: Birocratic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome everyone to Last Long Standing. I'm Cole Kushna. And I'm Charles Holmes. And on the third season of Last Song Standing, we're covering the greatest hip-hop group of all time. That's right. Cole and I are here to decide the greatest outcast song of all time. On our first episodes, we tackled Stankonia, A.T. Aliens, Southern Player, Speaker Box, the Level O, the solo projects, and the features. And today is the episode we've been waiting for all season. It's the episode that we cover what is not only considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, but one of the greatest

albums ever, period. That's right. It is time for 1998. Aquamanan. The name is big boy. Daddy fat sacks. The nigga that like them catlacks. I stay down with these streets because these streets is where my folks at.

Cole. We are back in the studio. Cole. We are back in the studio. Your cherubic face. Is that how you say cherubic? Is that your face? Your face, your glowing face. Like, you always

Here's the thing. You don't have video, but people need to know. You get fits off. Oh, I'm trying. Every single time. Does the wife help you put these fits together? No, she's, I'm, I would say, no offense. I'm a little more stylish than she is.

He said that I'm the Andre of this relationship. Oh. Oh, damn. Respectfully, of course. Well, before we get into Equimmon, I am very excited for this episode specifically. Let's run down the last longstanding nominees that we've had throughout the season.

So my list right now is B-O-B elevators, players ball, hey, yeah, international play is anthem, the way you move royal flush. Cole, you have Miss Jackson, A.T.L.E.N. Southern Player, Roses, Life of the Party, ghetto music, and Cryptonate. Right now, how are we feeling? I mean, both lists are great. I just kind of an amazement of you can have a list of songs this long by Outkast, and they're all unassailably great. Cryptonite's the only one that kind of just feels like it doesn't belong, but I feel like you can make a legitimate case for every single one of these songs. Even like your feature, Big Boy feature, Roy of Flesh, is amazing, and it has both of them,

and you can make a case for that song. It's going to be a tough finale next episode. Not only is it going to be a tough finale, Justin, Ringer Music Lead, Resident Old Head, back. This is the episode where you will be using your coaches.

I saved it all season. I'll just say this. Going into Equim and I, I really think there are like six or seven songs off this record that you could take. I was going to say I'm in the like five to seven range where I was just like, I'm actually sad that I just can't put all of them just in it because I was just like, I'm not even going to get to get to nominate all of my ones. I'm just like, even today I was like, let me just change it really, really fucking

quick. What about you, go? Were you like going through this? I'm like, damn. I showed you my short list over text just to make sure, because we don't want to overlap too much, so we're going to make it a point not to overlap too much in our nominations. But I'm saying with you, like my short list was like eight songs long. There's a legitimate case for like half of the album

to be into consideration. Although I will say, as a devil's advocate, I was kind of reminded of season one when we were doing Tipinpa Butterfly, where it was like, arguably Kendrick's best album, my favorite Kendrick album. But surprisingly, when I was going through and trying to make my picks, thinking of the list that we just covered,

all these strong songs and trying to put each pick off of Aquim and I up against these other songs, I was surprised how few I felt like could really go toe to toe with some of these songs. They're some of my favorites, but I was just like, can some of the album cuts? Exactly. Like win. That's where I'm going.

The way I thought of it today when I was listening to the album for like the 10th time and like in a week period was I think eight of these songs might be in like the best 15 best outcast songs ever. Yeah. But I'm not sure if the best outcast song is on this album. Yeah. Yeah. And that's the Tippin Butterfly analogy was like it might be their best album at Clemenai. A lot of people think it is, but maybe it doesn't have the best song. It could. We'll see.

I don't know. I'm going to make a case for a couple songs. Okay, okay. All right, so for those that have forgotten, each episode of Last Song Standing covers one album where we are both forced to pick the best song off that album, aka The Last Song Standing. Then in our season finale, we'll have our Royal Rumble where we'll bring the songs we've chosen from each album and duke it out until we both can agree on what is the single

greatest outcast song of all time. All right, when we get back, we're going to get into the background of the album, some themes. Justin's going to be on his old man shit. But before that, we have a little ad for y'all. Make sure you stay tuned. All right, last song Standing is back, and it's time to teach you a little bit about this monumental project. Outcast third studio album, Equimini, was released on September 29th, 1998.

It produced three singles, Skew It on the Barbie, Rosa Parks, to Artis Storytelling Part One, and features guests like Rayquan, George Clinton, and Erica Baddew. It debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 200, selling 227,000 copies in its first week release. It made history as the first Southern album to get a perfect five mic rating from the source. And surprisingly, Cole, I wanted to know if you were surprised by this because you do your own research. As much as this album was celebrated, unless I'm wrong, it only got one Grammy nomination.

Really? Okay, I didn't do that research. That's insane. Can you guess the, can you guess the song and the nomination? Because I was like, I was actually what back? I was like, what nomination? I would guess Rosa Parks. It was Rosa Parks, and that was nominated for best rap performance by a duo group. It was like, when I went back, I was just like, oh, it wasn't until probably stayed going on. Well, this was the year miseducation swept, right? Yeah.

But not even a, I would expect more nominations at least. That's what I'm saying. Maybe I'm wrong, but when I did my research, that's not great. It's not shocking to me. I mean, I'm not a huge fan of the Grammy. Can you, before you get into the themes, I have to. ask you, what's your sign? Gemini, baby.

You're a, you're a Gemini? Yeah. I'm a Scorpio. What would our, what would our... That's why you like Drake. Is Drake a Scorpio too, right? Oh, whoa. Don't...

I do like one of the new Drake songs that just came out, but we're still in Kendrick Summer. What would be the, is that how you call it the Portmanteau? Yeah. Of a Scorpio and Gemini. Oh, shit. Yeah. Scorpon.

Scorpon. Scorponai or Gemini? Gemini. Gempy? Scorpio Wait, what are you, Justin? We have the same fucking birthday.

Oh yeah, you're a Scorpio. We do have the same birthday. I didn't know that. Does that explain a lot? It really actually does. It really does. Honestly, I feel like I am like two or three years from gone full, Justin.

Just like being a hermit, only going to the movie theaters, like watching movies 24-7. It's great. It's happening. You guys have the same chain on already. Chain too heavy. But anyway, yo, Can you give us the album themes for Equamina?

Yeah, I mean, this is surprising to me, because once again, the title explains it all, which are going into it, I didn't think this title specifically would explain so much of it, but it really does. So obviously it's the portmanteau of Aquarius, Big Boys sign, and Gemini, Andre 3000 sign. And the idea is that these two distinct personalities

are merging into one collaborative identity. So Big Boy said this about the concept. Equamini was just the meshing of both worlds. With me being an Aquarius and him being a Gemini, it was subtle on ATLians, but by the time we got to Equamini, it was like we had two different visions that were parallel. So the thing with us was to always show the team.

And so why they emphasized this aspect of the two worlds coming together on this album so much was like when ATLians was released and Andre started to dress a little bit different, there were critics already kind of predicting their downfall, predicting that they were going to break up soon. And so a lot of this album, when you listen to it, with that in mind,

so much of it is about them responding directly to the critics and really emphasizing the union between them. I would say musically is where this thing really shines, though. We talked a lot about the live instrumentation on past episodes, but I feel like in the past, in the first two albums, the live instrumentation was a little more subtle, where on this one, it really does feel like a live band setting a lot of the time. and so they're fusing together all these different genres and apparently they had a bigger budget this time because of the success of the first two records and so you had this what they described as like a Motown type atmosphere where they had all these talented musicians

coming in and out, Andre and the producers kind of directing them through the tracks. A lot of them were recorded live which feels just really special and rare and so we get that kind of collaborative world building I feel like is very substantial on this record And for me, I don't know, I'd be curious to hear you guys' take on this. It feels like this album feels like the sweet spot of the Venn diagram of Outcast.

Yeah. Where it's like the personalities are distinct by this point, the creativity, the vision of both, but they don't, it's not so separated like on moments of stankonia. It just feels like it hits that sweet spot where the identities really just collaborate beautifully. Would you agree with that? Not only would I agree with that and like going back to. to just like read about it in interviews. It was funny how they kind of start hinting at the fact that like they were getting into like arguments.

I think there was one argument with like Big Boy about the sequencing of the album. And there was like arguments about, I think it was on synthesizer like Big Boy being like, yo, Dre, they don't like when you do that weird shit with your fucking voice. And it's like to your point, Aquam and I feels like the, it feels like,

It feels like the end of one era outcast in the beginning of another. And this is the album where it was like, it's 50-50. It is actually split down the middle. Both of them are working in perfect harmony. Yeah. It's such a beautiful. Justin, what do you think? Yeah, I mean, I think that's the best way to describe it.

And I think this is also the point where they're really coming into their own as full-fledged personalities. You see that on AT aliens. But, like, I think because they're reaching, if not the pinnacle of their powers, than something approaching it. You really start to see the differences in their personalities take shape. You see that experimentation, but you also, it's still ground.

I think of a song like West Savannah, which feels very, like, I think if that interlude before the songs to be believed, it was recorded for Southern Player. I do think it was either from the recording sessions of Southern Player or they were like, they had this.

Yeah. And I think Big Boys said they put it on the album to be like, this was for like the day one fans who were like, you guys have gotten too weird. Right. And it, but it works because the rest of the album still feels grounded in that sound, but they're starting to go off in different directions.

Right. So while a song like West Savannah works, a song like Spadiotti-O-Di-O-I-Works, a song, a Spodiodi. I always get that. I know me too. Yeah. Spodioti works. Or, you know, just some of the bigger swings on the album, just sort of synthesizer is one that is starting to push in that direction that we see a lot more of on Stangonia.

Andre's starting to be a lot more melodious. Like, it was interesting. You can differentiate between the two on AT aliens. It is not hard. Equeminize the beginning of them just like, oh, this is like the Andre Thinks Thousand that we really know. Like, there's some verses on here. I was like, oh, this is like, I don't know if he ever gets better than the verse.

Yeah, there's some great Andre moments on this album. Like, yeah, to my, I kind of made the point one of the episodes before where it's like, there's not really an album or a song where I can think of like, you know, they're on, they're pretty much on equal. footing as rappers, but I feel like on a few moments, a few songs on this album, I'm like, damn, Andre really got the best. But to be fair, too, is like, with the hooks and everything, Big Boy is also like, he's getting really, like, good at this.

And I even think organized noise had basically described. They're just like, yeah, Big Boy was the more finit. They were like, Big Boy was the more finis project. It's not really until Aquam and I, that, like, Andre is like, okay, this is who I am. And then even on this record, and we'll get into it a little bit more, is I love how much Andrei is already starting to push against the being the weirdo. Like there's so many lyrics about his perception, how he's perceived. I just love this album. But we'll talk about more of that when we get to the nominations.

