Dissect - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik | LAST SONG STANDING (E3)

Episode Date: July 23, 2024

The LSS Boyz continue their journey to crown OutKast's best song ever with the duo's 1994 debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Cole and Charles discuss the history of the album, quiz each other with trivia, and nominate the songs they feel should be in contention for OutKast's all time best. Hosts: Cole Cuchna, Charles Holmes Producer, Guest: Justin Sayles Audio Production: Kevin Pooler Theme Music: Birocratic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome everyone to Last Song 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 two episodes, we tackled Stankonia and Athe aliens. And on today's episode, we're taking it all the way back to 1994 as we discuss Outcast debut album, Southern Playalistic Cadillac music. While when they can be trying to test me, I get risky. Grab up high and I'm going in whiskey, then they swing with shit they miss me, huh? Yo, Cole, bud. How you been?

How you doing? Charles, I got a bone to pick with you. A bone to pick with me? What did I do now? It takes me a lot to get upset. But I'm fucking pissed. Okay, number one, to recap last week, you stole elevators. Just flat out like a snake stole that shit from me.

Hell yeah. Like absolute all-time troll. job after you derailed it and then just within five minutes picked it. Let's be clear. This is going to make you more mad. I was just like driving around doing errands yesterday and I've remembered that. And I literally just started laughing to myself. I was like, I was just like, every time. You're the greatest who's ever done it, Charles. And then not to spoil, not to spoil the stingers, but people that are staying after the credits they know, you assign me the, what is it called? Affinity.

adventures infinity war Affinity bullshit No No Which you don't Okay you didn't tell me it was Two and a half hours Fucking long dude

Dude oh yeah man Two and a half hours Of Marvel good days Okay we'll save that But it's been a rough week As far as the LW I feel like our bond is The LWS boys are breaking up

Just like Alcast Throughout the course of the season Split off No but I'm good How are you doing? Cole, I'm doing wonderful. You want to know why I'm doing wonderful? Why?

Because the Andre to my big boy is here today. And we're talking about the debut album without cast. But we should probably go back a little bit because as you alluded to, last episode, I took my favorite outcast song of all time that I had no problems with, elevators. And you took the subpar ATLions. And then in our pilot episode, I took B.O. B and you took Ms. Jackson. Let's be honest, my card for the end of this is just going to look up pristine. I'm so pissed that you got both of those songs. Like legitimately upset. I don't get upset a

lot. There comes to music. I'm passionate, man. Fuck you. You didn't, here's the thing. You didn't come prepare for old Charlie 3,000. Let's go. Wait, now you think you're, I think you're the big boy to this podcast. I think, no, no, no, you want to know, you want to know why I'm not? Because I tried to open you and Justin's eyes to stuff like the MCU, Nathan Fielder. And what do I get a bunch of, what's this weird bullshit? This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Maybe you guys need to open your third eye, just like Andre. What do you think Andre 3000's favorite superhero movie is? Oh, God. He can't be watching those. How do you know? He's probably, he's probably has infinity wore the soundtrack in his earphones while he's playing this flute on the street you don't fucking

know just you jumping in here yeah please jump in yeah he was in a kelly reichert movie last year he's not fucking watching this shit what are you talking about you guys are such elitist which is disgusting because we are about to talk about an album that is about the every southern man you know the salts of the earth as some would say just to hear how up in the air your nose is at all just like good entertainment fair, it's disgusting. I hope the listeners here, the anger in my voice. But with all of that out of the way, Cole, do you feel like it's time where we should break down the rules of this little project we have going here? All right. For those that have forgotten, each episode of Last Song Standing covers one album when we're forced to pick the best song off of that

album, aka the last song Standing. Then in the season finale, we have a Royal Rumble, and we're going to bring all those songs we chose from each album. They're going to duke it out until both of us can agree on the single song that is the outcast greatest song of all time. That's going to be a tough episode. I'm actually really excited about the finale because there's, yeah, I thought I went into this season thinking I had like a favorite, but that's kind of crumbling. Because let me just say before we get it, like, these albums have aged so well. I've enjoyed listening back to this Southern player, which I haven't revisited in quite some time. and it just aged so beautifully to me.

Like, what were your first thoughts, like, revisited? Or do you listen to this album a lot or was like, had it been a while? So this is probably the album outside of like Idol Wild, which I barely count as an Outcast album. This is probably the album that I go back to the least. And to your point, of all the seasons we've done, Frank Ocean, uh, Kendrick Lamar, I've had the most fun with Outcast. And I think I had a lot of fun with this record. Like even if it's not my favorite in their discography,

it does make me think. Like it is a interesting, and we won't like spoil what we'll talk about later, but it's like this interesting time capsule of like, oh, I know how far these rappers are about to go and how far they're about to take it. Yeah. And to kind of try to glean what was always there,

what did they need to work on? Because I think you and I will probably end up agreeing. This is not the Andre 333. thousand and Big Boy we know at this point. Yeah, no. They're kind of only almost two totally different people. Especially Andre. I feel like, I feel like Big Boy establishes himself and he builds on this personality and

persona and it gets better and more polish and a little bit more dynamic. But I feel like Big Boys kind of is who he is. And then Andre is the one, at least on this album that almost unrecognizable at times and kind of just blends in in a way that I'm just not accustomed to. Andre always kind of sticks out to me in the best way. And on some of these tracks, he kind of just, he kind of just blends in. Oh, this is a big boy heavy album in terms of like, to your point when I was listening to this, I was like, oh, big boy was definitely the more fully formed of the two.

Yeah. And even like what Andre is rapping about is like interesting because I'm like, oh, this sounds like a big boy verse. Even though I know it's Andre rapping. Yeah. I'm like, Andre is rapping about all this. shit not my huntry house it's really we're gonna talk about a lot but it's weird to hear him talking about guns so much it's like really off-putting uh justin do you how often do you return to this album you know i i haven't returned to it as much as i thought i had over the years because there were

parts of it that were just jumped out of me like all over again like the the first thing it jumped out at me is the production in particular didn't i don't know it points it didn't feel Right. Like, there are some songs, like, we can talk about specifics after. I don't know if, like, the beat to Hootie Who has aged well. However. Yeah. When I think about, like, the baseline on claiming true or, like, ain't no thing.

It just, like, it just, the production is, it feels classic, but in a way, like, it holds up today. Yeah. It's, I don't probably revisit it enough as an individual album. Certainly not as much as A.T.L.E.L.E. or Quemini. Yeah. Or even Stankonia. But I think I have to change that.

Yeah, that's what I came away after listening to. I just need to listen to this more. This is good because I've been listening to these albums for months. And every single time I listen to this, I'm like, this, like, Southern Player and AT Elians are both a really good car. They're so good. Car albums. Like, it's like Southern Player plays, and I mean, it makes sense because they're both so

obsessed with cars, mostly Big Boy, where, like, it makes sense that I'm like, oh, this is a car record. Like, they made something that just, like, we will talk about some of the songs. I'm just like, oh, this shit, to your point, Justin, this beat Knox. Like, this is fucking insanity. Yeah, absolutely.

All right, guys, yo, the bantering is over. We're going to throw to a break. And when we get back, I'm going to give you some facts about the album. Cole's going to talk about the themes. And Justin's going to bullshit about being old as hell. Stay locked in. All right. We are back to discuss Outcast debut album released on April,

26, 1994, the 17-song album spawn, three singles. Players ball, Southern Playlists to Cadillac Music and Get Up, Get Out. The album peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200. So, cool, themes of the album, I'm very interested for this section of it, because I don't know if this is the most thematically heavy album in their discography. Yeah, definitely not going to try to like oversell any kind of grand theories here. I think. think, I mean, like all the Outcast albums, it's like everything's kind of built into the name. You know, this one has a very iconic Southern Playlist of Cadillac music to play on the Mary Poppins' Super Califagulist, X.B. Aladocious, which is interesting because if you, one of