Right now, it's time to move on to album trivia, or as we like to call it, Smarty-O-I-E-E-O-E-Licious. Yes. Here's a thing. Cool. I think the fans have known that you have not brought your best foot forward this entire season. Are you ready? Have you done enough prep work? Okay.

So you know about the Kendrick and Drake beef this summer? And you know on Not Like Us where he says, how many stocks do I really got in stock? One, two, three, four, five plus five. Alluding to the fact that he had ten discracks. Well, I have one, two, three, four, five, six. seven, eight, nine quiz questions ready to go for our two. I'm ready. I have prepared.

Are you ready? Are you ready? Because you're talking some shit right now. All right, let's go. Give me your first one. Okay. Let's do, honestly, it's our last one. If we don't have any overlapping, let's see if we could get to three.

Get the three? Okay. All right, I'm going to start you off with a somewhat of a softball then. Okay. The opening track, Hold on Be Strong, features Andre 3000 playing what instrument he bought from a flea market. You read it, but you can't remember. That's the look on your face right now.

Like, I literally read it this morning, and I can't remember. Do you want a hint for half a point deduction? It's an African instrument. I don't even know what it is. Can I guess? Yeah. Is it a did you redo? No.

Calimba. Oh, fuck. All right, that was good. All right, you know what? All right, I'm going to throw you one. Okay. Now, this isn't part of the question, but do you know the name of the artist

that designed the Equimini cover? I don't. Gregory Hawkins. The real question is, do you know who the person was that contacted Gregory Hawkins to design the cover for Equimini? Interesting.

Okay. So I'm assuming it's not Andre or Big Boy. I'm not going to give you any hints. Can you give me, I don't want a hint, but like, do you have any additional context? Like why they would have been, like why specifically this person would be contacting them or no? The only clue that I will give you is the answer to this question can be found in one of the nominations that you have of old songs. One of the nominations of old songs.

Oh, interesting. I've just drawn a blank. I've got nothing to work with. So I'm going to have to give up. So shout out to Columbus Monthly. Andre's mom, Sharon Benjamin, reached out to Gregory Hawkins because they both knew each other.

Like, he was an artist. He had worked with labels. He had done, like, a lot of things, but he was not into rap. But even Andre knew him as, knew this guy, like he would go over to his house as a kid. And like Andre's mom, how the story goes,

you should read the article on Columbus Monthly. It's really interesting. He used to visit this guy as a kid. And Andre's mom called him up He was like, hey, this album is going to be really big Would you mind designing the cover? Okay And Gregory Hawkins is a blackman

He did not, he was not into like hip hop He's just like I had to listen to the like album so many times To even get what they were saying But he, I think he was like 72 hours He did the whole cover It's like a color pencil So here's the thing I had to hit you with a hard one

Yeah, that's a good one All right, let's go We're both over So let's go with Damn, I've got so many good ones. Let me go with this one. Okay, you'd probably have the song on your list, so maybe you write about this. In the opening lines of Andre's verse on Rosa Parks, he raps about meeting a gypsy who hipped him to some life game. Who was this gypsy he was referring to? It wouldn't be

Erica Badu. Good, yeah, I mean, it wouldn't. That's too obvious. Yeah, it would be too obvious. I want to make that a question. So it is Erica Badu related, though. That is a hint. If you don't know, you're never going to get it. So let me just tell you. It's not her mom. No. Who is it? So her name is Flory Johnson.

She was a tarot card reader who did readings at a store called the wish-fulfilling tree, which Erica Badoo used to frequent and took Andre 2. So deep cut. This is, we came. All right. All right. During the recording of Equimini, Andre, Sleepy Brown, and Seelow, we're toying with forming a band.

What was the name of this fiction? band. Don't look it up. I knew you would have read it. Don't look it up. Oh, it's like in the... Isn't it? Oh, fuck.

I definitely read this. Damn. I should have wrote it down. I didn't write it down. Pimp trick, gangster clip. Yeah, because it's in the skit. Yeah, fuck. All right.

That's a great one. That one I should have had, for sure. Neither of us have a point yet. Do you have any others prepared? Should we just keep going? We're gonna do three. I got two or three more that I'm gonna throw at you. I'm just gonna figure out which one.

Okay. See, this is like the nice guy in me wants to give you one that you might have a chance on. But fuck that. You've been talking shit this whole time. So here we go. The opening vocals on Spodiodi-Dopalicious sing Damn, Damn, Damn James.

Who is James and what is this referencing? Oh, God damn. Oh, right. Dog, no. I went with the dissect stuff. All right, man. Who is it? It's referencing a famous scene from the 70s TV sitcom Good Times.

The head of the household, James Evans, dies in an accident, and his wife, Florida, breaks down in the kitchen while preparing for the funeral, calling out Damn, Damn, Damn, and James is a reference to James Evan, the guy's name. All right, you know what? I'm going to give you a really easy one. I'm going to give you a really easy one. Outcast wanted to release a movie to accompany of Quem and I before Ida Wild, which MTV showed interest in. But Outcast wasn't big enough,

so MTV wanted to replace them. What two rappers did the network want to replace Andre and Bigger with? Dude, I read this too. Hold on, hon. Missy Elliott. Okay. And it's not Buster Rhymes, is it?

No. It is Buster Rhyme. I'm going to give you the whole thing. Hell yeah. Fuck yeah. Okay. Let's go. Let's go.

That was a good one. We came prepared. How was that quiz? Oh, I mean, I like to buy the end, But before this, I'm like, these guys are just going to go back and forth, like, with the most obscure. Like, the problem. Okay, here's one that you could get just for fun, just because I have them. At Quim and I peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, what album blocked them from number one?

Do you remember? I think I have an idea. It's hove. Yeah. It's a hove album. Volume two. Yes. Yeah.

I knew it was. Hard knock life. Because it was hove, it was outcast, and then I think someone else was under. Well, Miseducation had it for a long time. Yeah. And then I think Jay knocked her off, but then she got it again. Like she was on the chart, like essentially nonstop that whole year. Okay, and this one just for the fans, because you mentioned it.

Big Boy was pushing for not for Return of the G to start the album, but y'all scared. Which is an insane. Crazy. It is like that, like here, you would have to dock it like half a star. I know. It's crazy. That's the worst, one of the worst decisions. That's.

Did you know that? I had no idea. Yeah, it's crazy. I had no idea. No, it was like, they were like, a bunch of people were at me. Like, no, like he, I think he was away and they were mastering the track and everybody else was like, well, he was gone. Yeah, he's like his flight got, his flight got delayed to the mastering sessions. They had already put together the sequencing.

And I guess him and this, one of the A&Rs, they got in a legitimate fight, not a fist fight, but actual like, you know, verbal fight about him wanting y'all's. It's insane. It's one of those, like, if this. would have had, if that would have happened. Sliding doors. Like, I don't know if we would have, like, it still would have been a great album, but we probably would be like, I don't think y'all scared is popping up on the, on the final list here, right? No. Okay. All right, I'm just saying that. It's a great song, I think. Mama Cita and y'all scared are. They're the bottom two on this album. It's, it's, it's not many clunkers. Like, I know people think that this

is a perfect album. I don't even mind y'all scared. It's just kind of like, after, especially coming up. It's just kind of there, right? After Spody Odie, It's like... If you went... Yeah, if you went Spodiote into Nathaniel skit into liberation, that works. Yeah. And Mamasita,

so first and last time I'll be negative on this episode, but I can't stand that song. It's... It is insane that you go from both of the arts of storytellings, and you're like, oh, this is some of the most magnificent rapping ever. And then you just get hit with Mama Cete, and you're like, what the fuck? I, okay, so, so we're gonna get the mama C to discussion out right now.

My take, which I said in the text yesterday, is that every classic rap album should have one charmingly bad song. That's a good take. And I don't, I don't think everyone does, but I just, I love it, right? It has like, it's just that one song. I don't know. I think of, like, Nas one time for your mind, unillmatic. I think of, like, you know, I don't think Biggie Respect is a bad song, but it is kind of, like, out of place with the rest of the, rest of ready to die.

I think they were just like, and Mamasita is, I don't know. Mamasita! Papa Donna! First of all, Andre's verse on that isn't bad. Second of all,

I'm just like, I'm just like charmed by the song. I like the beat. It's really, if it had a different chorus, I think I could stomach it. It's just that the chorus is. It's so bad.

Yeah. All right, but we're not here to talk about our thoughts on Mamacita for another 20 minutes. We're here to talk about my favorite. segment. We love these

olds. Which is the moment when I come in and admit that I was an alive functioning human being. How old are you in 19, 98? For most of it I was 15. 15. This is one of this is like a monumental year for music. Yes. Let's go

into. It's a monumental year for me. I mean, I was 15 years old. What was happening? Kissing girls? I started smoking weed. I started kissing girls. I got way too into hip-hop. Was this the like the the moment where you're like it's my rest of my life is downhill i'm too into hip hop now we're just we're okay no so no i don't think if you mean like did i peek there as a downhill i really

fucking hope not but um the in terms of yeah like this is the year that for better or worse made and ruined my life and that like i just this is the year where my obsession with hip hop like really got locked in like 14 13 14 12 13 14 14 it started getting there but like 15 15 15 15 it started getting there but like 15 is when it's just really really Were you scaring the hose? What music were you playing? Yeah, I remember I remember going to a girl's house

in playing the Raucus, we got high and I put on the Raucus Records compilation, Lyrus' Lourn's Volume 1. It was a double cassette and I put that shit on and there's like Farrowmont songs. There's like KRS 1

and Zach De LaRocca. Are you a serial killer? What is wrong? I was 15. What is no any better? I was trying to open her third eye. Put on some Missy fucking Ellie. it, bro. Like, stop getting fancy.

I would, this was not fancy. But I, I, I, I, I, look, if I could do it again, I wouldn't have done that. But the fact that I did it made me who I am. So is that one of the CDs that's going in your CD-cheting? No, no, no. Let's let's, let's, let's back up and, uh, then talk about the year 1998 a little bit. This was kind of the, the height of the shiny suit era, 97-98. This was, you know, Puffy puts out that in the Mace record in around this time. I think 97 is when they both come out. But 98, they're still kind of ruling the world, right? So the four highest charting hip-hop singles of that year, one is Lauren Hill with Duop that thing.

The next three all involve Mace. It's been around the world, the Puff Daddy notorious BIG song. Yo, yo, this Mace, you know what I'm saying? You got niggas down like me for whatever reason. You got niggins that day. Then what you want, the Mace song with Total. Great song with that Curtis Mayfield sample. Then looking at me, that is an early Neptune single.

Why are you over there, staring at me? Oh, yeah. Why are you over there looking at me? Hit you with the ice grill, you know? Why are you right here? Because your boys in a bunch of. This is like, I love Mace. This is great.

But so three of the top four, and if I go down the list, you find more puffy related songs. But this is the height of that. But at the same time, you have the rise of DMX. He puts out two records in the same year. Puts out is dark and hell as hot. And flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood. He just kind of takes over. And he kind of feels like a response to all the Puff Daddy stuff, him becoming so big.

But Def Jam is also making a big comeback. DMX is, of course, on Def Jam. Jay-Z comes out, and this is the year that kind of solidifies Jay-Z as a real commercial presence, right? Because before this, he had reasonable doubt, which was a classic, but maybe not as big as some of the other records

that we think he was kind of peers with those people. Like, for example, he wasn't as big as, like, Nas as it was written that year. Then the next year, he releases Volume 1, which might have some of the best Jay-Z songs, but just wasn't the one that, made him like this world beater, like didn't put him at the moment top. Volume two comes out, and that's with Hard Knock Life.

And that's the one, that's what Money Cash Hoes, too. And that's the record where Jay-Z becomes Jay-Z. That's your, Money Cash Hose is the one for you. I like Hard-Nock Life a little more, that Annie sample. Yeah, that's good. Here's a thing. I think listening to Leris Lounge, we've pretty much established that Money Cash hose was not the one for me.

And the Annie sample was? Yeah, because of that bass that Mark the 45 King beat. I can't listen to that song anymore. I love that song, but we're putting on money cash hos. Anyways. The other records from that year, the big ones, Lauren Hill was a big one. But you also start to see, this is kind of the birth of cash money,

because this is when juveniles 400 degrees comes out. And this is when they step out. So this is really the start of a new South movement beyond outcast and Goody Mob, right? because you have no limit and then a few miles away, you have cash money, and you start to see the South really kind of move beyond this. Of course, like, you know, if we consider Houston the South, I know there's debate over what is the South. There's ghetto boys and UGK that have been around for a long time. I don't want, I don't mean to disparage them. But like in terms of Louisiana South,

like this is, this is that moment where that's really blowing up. This record, Aquamini comes out in September 1998. And this is a crazy day because it is one of the greatest release

days in hip hop history because Jay Z volume two comes out the same day. Black Star, the most deaf in Taliban,

the most deaf in Talib Kuali records comes out that same day. And the, to that point, final tribe

called Quest record, they ended up putting another one in 2016, but in 1998, this was their

swan song, the love movement, also comes out that day. There's also a pretty decent

brand new being record that came out that day, but that doesn't get mentioned as much. So when you say that Aquam and I was kept out of the top spot by Jay-Z, it was because they both came out on the same day on this crazy day. To that end, you know, I could sit here. I could talk about the importance of the five mics. I think like that was only like the six or seven. It was the first Southern rap record, as you said earlier before that. It was two tribe called Quest Records had gotten it, Nas with Illmatic, Notorious BIG with Life

after death, his second record. Brand new being had one. There was a handful in there, right? But this way, they were one of the early ones. And eventually this would become bastardized over the years. Little Kim would get one for a record that nobody remembers. There was some sketchy things at play there. But there was a point where getting five mics in the source was the stamp of this is an absolute classic.

Right? All of those records to that point were absolute classics upon release. So this was really special. I could sit here and talk about that, but I want to move on to the nominations in a second. So I will just do what I've done in all of these. And this is my last time doing this. But I will do what was in my dischanger.

I was just a year away from getting my license. What was your first car? My first car was a 1988 Mercury Cougar. And the engine blew up within six months. I sound like I was born in the 80s. Like my girlfriend is, I tell her like, my first job out of school, I made like 17 grand. And she's like, you can't say that.

You sound like you were born in the 1930s. But it's like, no, I wasn't born in the 1930s. I got a degree in journalism. Yeah. So I was a year away from getting my car, my first car, my driver's license. But theoretically, if I had a car at this point, this would have been in the dischanger. This is what I would have had. It would have been Gangstar Moment of Truth.

And do your thing with cassette you up and wet you up. Nigger peep the language It's universal You play with fire It may hurt you Or burn you Lessons of black Favorite record of that year

That would have been the one Big pun capital punishment Another MOP Another MOP record First Family for Life Great record That Black Star record Would have been there

I'm skipping right over The lyricist lounge We're gonna We're gonna rewrite history there a little bit, even though I just admitted that. Red Man Docs the name. You, blessed to still, step out, dress to kill. What up, Doc?

What the deal? Clock to Squill. The MCO. Kill of DUS 35 mil. Big Red Man fan in this era. He was my favorite of all the deaf jam guys. And then, finally, a group that really meant something to me. Pimp trick gangster clique.

No. Is this? All right. I'll cast a Quim and I would have been the last one. So, Novar. too hard knock life. Yeah. Yeah.

It just, it wasn't the one. No Lauren Hill. No Lauren Hill. Don't do that to me. No, 400 degrees. Yeah. No, it's dark and hell is hot

or flesh in my flesh, blood of my blood. I was a fucking backpacker. This is, I was a fucking backpacker. I love, within a couple years, I got really into 400 degrees

and it's dark and hell is hot. But. No cannabis can I bus. Okay. We will, we will have a conversation off air about cannabis in 1998, there was a point where it's like, this guy could have been the greatest

rapper who ever lived and then he released the record and it's like, oh boy, mistakes were made. I thought you would have been the biggest cannabis. I was in, before the record came out, I might have been the biggest cannabis fan on the planet. All right, we're moving on to nominations. See, this is the thing. Now, now you're, I am debasing myself so much. I know. Kevin, I'm going to leave it up to fate, whether you leave.

in on or not but if you love me you'll cut it no we're leaving the same if you love the show if you love the show you're keeping it in this if you love the show you're keeping it if you leave in the show if you love the show you're keeping it all right it's time to move on to the next segment of the show the nominations

and the Grammy goes to the love below outcast speaker box the love below outcast all right remember the goal of each episode of last song standing is for colin I to determine the single best song from an outcast album. The songs we select over the course of the season

will then duke it out in a season finale Royal Rumble where we'll be forced to agree on the last song standing, aka the greatest outcast song of all time. But right now, we're each nominating what songs from Aquim and I should be in contention. All right, should I go first? Yeah, you go first.

Because I'm going to pick a song where I don't think you're going to pick this one. But it's one of my favorites. I think it's one of the greatest beats of all time. I feel like I can run through a wall every single time. Um, I listen to it. Okay.

And like I said, this album to me is the culmination and the end of one version of Outcast. Oh, okay. I know where you're going. And I think that this song kind of points to where they're going. I'm going with the closing Chonky Fire. Green dungeon, dungeon kings. Do you know what green traps, mice, snakes about they whole, chonky-fire, spliced with rock and roll.

Coming out hot. Chonky fire. Here's the thing. I was debating, okay? I was debating whether I was going to like pick this. Right. But it's just, all right, the guitar riff on this is insane. Yeah.

And when I was reading, like when I was reading, just about like Chunky Fire, the album, it was so funny. The organized noise, people were like, yeah, they were getting really into guitars. We're getting really into that want, want, want thing. But it's like, it's. It works. It works. Andre's intro. Yo, skis-woski-woski, B-Ski-Wiski, what you want to do, skis. When he gets to the diggers get Jack, like Daniel, something I can't handle. It's like my, there's an electricity to this song.

It feels like, because Andre has, that's a great word. The electricity, this feels like Andre really coming into his own. Yes. And the way that the album builds to the moment. And I feel. like Andre's just, it's like, it's the last song, Andre, do whatever you want. Yes. And it's just like, and he just nails it. I mean, even the, even the chorus to me that do you know what bring rats,

my snakes about they whole Chuckie Foss plays with rock and roll. Indubitably. First, who even puts indubitably in a chorus? That's insane. But even that part is like, oh, this is what BOP is going to be. This is what gasoline

dreams is going to be. It's kind of pointing to what you said of like you can tell just by the way Andre's rapping it's like oh he's not contained anymore yeah um he's got the distortion on his voice and he has the distortion on his voice the you are now entering the fifth dimension our only intention is to take you high when i talk about statement of purpose not only for this record but like that's really where outcast was going we talked about it on the stanchonia episode two they are starting to see themselves outside of atlanta outside of their group and are becoming a world act

Chunky Fire sounds like a stadium record to me. It sounds so big and so huge and even thematically sampling the Source Awards and ending on that is such a beautiful like it kind of almost like I get misty-eyed I'm like oh they like

Andre that's his mom would be like I told you we did it like I finally it was mission accomplished you didn't believe it's on Southern Player you kind of started on ATLions and then finally we come with Chunky Chonky Fire and you guys are like... And the fact they saved it for this record

because they could have put it on AT aliens. Yes. And it would have probably worked, but there's something about it being here on Chonky Fire specifically, the song that sounded like nothing else at the time. It really does work. It's like the one skit on this album

that I feel like just really, really works. And yeah, it feels like... I love even the... The concept of the chorus is so weird. It's like this Pied Piper, like, play. What does it even Chonky Fire mean? do you know?

I was trying to look it up but like it's like Chonky fire to me I was just like you don't even need to like tell me what it means because I just kind of know yeah I can just understand

and I feel it even when we're talking about as much as Andre's coming into his own one of my favorite parts of the entire song is like when the beat kind of like drops out that big boy comes in and the piano

the piano melody like this and that's what I love about this song too is like it's so dynamic it has the guitar riff And then when the piano melody comes in, Big Boy's almost rapping harder. Like, he's like, all right, it's time to go.

This is one of my favorite Big Boy songs of all time. I got to ask you, Cole. Am I, like, I was on the fence about picking Chonky Fire, but I was just like every single time I kept going back and going back. I'm just like, there's something about this song that is so addictive to me. No, I was right, Guy was on the fence to pick. I'm glad he picked it because, I probably would have picked it if you didn't,

so I'm glad we're talking about it. When I looked at the Spotify streams for this album, this has one of the lowest stream totals, this song. I don't know if that's just because it's last, but I was so surprised. Listeners, let us know if you like this song because Justin, are you on the same page as being one of the stronger

songs? Yeah, it's on my short list of like five or six songs. And like, depending on the day, is my favorite song on this record. Oh, okay, okay. It's why, at the beginning, of the season when we were doing Stankonia, we were talking about gasoline dreams. Lesser Chonky Fire. Yeah.

I think it's kind of a lesser version of the song. I think this is, this is the one out of those two. I mean, I think it's interesting there's a thread between those two songs at least feels like. It almost feels like one's picking up where the other ends. Chonky fire though, God. Yeah, and this is like one of

the first times you really get the full contrast that would be, you know, pretty regular on Stankonia. And then, of course, speakerbox level below. But to your point, like when the Big Boy verse comes in, they kind of cater the beat

to his style, which they would have to do a lot more of specifically on Stangonia, where it's like, his voice is not going to cut through like Andres over that bigger beat. So they essentially play that synth riff that starts the song on piano.

So it just creates this incredibly dynamic moment, but also gives Big Boy a platform to have a really strong verse. And we get the contrast between his cleaner, more traditional tone with Andre's experimentation and distortion. And so you really get that, just that fusion of personalities where we weren't getting it to this level on ATLNs. And I mean, it might be the moment in terms of that, that aspect of that, that true fusion

between these two unique kind of individual identities, but still just somehow, somehow making each other better on the same track. because you give Andre the full keys to the song and I think maybe it goes maybe a touch too far. Yeah. But bringing it down for Big Boy, creating that contrast, it's like,

it's pretty credible how dynamic the song is. And I just love how succinct, Andre's first versus. Like, I, once again, when we're talking about like getting chills from a song when he does that,

yo, this is my story, this is my song. It's at a booty poofs, trying to set this at home. It's every single time he starts going, I'm like, oh my God. Yeah.

Ashtra is the best rapper's ever. And it's funny how much of this album is about them talking about themselves and their music being, like they're pushing against something. Yes. Always constantly, throughout their whole discography. Maybe not so much on stankonia

because they kind of, you know, the arrival, the kind of more ubiquitous arrival occurs on Equimini. And so they don't have much to prove after that. But it's so, it's funny, a lot of the songs, a lot of the singles even like Rosa Parks is about them pushing the envelope. It's talking about them being kind of like trying to, we hear them in real time carving out that lane and how much of their

mentalities at the time had to be almost for like survival pushing against the grain. And we'll probably talk about this more, but it might be a good moment here. Like what I love about this album is Big Boys loyalty to Andre during this time. something really special about him. Like, you know, you mentioned they had conversations about, hey, is this too far? But it feels like if Andre pushed back, Big Boy was like, you know, hands in the air, do your thing. Yeah.

And kind of being the voice of reason, but if Andre, like, just allowing Andre to blossom in this way, I think is really special. And it comes on here where this song, you give this to a lot of guys. And I think maybe they can't find their footing on it or they think it's weird or the guitar's too much. and like big boy let a lot of this stuff ride to his credit. And it's like something really special about that chemistry on this album and him being so loyal to Andre during this time and this era, which, you know,

he's getting a lot of pushback for. I mean, even how he, Andre, ends the verse, like there's this pride that like I feel for him when he does the overcast, but on behalf of Outcast, I cordially invite you to an emotion-filled theater, bring your umbrellas with a young fella, it gets in a weirder.

It's like a finally they're not apologizing anymore. Finally, it's Andre being like this is just, this is, like he, you can tell him and Big Boy are like, we know this song is weird. We know this. Because like, here's the thing. The song just keeps going on. And they keep just doing the hook. And I'm like, okay, we're off to the races. And I just love the fact that both of them are like, fuck it.

We are outcast. This is who we are. No more apologizing. By the time we get to stanko in the other one. Yeah, fine. You got chalky fire. was crazy. Have y'all heard this song called B-O-B? So yeah, man, I love this song. What's your first song? Okay. Because I know what we're going to share one. Okay. Let me go with one maybe you didn't pick.

I don't know. It's hard to, it's hard to know what you did. I'm going to go with what might be my favorite song on the album, which is self-titled Aquamanai. Twice upon a time there was a boy who died and lived happily ever after but that's another chapter live from home of the braid with 30 dollars beauty parlors baby ballers bowling balling parlors

street scholars majoring and cold damn it this was the song that I knew both of us were gonna do. Oh okay you picked it I think we could we could spend a long time

this is the this is the song I have the most to say about you have the most to say about it. You have the most okay so why did you pick this song? It feels like it feels like the perfect summation

of outcast specifically on ATLians. I feel like it's like elevators and that more subdued, down tempo feel, atmospheric, but I almost feel like it executes it better than elevators. Sonically, it just really works for me

in terms of just the atmosphere created. The structure of it is fucking really cool, which we can talk about a little bit more. It's not a beat production-wise that's going to, like, hit you over the head with like, it's not a B-O-B. in that way. But when you really listen, especially with headphones on, there's

so many little details in the production that are just really unique. There's like one of those rain sticks on there. There's a lot of just really atmospheric things going on. And then the rapping is just insane on this song, particularly the second half.

I think I could make the case that this has probably the best rapping of the career. The second half, I think. I'm talking about the second half where I'm just like, this is, every time I go back to it, it's my, I think it might be my favorite, Andre, or something.

It's my, it might be my, it's definitely up there in terms of the back to back, because they come in, they don't, on the second verse, they go, they don't put the hook in between them. So it's like, it's big boy, then Andre back to back. And they both come in just, so let's talk about the structure, because I think that's a big part of it. Essentially, they create a full song with two hooks, two verses, and then they do some fade out stuff where it's like,

feels like the song's going to end. Yeah. And then they punch in with the beat again. And for the first time, it's probably my favorite moment on the entire album. We got to play it here. Is when they punch back in,

they introduce the horns for this first time. The name is Big Boy, Daddy Fat Sacks, the nigga that like them Cad Lacks. I stay down with these streets because these streets is where my folks at. Better know that. And it's not even a big horn line. It's just like one little pop of the horns.

And it just kind of accelerates thing again. And the boom! Yeah. And then Big Boy. jumps right in with and it and he out does his first verse and it comes in with that the name is big boy dead fat sacks i stayed down my streets because the streets is where my folks are i'm like oh okay let's go and then okay so here's what's really cool about that verse so both of the second verses for both of them they essentially use one rhyme cadence the entire verse so big boys is fat stacks

catalanx folks that know that pro black but then we get to he pivots for a second, he says, but we professional. And then the next line, he says, we missed a lot of church, so the music is our confessional. So you think he's pivoted away. But then in my favorite line of the entire song, maybe, he says, get off the testicles and the nut sacks. And he combines both of the rhyme cadences. So testicles rhymes with professional, confessional, and nut sacks, fat sacks, catalanx. So that line hits every time just because it's kind of silly, like get off the testicles and nut sacks, but like in terms of the rhyme, he's bringing it all together as if to give you the literal testicle and nut sack. But then he goes and then he goes through,

bust back, get back, spitfax. So sticks with that same rhyme cadence. And then Andre comes in doing the same thing, essentially the same rhyme cadence for the entire verse, but just kind of like. Because it's basically, because I love both of these verses back to back, because to your point, They're basically doing an exercise in extended rhyme and internal rhyme. But Andre goes insane because he basically, once he gets to Ben's, I think if I'm not wrong, I counted 21 words that he rhymes with Ben's. Okay. Yeah. Or at least Force rhymes it.

Win 10, Twin Ben, Lines, Den, skin, men, comprehend, extend friends, sin, depend in MC Wren, Alien, Blenkin again, then when the men's. And on in. On in. So that's like crazy. It's because here's the thing. I think what when I go back, it's so fluid. Yeah. But the thing I think that people may not like pick up unless you're like reading it is that he basically has to either drop the D or has to basically force stuff like comprehend, extend friend.

Right. To rhyme with skin and men and like and lions den. That is not easy, especially if you're enunciating, and he never just loses it. It is constant. And he's accenting one of those. And the delivery, he's accenting every one of those. So you really feel like every time he hits it, and the rhyme will fall on different parts of the beat. And so every time he's accenting that particular syllable, sometimes it's on beat, sometimes it's off.

And so you get this really cool flow pattern that, again, we talked about this a lot this season, where it's like, they're just so unpredictable in their, cadences. Like, you'll never be able to predict where the rhyme is in an outcast verse. It's, like, impossible because they're always switching, always accenting weird parts and kind of having this organic flow to it. But that moment when he jumps, like, because he kind of even overlaps with the big boy's last line. Because he says, because Equamini is Aquarius and Gemini running shit. And he just comes in full force. My mind warps and bends close to win. Count to 10 meet the twin. Andre Ben, welcome to the lion's den. A red jet.

no skin, many men comprehend. I extend myself, so you go out and tell a friend. Sin all depends on what you believe in. Faith is what you make it. That's the hardest hits if MC Wren. When he just knows my mom, what's the man. Yes, so sick. Meet the twin.

Adjurban. Welcome to the Lions Day. And then I love to your point how he changes. Like he's changing the flow to match the beat. So like when he does that, I extend myself so you go out tell a friend or when he hits the, that's the harder shit as he ran. Like he's not doing the like. Like Eminem lyrical miracle shit where it's just like, oh, I'm going to show you how many words I can rhyme together.

It is like, oh, no, every, I'm hitting these pockets in different ways. The flows are changing. It's, this was the moment where it's like, I like a Kemeni, but it is a journey where once you get to the second half, it just speeds up and never stops. Right. Yeah, this is. And the tempo of the song, right? It's slow. You have to rapping like this, which is just like, I mean, they, they,

learned how to do it with ATLians, but again, this feels like a kind of crystallization in the pinnacle of that style. And it's a live band, which is insane. Yeah. You're like, to snare drum on this thing is incredible. And so however, they mixed it because it was a live drummer. It's just so good.

Are we, so also, as much as we're talking about the second half, I do feel like there are like moments in the first half where it's like, you know, just the internal live, live from the home of the brain. with the dirty dollars, beauty paulas, like that part, even thematically

when Andre starts questioning kind of his conscious image. Like one of my favorite bars from this is is every nigga with dreads for the cause. Yeah, is every nigga with the goals for the fall. Because you are, at this point,

he even talked about it. This is from a creative loaf thing interview about the entire album. Andre said, when you rap and say anything kind of conscious, all the conscious people approach you. So after ATELEs, I got it all from books on

sex to metaphysics and religion, but you also get introduced to a lot of fake, phony-ass people, and I address it in the song. You find some of the fakes people with dreads pouring oils on you. And it's really kind of mind-blowing. When you're a young person, you start to find out some of this is bullshit. So then you're just out there searching. Yeah. It's so interesting that even, like, they're in their mid-20s at this point. And already between ATLEs and Equimita, he's like, damn, these conscious motherfuckers are on our nuts. Yeah. So, and I mean, we've got to talk about the chorus. The course is, the is so good. And he does that kind of alien voice. And like to what we said earlier, like the partnership.

Like if we're, you know, because we're doing this album at the end of the season, I'm kind of stacking my choices against everything that we've picked so far. I'm just like, man, symbolically, this is such a good, this song for me is like 100% in contention. Because like we said, the rapping's there, productions there, but then just even the concept of it where they're really just talking about them, being partners. We get that kind of existential thread with nothing is for sure, nothing is for certain, but like here's what I know.

It's him and I, it's a quim and I forever, which is so beautiful. Kind of like this podcast, you know? Hell yeah. I mean, even the sun goes down, Cole. Heroes eventually die. Horoscopes often lie. And sometimes why?

I like that it leaves the possibility for horoscopes sometimes coming true. Yeah. I like this because he's like, with a quemina, you like, damn, these two motherfuckers really like horoscopes. and like, actually, we're pretty, you know,

we are pretty discerning with our horoscopes. We're not just believing any bullshit. Yeah. Oh, dog, Equeminide is such a fucking good song. Now, I will, so I have to ask this. We have to push back. You were saying that Chonky Fire, obviously is not the most listened to song,

even though I love it. Equamonite to me is also an interesting case where it's like, obviously, if you talk to an outcast fan, they're just like, this has some of their best rapping of all time. Right. But when you're going and you're picking the big outcast, cast songs, I don't know how many people immediately pull Equimini off the shelf.

Yeah, because it wasn't a single. I mean, it wouldn't really work as a single. It's the top three, honestly, top two. So I'm going to sit down. Yeah, it might be my, I mean, I think it's probably my personal favorite. But yeah, it's not, and we've definitely got some people saying online, like, this is their song.

So I know it has, like, a cult following, for sure. And it's like 39 million streams on Spotify. So it's up there in the top, maybe five. most stream songs. My take on when the streams on Spotify, unless it's,

you know, like a song that kind of became like, that just kind of took on a life of his own in the streaming age, right? When you look back

at these old albums, if it wasn't the single, doesn't really tell you a... I don't think it really tells you the full story, but so if you see a song that wasn't a single that has 40 million streams

when most of the other album, right, most of the rest of the album has less than 10 million streams. It's like, okay, that's actually like, that actually works

in his favor. Like Rosa Parks, it was a big single at the time. Yeah. So it's going to have a lot of streams. It's going to make it on playlist. It's going to make it on like playlist for like the girl that I was playing the lyricist lounge tape for who didn't want to hear that.

But like wanted to, you know what I mean? She might be putting on a playlist still. But she might not be putting a Quimini on there. But it's also one of those songs like if someone points it out to you and is like, no, sit down and listen to the song. It's great. I feel like it's undeniable. I also think the beat, to your point,

even though it's not hitting you over the head, to me, this is like a foundational hip-hop beat. Like, when I hear it, like, I don't even need to hear them rapping. I'm just like, oh, no, this is just like a part of the tapestry of music. That's how actually good the beat is, even though it's not as, it's not in your face like a Rosa Parks or Chomky Fire. It's like you almost have to like slip into it. Exactly.

And get into a trans. That's, you know, it reminds me a Spodiotean in that way where it's like, they just found this groove. You can tell they found it live and they just sunk into it. They created a variation in it where it's like interesting, but also doesn't ever take you out of the groove ever. And then again, we got to like emphasize that middle horn coming in,

beat restarting and then rapping even better on the second half. It's just like, that's my favorite part of the album. It's such a great musical moment. And they just deliver. So this isn't, Top contention for me. So before we go to your next pick, you know, because we both agree on Aquam and I.

Okay. There's one song I want to talk to you. I'm not going to pick it. I don't think you're going to pick it. Okay. And it's breaking my heart. Spoti Odie is my favorite beat off this record. And I just couldn't pick.

I was just like, there's no way. I like, I like this record. Okay, let me just say this. I'm going to nominate it. It's just my interpretation. of a situation Yeah, I started out like you Where I was like,

damn, this is a great song But can it be in contention Because they're not rapping on it It's spoken word Smoking word, yeah Smoking word Big boy in like every interview He's like, it's not spoken word,

it's smoking word. He thinks that that is a way cool I'm going to say that he does. That's me at 15. All right, so, all right, because here's the thing I was, it was in contention for me. I'm like,

we have to pick, Odie, Odie, we have to. And I'm like, but it cannot go up against other outcast songs. If it, there's not the, that does hold it back. It does. In theory, yes. And so I started out like you, it was on the, it was on my short list, of course, but then it kind of, I just assumed it's going to be towards the bottom until I kept listening, until I kept thinking about it. Like, this has to be at least in contention as a nominee, official nomination, because it is kind of like an outcast. in their discography in terms of like there's no other song kind of quite like it and i think that's

why it's worth nominating because we're talking about experimentation we're talking about variation we're talking about you know the chemistry i mean i think it shows even though they're not rapping on it they could have wrapped on it and they decided not to which i feel like is like kind of an important thing to point out because everything like my first note on my note sheet is why does this song work with a million question marks because this song should not work. But it does.

I love this song. Because they made the exact right decisions with this beat. They never take you out of the vibe. They understood like the vibe of it was the most important part. And I don't think you can rap on it

without taking you out of the groove that it sinks you into and the world they're building. And so the constraint they showed of like not feeling the need to rap, both coming in with verses, quote, unquote that are spoken, but emphasize the storytelling and playing off like going to this

club together with the fucking iconic horn line, which is essentially the chorus of this song, it's just like every single element they chose to put on this thing works. And I feel like if any of the sections don't work, the song kind of falls apart, yet they nail it every single time. Like every section just hits it on its head. And if we're talking about outcast as rappers, that's one thing, but they're equally producers. And this song, maybe more than most of their songs, shows them as true producers. The keyboard, like maybe not that element so much

where they're playing the actual instruments, but it's them as like the Kanye-esque producer of like, let me grab this guy, let me grab this guy, Sleepy, you're going to do this. I want you to play this on guitar. Like, don't leave that groove or the drummer at the end. Take us away. Like all the more like musical decisions that I'm assuming they made,

they just nail it perfectly where, yeah, again, it shouldn't, it feels like it shouldn't work and it does. I mean, even like, I love Andre's part when he goes to as the plot dickens. He gives me the dickens. And he's like talking about this discotheque. And he's telling you this story. You're like, all right, where is the story go? And when he gets to the climax, he's like,

and one nigga took his shirt off. talk about that who else want to fuck with Hollywood court. I'm like, let's go. I'm like, this is music. Like, I could not agree with you more. This was something where it was like, if nobody picked it, I was going to be like, all right, we just have to, like, we have to talk about it. Yeah.

Talk about Spodi-O-D. To your point about when them making the right decision not to rap over this, one of my biggest pet peeves is when musicians sample this, because I'm always like, you didn't have anything to this like every single time I'm like I hear the the horn sampled on the song I'm just like oh it's what I'm and then somebody starts around I was like yeah only I think Beyonce did it right though

on lemonade I think it works within the context of the album I think it works I never go back to that I would rather listen to Spodioti than listen Oh yeah okay you know what I'm saying? Of course yeah Are you a Spottioti fan? Yeah I am so back in 2020 the ringer ranked the best outcast songs of all time Don't tell, I've been not looking at that list, so don't tell me too much about it.

I'm not going to tell you what's number one, but I'm going to tell you that Spodioti ranked very high. I was having a conversation with a friend before that list came out, and he was like, I think Spodioti might be the number one. And the thing that I struggle with getting there was, does this show off everything they can do? Yeah. And I think more for a number one. and like, you know, as I guide you guys into making the right decision that won't get you guys yelled at, like I got yelled at, not for the number one, but for other decisions on that list. I really struggle with, does this show off the full breadth of the outcast experience?

Like, is this a song that you would show the aliens if they came down? They're like, all right, this, this Andre guy's been sending us messages, like, let's see everybody's all about. I'll just say, though, too, like, but it might. I'm not saying it definitely doesn't. Well, that's the, like, I think that's more of a flaw of this exercise. more it is the flaw of the song, right? Like, of course this is not, this song is not going to slot perfectly

into this exercise, but even to have the conversation that it's a top five, you know, you can have to easily have that conversation is like something. Because this is an eight-minute song that, again, doesn't have rapping.

It's really weird. I can't think of another song that sounds, like there are songs that sound like it, but not execute it in the way that they chose to structure it. And the horns, We just got it like, who thinks to put this kind of horns on this song? It's like, doesn't make sense, but it works so fucking well.

Those horns are so good. This is a great pick. I'm glad you picked it. If no one else picked it, I was just like, we have to. nomination-wise. And also there's like great quotables, too. Like, Big Boy, when he says cloudy piss. I'm trying to laugh outside.

I even like the sleepy brown. Dick, it shows lick it's clean. Lean and check it out the scene. I'm like, hell yeah. Because he, like, laid out. He lays out, like, them kind of thinking about what to do, and then they take over the story. Like, it's structured really cool. And also, you remember, you mentioned the Charles Dickens thing.

I just have to point out the cleverness of that opening line. He says, as the plot thickens, it gives me the Dickens reminisce of Charles. So obviously it's a Charles Dickens reference, and it's, the song is all about storytelling, so he's setting that up. But also the club that they're talking about was called Charles Disco in Atlanta. So it works as a literal introduction to the actual club they're talking about they used to go to as teenagers. So pretty cool there. So for nominations, round one, I had Chonky Fire.

Yep. You had a-Quem-and-I. I also had a Quem-N-I. So that was your round two. And you had Spotioti. Right. Let's go to the ad break. When we get back, we're going to get contentious because we only have one song each left.

God damn. How is that even possible at this point? It's, all right, so stay tuned because we're already sweating. All right, we're back. Round three now, Cole, I'm going to walk you through some hot takes right now. To basically walk you through the songs that I did not pick and why. Okay. I like skewed on the Barbie a lot.

I love that song. Rayquan's verse does nothing for me. I skip it every time. I don't like Rayquan's verse. I like Rayquan as a rapper. I don't, I don't know if. Justice is probably going to strangle me. I don't know if Rayquan fits on this song.

I mean, I think he fits on this song. I don't think this is like the best verse of Rayquan's career or anything. When you texted that you had a hot Rayquan take, I was like, I was fuming for a week. I thought you were going to come in and be like, only built for Cuban links is garbage. I'm like, I'm like. I'm like, Ray.

I'm like, oh, I would, he said that a week ago, everyone listening. He said a week ago, I have a hot Ray Quantique. And I'm like, I'm like, I'm, I'm going to be so mad. I can live with this. You can live? All right,

I thought you were going to like choke. I don't, I don't, I don't, like, I think he works on the song. I don't think he's the best, I don't think this is his best verse ever. I think that I like this song a lot. It's not something that was on my short list like this needs to, this is going to use the coaches challenge for. I can live with this take. Second hot take.

I don't know if this is that hot of a take. These, both of these songs are both in contention. I was going to try to do some cheating where I was like, I can, have the artist storytelling part one and two as one song but i was like no i can't these are not the same song i also think part two is better than part one and the reason that i couldn't pick part one because like that would like part one was on my list for a while and then i checked out the slick rick singles version and it is one of the worst it's like it's crazy it's crazy it's like just one of the most was like, this is bad.

And it made me look at the song a little bit differently. It makes Big Boys verse feel worse. It makes Big Boys verse is a little on the fence, I feel like. And Andres is one of the best of his career. Yes. And I was just like, I was like, can I pick this song? Like, take Slick out of it. I was like, I want to pick this song just because, and if neither of us, we're going to talk about it.

I might pick it. It's on my short list. Andre's verse on this is just like has some of just the best. lines and just lyrics to me is just someone who likes just art. With all of that being said, I'm going to do the most Charles thing possible. Fucking Rosa Parks. I feel like you have to. Neither of you are going to do it. Yeah, that's true. And I was like, I'm not going to pick Rosa Parks. I'm not going to pick Rosa Parks. Didda-da-da. It's

going to be to art of storytelling part one. What the fuck is Rosa Parks. I was in the car today. I'm like on the fence about the shit. And this Hulk is insane this is also if I have like a

if I have like a top five ranking of Andre versus Ameta Gypsy Gensi hit me to some live game to stimulate that neck of the level It's so weird

but it works but it's so it's so weird it's all over the place it has that like it has that tidbit that I've never been able, like that has never been fact-checked, is he basically sending subliminals at a tribe-call

quest? Took a shower, kind of sour, because my favorite group of coming with it, but I'm because you probably going through it anyway. But anyhow, when in doubt, the reason why I like if it's a tribe-call quest is you have obviously one of the most influential rap groups of all time, one of the most influential musicians at a kind of end of their career. You have outcasts with Rosa Parks, where they've been, they've been real. Like, this is some of the, this is one of their first huge hits, one of the first time they, this was the crossover one. This was

the crossover. They've talked in interviews like this was one of the first times we saw ourselves in rotation on MTV all the time. And it's so funny that if Andre was really disappointed in a Tribe Call Quest, it's only a few years later that

Big Boy and Andre are in the same boat. Right. Where it's like now they're at the tail end of their monumental career as a hip hop, duo as a hip hop group. Yeah. And it's kind of going off the rails. And it's so funny that like Rosa,

I always think of like hip hop, but especially like Atlanta music as kind of like a Phoenix where it's just like you burn bright, you burn hot, and then it's rebirth. Somebody is going to come to take your spot. It's already starting to happen as

Justin kind of alluded with the rise of cash money, with the rise of no limit. And Rosa Parks is this moment where it's like, oh, you don't get any of the other hits. You don't get Ms. Jackson without Rosa Parks. You don't get B.O. You don't get any of those.

Now, I will talk about this song more, but I want to ask you guys both. The reason I was struggling with picking Rosa Parks over to art of storytelling, is Rosa Parks their best single? Because I feel like they would go on to have better singles, but I like Rosa Parks because I'm just like,

oh, this is the first time y'all really went to that. pop writing level. Yeah. I would say if you're putting on, you know, the singles on a board, it would probably be towards the bottom as a single. I think they have better singles. But I don't want to discredit too much. It was one of those songs where, like, we talked about this before.

It looms so large. We know it, like, when you listen to it, you're not actually really listening to it because you've heard it so many times. But then when you actually listen to it and think about it, It actually, it's pretty innovative in its own way where the production's kind of wild. Even though it does, like, you hear it as accessible, it's pretty experimental with like all the sounds and styles are combining. There's fucking harmonica breakdown. The harmonica breakdown shouldn't work.

It should be the cornyest choice. And they're stomping their boots and hollering and shit. And it's like, it works though. And even like, I know I immediately jumped to Andre's verse, but big boy how he comes in. Many a day has passed. That night has gone by, but still I find that time to put that bubble up in your eye. It's just, oh, man, big boy.

Like, big boy put his foot in the chorus. He put his foot through the chorus. It is one of the most infectious. We're not going to go into the lawsuit shit. But also, it's funny that their first hit, the thing that kind of, like, puts them on the map as, like, a popular music group in the American consciousness, just outside of rap, also becomes this, like,

contentious, like this contentious legal battle that follows them for years after it. So it's just like this, I felt like if we didn't nominate Rosa Parks, I think we would be doing a disservice to the exercise because you can't really understand the second phase of outcast career without being like, okay, Rosa Parks is, I think is actually the moment where they're like, oh, like, we could be pop stars. Like, we could be bigger. There's, yeah, there's like, there's so many, like, in my mind, I think about it, like, Neo and the Matrix moments where he, like, he's figure out his powers. Yeah. There's so many moments on the album, like, a Chonky Fire is a moment like that where it's like, we can put guitar on a song and make it work.

Rosa Parks, like, we can go weird yet still be accessible and make this pop hit. We can put harmonicas. Like, we can do all these things. And maybe it goes a little too far on Stankonia at moments, but I do feel like they're getting that confidence of, like, if we have an idea, like, we can do. it and they have that kind of just that that that swag about them Rosa like you have to okay I have to ask you which which specific line do you think that think got them sued by Rosa Parks was it a bulldog and hoes like them Georgetown Hoyas or B great or doing do it do or doing donuts around you suckas like them circles around titties that's my favorite line from the

entire time like like every single time Bye, right. Doing donuts, on you suckers like the suckers around on titties. Damn, we're the committee. Go on burning it down. But buss it. You're going to go out with that guys now.

Well, and we should just say, like, for the record, it doesn't seem like Rosa Parks was the one that had an issue with it. It seemed like her family has said, in retrospect, that the team of legal people around them when she was getting older seemed like they were using her name to get money for self-reasons. Yeah, they both, Andre and Big Boy have been very on record that, like, even members of the family. me, I'd kind of reach out to them and be like, hey, this is like our bad.

Like, this wasn't us. Yeah, yeah. Doesn't sour the song for me. I will say, to your point, it has the Miss Jackson quality to it or like the B-O-B quality. Well, I've, like, I've listened to this song so much. It's just like a pretty, yeah, we take for granted that it is a pretty innovative single. The breakdown is insane. Like, it's just the, like, to your point, it's like this down home, almost country-esque get-down.

which makes sense but really doesn't in a vacuum you're just like how did they how did they get to this? I know it's crazy who would it yeah

well it was actually Andre's stepdad that played the harmonica on there also the outro is really cool if you pay attention to it because they layer like that female voice the uh huh baby

and then big boy does the hook and this like deep voice they like strip some of layers off of it and then Andre's doing that Gaka laca laca likea likea like these three parts and then there's just goes There's a guitar solo and record scratching on it.

It's like all three of these layers don't feel like they would work in a vacuum. Yet again, they somehow put them all together. Before I start talking about this, this is one that I saved for you for Spodeodeozylicious. Oh, okay. Do you know the group that was, this is another sliding doors moment. Do you know the group that was originally supposed to? Yeah, Diddy's Total. Total.

If Total gets the beat for Rosa Parks, our. we even having a season about Outcast God, season 38 is going to be on Total. This is no shots at Total. I just was like, shout out Total. I was just like, damn, can you imagine if they didn't keep this beat? I'm trying to think of what that would even even sounded like. I think they rejected it, but it's one of those things where it's like,

I can see them getting the beat and be like, what the fuck are we supposed to do with this? Like, they don't have the imagination to do what they did. I like a lot of Total songs. We referenced a Mace song earlier that Total is on. That's great. Yes, I agree. I don't I cannot picture what that would sound like. Andre made the beat, which is, this is so Andre.

And then I, before we move on, Andre's verse, like I said, is really weird, but if it's sneakily really technical, like specifically when he starts with took a shower, kind of sour. So watch all the times he pivots in these like, like

seven lines. Took a shower kind of sour internal rhyme there because my favorite group ain't coming with it so he pivots but i'm with you and then he pivots again going through it anyway but anyhow when in doubt pivots again or no in and doubt went on out bought it thought it jamming examine floskey wasky awfully costly all she wrote like he's pivoting rhyme schemes like left and right within the bar and just doing what he does like that herky jerky doesn't make sense but works type it's just like again his verse shouldn't work but it does the song shouldn't work but it does i think it's a great pick i'm glad you picked it i probably wasn't going to pick it myself but it's a it's a phenomenal song what are you

can i guess what song you're going with well i don't i mean at this point i wasn't sure what you're going to pick so i was going to audible my last pick for sure i my short list is this though it's return of the g skewed on the bar which I won't probably pick, but I love that song, and it's the perfect tempo, like I talked about a couple episodes. It's that tempo where it's slightly upbeat, and so that double time rhyming is so sick, and especially Andre's opening two lines are so good on that verse. But then it's also artist storytelling one or two, which I went into it thinking that I like two better, but then I, number one, the production on number one is just so classic and good. I think you've got to

go a part one because I think it's it's this is a foundational Andre's verse is like a foundational verse in him up we got to give love to distort to number two though oh two is I rather make the case for number two before I officially nominate number one I think the artist storytelling part two probably isn't as like technically wow oh my gosh they're telling these but like the distortion, the apocalyptic feel of it. I think that if you look at the cover, if you look at what like outcasts would go on to do, they're always kind of thinking about like the end of the world, the end of civilization,

how are we going to like progress all this stuff. And this is definitely a song and they've even said it in interviews where they were thinking of when they hear this beat and how big and crunchy it is, they're just like, we are making a song about apocalypse, about all that shit. And it's just, I keep going back to opening lines with the Andre. Baby, did you hear that? Yeah, baby. Yeah, I heard it too.

It's just, it's like a chunky fire thing. It punches you in the gut. And after the artist storytelling part one, that's a little bit more laid back. It's a little bit subdued. Yeah. Giving you just the like, the complete opposite of it. Yeah. It's just, I don't know, man.

And the beat's really weird too because it starts with like the soft piano. So that gives you the kind of like ominous undertone or like the... But then they throw like the aggressive drums on there, the aggressive distortion. And so it's like this really cool contrast. So I, yeah, I... But let me officially nominate storytelling part one as my last nomination. Somebody hit me the other day for a rendezvous. Was it the bitch that fuck the good and the dungeon crew?

Let's say her name of Susie screw because she screwed a lot. Making a nigga hit that chunk and legitimate spots. This is just classic. Like, you hear that opening little keyboard riff. Yeah. The drum, the shuffle drums come in, and it's just off to the races. Just super unique concept, you know, it's like, essentially, it's kind of funny when you hear Andre's verse within this context. But essentially, the concept is like they're driving around and they're Cadillac telling stories about girls.

And so, of course, we're going to get two different takes. We get Big Boys take, which let's hold off on that conversation, because I want to ask you guys, if the concept, his concept has aged well or not, I can't tell, it's like right on the fence for me. And then we get one of Andre's best verse telling this story about drug addict that he used to know or someone that turned to drug addict that he used to know and she dies.

And it's just, you know, really kind of a sad story, which is like kind of a buzzkill when you understand like the context of these guys, drive it around in the catalog. I mean, it is funny that Andre starts his verse. He's like, now his crew had a potter name Sasha. And I'm just like, and then he goes into the most devastating verse ever. And I was like, all right, man.

Because I will say the line that almost made me pick this is the, I said what you want to be. She said alive. It's like, it's so sad, but it also makes me laugh every single time. It makes you laugh. Well, because now having done the research, him being like, yeah, that's a true story. Erica Badu had a best friend and her daughter was in school and the teacher asked

what do you want to be when you grow? She's like alive and he's like I always remember that that story and I put it in the song and I'm just like it's so funny that I'm just like it doesn't come off that way in the song Andre it doesn't have that same cuteness factor to it but that passage is great

in terms of like storytelling because he says we're on her back staring at the stars above talking about what we're going to be when we grow up he said i said what do you want to be she said alive and made me think for a minute then i looked in her eyes i could have died time went on i got grown so he just like pivots time wise to like being young and to being old rhyme got strong mine got blown i came back to find little sasha was gone so it's like within just like what four four or five lines he pivots from setting up the

story time travels to then something happened to sasha So just like in terms of the narrative he creates, it's like really good. Okay, so let's just talk about Big Boys verse. Is it, am I wrong to think that it kind of aged little weirdly? Is it problematic at all or no? Am I looking too much into it? When I'm listening to this song because the beat is such a classic, I never really honed into Big Boys verse until I'm like, all right, well, I'm going to read the lyrics.

And then when I listen to the single version with Slick Rick, those are the two moments when I was reading the lyrics. listening to Slick's ricks versus I was just like oh big boys yeah I'm like oh yeah that is what the song is about because you forget because once Andre comes in you're just like oh this song is about like this this woman who he knew in school who died and it's like big boys first somebody hit me the other day for a rendezvous was it the bitch that fuck the goody and the dungeon crew and then it gets all right this might be a hot dick too I'm not a fan of sleepy brown course it's okay. I don't know if that's the hottest take.

It works, but it's not... It's not stellar. Yeah, compared to, like, a lot of their other courses, it doesn't rank that high, that's for sure. Are we being too hard? Are we looking too closely as the thing? On this song, Justin. Because it's a classic and it is beloved.

Yeah. Yeah, I don't, I can't say that you're looking too hard. I thought that's going through my mind. going in a completely different direction of was this the absolute apex of Little Will's career. A little Will poster. Thanks for the blowjob. Here's a little Will poster. I mean, look, the next album, Big Boy has a solo song on it

and it's we love these hosts, right? These are two fundamentally different guys. And you're seeing that play out in real time over a song that is, you know, basically, Like, we're going to write a story rap in like 16 bars, and this is what they each went and came back with. Right. In terms of the chorus, yeah, I mean, I never like the idea of, okay, one thing I don't like about this song is when you start to break down the title a little bit. And it's just, we're going to do storytelling raps.

Like, instead of just telling the stories. Yeah. And I just, now I'm picking holes in something that realistically could have been or could still be my co-opening. challenge. So maybe I'm even talking myself out of that. It was on my short list too. Here's the thing. It was on all of our shortlist. I love this song. When it's on the record, I'm like, this is a dope

song. But in this exercise, there was a level of them just like, this is the perfect example of a rap song that is a classic that as we move away from when it's released, we're just like, oh, this is a classic kind of with an asterisk. And that asterisk is, if you look too closely

and you read the lyrics and you concentrate too much, it'd be like, ew, a little. Yeah, yeah. Especially within the context of everything else, Big Boy, has, you know, and then the killer was the Slick Rick. I wish I'd never. I wish.

I only found that verse because it's on the video version, and I watched the video for the song. I'm the best, one of the best, another sliding door is that they leave Slick Rick's version of the verse on this album, which I don't know. I think that is, there were a lot of moments. That'd be a stain for sure. Yeah, Slick Rick. No, he doesn't need to be anywhere near this.

I like Slickrick. He's a legend, but guys. Yeah, but I went through the same experience. It was like high on my list and then in the exercise, it kind of fell apart under scrutiny. And that's no knock on the song, really, but it's just like we're looking very hard at this point, especially because we're doing this album last. And we know that this has to go up against Miss Jackson, be elevators. Like, I'm not sure it can hold its weight, just having the fundamental flaw.

Because the concept is just, I think this is where the contrast between Big Boy and Andre actually doesn't work. I mean, the rapping, they sound great. But when you're looking closely, conceptually, it's like, oh, this is a very distinct difference between how these guys are approaching a concept. But I also think that this song is stronger than Return of the G and skew it on the bar.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Like, it's like, I, I, like, we have to. We're being critical, but this is a fucking awesome song. Oh, it's in the top, like, five of this album. Like, it's a fantastic song. It's just like... And the production is... Oh.

Unassailably clout. Like, just such a good... Didn't, like, didn't Jake Cole wrap over this on the... Yes. Yeah. What, I forget... What song... I don't know.

We're not doing... Yeah, we'd love to do a Jay Cole. See this... But we would get run off the internet. But Mr. DJ fucking killed this. All right, so my first pick was Chonky Fire. Then we both agree. on Aquaman I.

Then you came back with Spodioti Dopolicious. Then I had Rosa Parks. You had the art of storytelling part one. All right. What do we not talk about that deserves a little love on this?

You know what? This is another hot take. Oh, no. Like Slump, Slump is a good song. Yeah. Yep. That's a great album cut.

Great album cut. I was like, I can't pick Slump, but like I, when Slump comes from, I'm like, damn, can I pick Slump? I walked into the studio today humming slump. It's a great song. It's a great song.

You want to know what song where I'm just like, this isn't a bad song, but it has not aged as well just because it sounds old as fuck. Synthesizer. I like synthesizer. I like the hook on synthesizer, too. When I first re-listened to it, I was like, I don't know about this song. But the more I listened to it, I was like, oh, this is kind of dope, actually. No?

The concept has aged really well, that's for sure. What? The content, like, they're talking about computers taking over, like, in 1998 and synthesizing with technology. We only had AOL back then. They saw where this was all going. If you want to synthesize. That's where Big Boy took him aside. It was like, uh, uh, uh, uh, I have to mention liberation.

Yeah, this is, people like liberation. People like liberation a lot. This is, this is the thing when we put the ringer list. together, I think I had liberation in the low 20s. This was the number one thing I yelled at. Some staff writers who contributed to the list publicly came out and said, whoa, whoa, whoa, if I had

known, I would have made sure liberation was a lot. Like, people really ride for liberation. That's interesting. Now, okay, my thought, I like liberation. We're like getting so nitpicky here, so we're charles. Yeah, like, here's the thing, here's a thing. Guys, we like Aquaminai.

I'm like, the worst songs on Aquaminai are better than most artist's best songs. We are just being... They're better than that cannabis album. Yeah, exactly. So please tell me what you mean about liberation. We do not hate this album.

This is just part of the process because this is considered the best Outcast album. So it's like the opposite of Spatiati, where I think liberation for me would have been better if it was shorter. And maybe some people like it that it's eight and whatever minutes long. But to me,

there's something about it that's a little bit meandering to where if this was a four minute cut, I probably would really, really like it. But it doesn't, I don't know, the decision making, all the features, I get that that could be like an attribute and something that works for it. But for me, it just goes on a little bit too long.

And I don't think the groove is something I want to hear for eight minutes is my biggest gripe with it. To everybody who might be bitching because we didn't nominate liberation, get the fuck out of here. Like, get the fuck, I'm like, come on, bro. This is Charles.

This is. I listen to liberation Because I was just like, Should I give liberation more low? I listen to it on the way here? I was like, hell fucking no. No. It's not a bad song,

but I'm not bumping in liberation in a whip of my old lady. Get it out of here. This is the moment where I take you aside. I'm like, Charles, they don't like you when you're taking, when your takes are this hot. The audience are going to come for us. Whoa.

Let's be honest. I've been very mild this entire season. You really have. I've been very mild. This is the. moment where it's like if people people are already getting a little mixing in the comments I'm like guys it's called last song standing not last album cut standing back the fuck up okay all right so is this where we pick and then Justin can do his coach's challenge

yeah all right you at first pick Cole what are you going with I already know what you're going okay this is tough okay this is really tough well knowing Justin has a pick it makes it a little easier for me because I'm between a quemini which is my personal favorite but also I think could could hang in a last longstanding finale conversation but also Spodioti it's I mean it's gotta be in the finale if we don't pick Spodioti it's got to be in the finale so do I pick a quemini and maybe back Justin into a corner because I know you're not picking it well we're backing me into a corner I'm not even competing I'm just I will say this I would pick a Quimini.

Okay. But you're already playing mind games. But I would pick Aquamini, but if you don't pick Spodi-Odi, it's a risk. You are being a little bit of, we can bleep this. You are bitching out. If I don't pick Spodi-Oti? Yeah. Stand on it. Stand on Spodioti, not Equimini. I think picking Aquamini is the hotter take over Spodio-O-W-W-T. What? I think so. Acqueminate is the better song over Spodio-O-D.

That's your opinion. but I think more people... Justin, what do you... On your list thing? What was it... We had Spodi-O-Di higher on the list. That was back in 2020. I think...

Look, both... I did some research after, you know, we got some feedback on one of the recent episodes about prototype. And I'm like, did we mess up by not talking about prototype? Right.

A great song on The Love Below. Right? I did some research to see like what the consensus was about the, what songs are... the most beloved off this record. I was out here. I was searching very deep.

And what I will say that I, I think for the outcast heads, Equeminize a little bit higher. And for the general public or like the people who just, you know, they're outcast fans, but maybe not like diehards, Spotiote's higher.

Interesting. Which is so weird because, again, that song should not work and should not be that successful. It's not hard. Also, I have to just say this. We can have prototype erasure. That's okay.

As a music critic, it's fine. We will all survive. With that, like, you got your, you got your, you got a pick. I'm going to Quimini. Lock it in. Cowardly move. You're going to have Rosa Parks, dude. What the fuck are you talking?

Here's a thing. I'm not even going to belabor this point. I love me some Rosa Parks. Oh, you're going Chunky? I love me some Rosa Parks. Yo, you can, fans, you can vote this shit in. Vote that shit in. I'm going Chonkey fire.

I don't go fuck. I love it. I listen to me. Chonky Fire. Like, I like Rosa Parks. I like Rosa Parks. I'm the guy. Here's the thing.

The entire season, if it was between my heart and the hit, I would always choose the hit. This is the one time with Equamini, such a special album. I'm gone with fucking Chonky Fire. I don't give a fuck. Hell yeah. I'm waiting to do this all season. I'm going with Mama Cita. Get the fuck out of here.

Get the fuck out of here, bro. Hell no. No, I'm joking, but I have really an impossible position here. I really do. I know because... Storytelling part one and Spodeodeo are on the board for you.

Yeah. And Rosa Parks. And Rosa Parks. And if I really want Return of the G. Yeah. That song is awesome. We didn't talk about that.

I know. Really? I'm not going Return of the G. No, no. I like Return of the G is good. Not in this exercise. Not in this exercise. Yeah.

It's great. It's a great opener, yeah. I asked friend of the show Paul Thompson, his three songs off this record. Return of the G. Rosa Parks. and I can't remember the third one.

But then he said, whatever it was, he said he would, his personal favorite is West Savannah, and he'd bump out, return of the G for it. So if West Savannah is bumping out return of the G on anybody's list,

I'm just, it can't be on this one. So, okay, Rosa Parks, Spotioti, artist storytelling. Not going art of storytelling for the reasons we discussed. I did not prepare to wake up

and be nitpicking that song today, but here we are. even think I was going to nitpick it. I'm like, we're nitpicking the hell out of this song, and I like this song. I feel like if we did this episode first in the season, we probably would have ended up picking storytelling. But it's like, again, understanding all the songs it's going against, I don't think it has a chance. So I'm between Rosa Parks and Spotiote. They're going to be so pissed. We don't have Rosa Parks. Really? They're going to be pissed either way. No, I think there'd be more outrage over Spody. Really? I think so.

You know, you know what I'm doing? You know what I'm doing? Rosa Parks is a great song. but it was not it was like toward the bottom of my personal short list so I'm just going with my heart and we're going with Spoti hell yeah here's the thing you want to know why I like this because that shows me that this probably

even though early on I still think I like like ATLings just in terms of like that first half better but I do think that it does say a lot where we're just like Rosa Parks is technically the biggest song off this and it's amazing song but it's not the song that I return to

the most when I turn this on It's actually a song, and it's probably a function of having heard it so many times, but it's a song I skip over sometimes when I'm just trying to listen to the album quickly. Right, because I've heard it so many times. I don't even finish the song, and I'm just like, oh, I'll listen to a little bit of it. But like, it's tough to use that against the song in that context. But here's the thing, I will say, Rosa Parks is one of my, it's probably in my top five, if I'm being honest, just like of outcast songs I would love to listen to.

it's going to lose in a singles battle. It just is. The fans can vote it in and we can have the conversation. Is Rosa Parks really going up against B.L.B. Or Ms. Jackson? Let's be real. Or AT aliens?

Or ATLians. Or even elevators. It's better than elevators. It might be better than elevators. Which is really hurts to say. I don't know. I don't know. Like, I'm looking at like, yeah, Rosa Parks.

it would get bumped off. It wouldn't make it pretty far, but it would probably get bumped off. But fans make the case. Somebody out there make the case votes Rosa Parks in. If somebody votes, if they vote the way you move in over Rosa Parks,

though, I will just not show. You mean so fresh? Oh, so fresh, yeah. No, it can't be so fresh. Is it going to be so fresh? I think it's going to be so fresh. All right,

Rosa Parks is a way better than so fresh. Yeah. Oh, guys. Should I pick Rosa Parks now? Say, Justin's say. You think Chonky Fire goes up against what goes up against in the finale better?

I know Chonky Fire is your favorite, but... I think it's better. I think Chonky Fire is better than Player's Ball. Better than Hayah. I would pick it over International Play's Anthem. People get mad at me. I'd pick it over the way you move and Royal Flesh.

And off your list, I would pick it over Southern Playa, Roses, Life of the Party, ghetto music, kryptonite. So you'd pick it over most of these lists. Chonky fire, yeah. Chonky fire. Where it has trouble

is going against the Titans. You're going to do it? Your first reversal? This is like the inner Charles because the inner Charles wants that hit. The hack and me wants

Rosa Parks just to see it on the list. I just want Rosa Parks. but my heart is just like I love that I love Chunky Fire I think people would be understand if Chunky Fire doesn't make a list so I don't think people would be mad if you change your mind

all right you know what your one bold take or you're going to take it back all right fuck it I'm such a fucking hack I'm such a fuck I'm such a hack I couldn't even stand by I'm like all right you're scaring a hose now I can't go on

Oh, man. Lock it in. If I couldn't get a Kremlinai, if I can't get a Kremlinai, if I can't get a Kweminai, I'm going to pick Rosemannai. This is interesting, though, because when we texted our shortlist, the shortlist, your initial shortlist that you sent me. Yeah, but then I went back to like, relitist it again. I'm like, this is the best. All right, I'm going Rosa Parks. God damn.

All right. Our lists are final then. And then we got to, does that change your pick at all, Justin? No, I'm going to say I'm sick of a Spottioati. Okay, not Chonky Fire. I love Chonky Fire. I'm sick him with Spotiote.

I think that that is a song that people are going to be thinking about. Look, don't get me wrong. I don't think it's winning this exercise. But there's a case to be made, I think. There is a case to be made. Don't forget, fans, the rest is in your hand. You get a vote.

in what I think is going to be one of the most controversial Royal Rumble's last song standing has ever seen. How are we feeling? I'm feeling I'm very spent after this episode. I'm feeling very, my emotions. I've betrayed my favorite song. Fuck this exercise. How are you feeling cool?

I feel like in my list. I feel like I came through in the clutch. I've got a strong list. I got a quim and I. I'm feeling really good. I'm looking on our final. Do we want to run down our final list or save it for the finale? No, let's run down our final list.

So the fans, if they're still here with us, they know what they need to be thrown their weight behind. So I have B-O-B elevators, players ball, hey, yeah, international players anthem, the way you move Royal Flesh, Rosa Parks. You have Ms. Jackson, A.T.L.E. and Southern Player, Roses, Life of the Party, ghetto music, Kryptonite, and Equaminai. And Justin, with his coach's challenge, got Spodioteote into the mix. I think we picked the right songs off this album. We did, even though you guys abandoned me in my time of feed. So, guys, that has been our Queminide episode. Thank you so much to everybody who makes this show possible.

Justin Sales, Kemmopouler on audio production, and Beirocratic with the theme music. Guys, make sure you show up for our next episode, because we are about to crown the greatest outcast. song of all time. All right. We are back. Cole.

It's time. Cultural exchange. Favorite part of the show. Favorite part of the show where our, where our hearts bond, where we become the equamini of the ringer. All right. Last week I gave you Arctic Monkeys' debut album,

whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not. And you gave me Bjorks Vespartine. All right, I'll go first. Okay. I was not in the right headspace to listen to this album. But it's a phenomenal album. Okay. And it's one of those albums that you listen to.

Because I had known, like, Björgy's, like, so influential. You're like, damn, pop girlies ran away with this shit. It's like one of those albums you will listen to an album and you're just like, it opens up your mind be like, oh. Yeah. This is what everybody is copying. It's a beautiful album. It is perfect. I just, my face was melting.

I haven't slept in 24 hours. And then I put on this album and I'm like, I can see that. This was wrong. This is what you want. I was hung over. Like my body was revolting against me. I went to a brat night.

It's not what you want to see. But I loved, like I loved this album in theory. I'm going to have to listen to it. Yeah, given another shot. Maybe we'll briefly. returned to it in the finale just to get maybe a fresh perspective on it. Because here, no, no, no, here's a thing. I know that this is a quality album.

Yeah. It was just, I was like, my face feels like it's melting off and my brain feels like it's cracking in half. Let me throw on a little of York, see if this helps. Her voice is so powerful and just. I was like, God damn, girl! No, seriously, like, gee, gee, I'd be honest, I'd be telling all these Bob girlies, like, I think you would actually really,

I think this is something you would listen to regularly at the apartment. So throw it on again this week at some point. I will. I think you'd really come to like this album from what I know about you.

All right, so I will, well, yeah, I revisited Vestor routine. I haven't listened to it in some time and it held up every, every aspect. Like, the electronics on this album were just phenomenal,

so ahead of its time. But you gave me Arctic Monkeys, whatever people say I am that's not... So I don't... I don't remember ever listening to this band which is really weird

when I put them on I thought I would be like oh I recognize a song or two for whatever reason I just totally skipped this band so it was kind of nice to have like a just straight up fresh perspective

and it looks like they're like still huge they're bigger now than they were then this is not their this used to be for a while their most popular album

it is not I think FM is easily like, that album went crazy. So, this is interesting because I feel like if I would have listened to this like 15 years ago, I probably would have really liked it. And maybe I'm just missing some of the nostalgia factor because I don't have the memories of listening to this album. I was kind of just neutral on it. I was just like, I get it. It works. It sounds like the era of Franz Ferdinand and the high.

and the strokes. I get it sitting comfortably within that, like, when that subgenre of rock really popped off. But returning to it, I just was like, oh, it works.

I'll probably never listen to this again. Is that bad? No, that's not bad. I think a lot of this nostalgia has to do with the fact that, like, I think you gave me an album that is very much, like, you can tell

how much this just influenced modern music. Like, you can feel it. And with the Arctic Monkeys debut, I think the charm of it is that these are boys. I think they're from Sheffield. A lot of them had just picked up their instruments. Oh, okay. So they're very, very raw.

They're making this up kind of as they go. And it's kind of just like, I say this in the best way possible. It is all momentum slap dash garage band type energy where it's just like, we're just going. I just got back from a rock show that I loved. and had this kind of energy of just like young guys, they're just playing the songs, they're going 100 miles per hour, and that's kind of like,

that type of rock is, hell yeah, white boys, go crazy. Yeah, that's fair. Yeah, because it's funny when I return to like blink or even like, or even like Fall Out Boy, like I was like, oh, this is just undeniably catchy and like I enjoy it. But again, it's like I grew up listening to that genre of music.

So when you gave me Fall Out Boy, even though I didn't hadn't listened to that album it wasn't a big fan of them I had a place for it already you know it's somewhere in my mind or my heart whereas this I was like I get it I like the strokes too

but I'm not listening to the strokes now you know honestly you are because is that your next pick that is my next pick I know you've already here's a thing I haven't listened to them in a long time

strokes is this is like one of my desert island albums I would say shut up yeah it really is wow Okay. Here's the thing. I'm a basic bitch. I don't care.

I am. I like arts and monkeys. I like the strokes. I don't care. I had a phase. I'm not. I don't apologize about it. I love what I love.

Well, I'm excited because I did. Okay. Actually, I hated the strokes when they first came out because this is me in my like, I'm too good for pop music phase. Like,

I like the technical, experimental stuff. So when they came out and they were just so basic, their guitar lines were just like downstrummed, one chord, and like that's what I love about it what the fuck is this shit but then like years later

when I was like oh I was being way too hard on him I was just being pretentious so now with even more distance I'm actually really excited to return to that album so all right so I'm gonna give you

like I said I ran out of kind of groups on my journey to my forever band and Radiohead so I'm giving you like the parallel albums when I discovered Radiohead when I discovered Bjork the albums that really really influenced me as a creative

I got to go and this is when I was getting into jazz and that just alone opened up my world to like in the same way that I gave you a bunch of like experimental classical music in season one I didn't understand at that point

that jazz could be experimental and this album more than any album turned my head onto like a different type of jazz and it's John Coltrane a love supreme 1965 I believe

it's uh whatever even say about it. It's like a spiritual journey in the form of like sometimes tranquil jazz but also very, very experimental at times. And someone, like I feel like doing his best to speak his soul through his instrument. I don't want to give you too much about it. That's all I'll say about it. But it's it's widely considered one of the best albums ever. It ranks top 50 of all time greatest records. ever on most lists, or at least top 100.

And it's very influential in terms of, like, people understanding jazz can go a different route, and it really leads to, like, heavy experimentation of jazz in, like, the 70s. So I'm excited. You got to, don't listen to it hungover, though. Guys, guys, I'm leaving that life behind it, okay? That was the old me. This is the new me. I'm going to listen to this with a pipe in my mouth.

Okay, there you go. And just and just vibe out. All right. All right. Beautiful. Guys, we'll be back. Thank you for having us.