things I did after noticing this, all the childhood references on the album, I'm going to point out a couple here in a second, but you can just tell, I mean, we should say for context, like Andre and Big Boy were in high school, freshly out of high school, Andre had dropped out of high school. They're like 16, 17, 18 when they're creating this album. So there's just a lot of like teenage references that in retrospect just are kind of endearing just because they were legitimately so young when they made this thing. Yeah. But, you know, in terms of the name, it's all in there. It's a celebration of the Southern culture. There's a lot of player talk. There's a lot of Cadillac references. And there's

heavy funk influence. Andre said this about it in retrospect. He said, quote, the first album was Street. It was all about being a young guy, protecting your own, all about being a pimp and a player, and just being a fly guy. A lot of gunplay, a lot of smoking. It was just Southern lifestyle at the time, which I think is just a perfect description. There's really nothing too crazy deep about it as two teenagers kind of representing Atlanta in a way that hasn't had to that point. I think it's like a very accurate portrait of just growing up in Atlanta and they do a really good job of just kind of selling you the lifestyle. So like some of the childhood references that I just thought were really funny. Like Andre on the title cut, he says, my heat in the trunk along with that quad knock,

no, my heart don't pump no Kool-Aid, jump and you'll get sprayed too. And then like big boy on Ain't No Thing says, I'm ready to wet them like cereal. So there's just like all these little, there's a few more I'll point out later, but you can just tell it was made by high schoolers. Musically, I think, is where this, we could really talk about how this shines, right? Justin alluded to it up top. It produced entirely by organized noise. Lots of live instrumentation on this thing. Has some samples, but like we talked about previous episodes, not really heavily

sampling, relying on sample, more interpolating existing work, putting their own spin on on existing melodies. We'll talk about the dungeon family a lot, but there's that aspect here too where it really feels like an album created by a group of creatives kind of locked in this basement of RICO Wade's mom's house, just creating hungry, ready to prove themselves.

And I would say the rapping in terms of musicality is just fantastic, especially considering their age and the experience level. They don't sound 17, 18 on this, which is funny. It's like, I know it when I'm listening to but I'm still just kind of like, oh, they were fucking, they were teenagers. I'm just like, what are they, sometimes with the rapping about shit, I'm just like,

I was not, I don't know, I was not like this at 17, 18, if that makes sense. Yeah, I mean, like, what they say a lot of times is like cliche kind of. He's very juvenile, but their voices in the rhyme schemes are older than their age. Like, their style is pretty much, I mean, maybe not Andre so much, but his rapping style is certainly well established in terms of that herky jerky kind of, like unpredictable flow like all that's there more than I remembered but yeah I mean not to not trying to sell it too much

I don't think there's a lot of thematic stuff going on aside from just kind of two kids rapping about their life and where they want to go. So Justin are you taking us back? What was the name of this segment? We all are on the edge of our seats for our favorite segment.

We love these olds. Take us back to 1994. We love these olds. 1994. I was 11 and or 12 at that time. And the album comes out, it gets a 4.5 mics in the source, which is kind of important to note

because there weren't a lot of popular southern rap groups at the time. It was, rap was, there were these two mechas, right? I talked about this a little bit last time when we were talking about the source awards and the South has something to say, which Outcast would, of course,

win that source award based on the strength of this record. However, you had people in New York, you had bad boy, Wu-Tang Clan, even like native tongues, but just think about like traditional New York mecca. Then out west, you had death row. And like, I think it's important to note that Doggy Style came out at the end of 1993. The chronic was still in rotation. The above the rim soundtrack came out in 1994. There was nothing bigger than death row records in 1994. But those were kind of, these were the two, this was the North and South Pole of rap music at the time.

And there was nothing else. For popular rap groups from Atlanta, does anyone want to guess any popular rap groups from Atlanta? Chris Cross, baby. I mean, organized noise mentioned that it was just like, you had Germain Dupree with Chris Cross. And we work without kids. Yep. You had arrested development a little bit before that. I tracked through some of their songs in preparation for this.

Didn't age quite as well as Outcast, I'll just say. No, it didn't, but you know what? They were trying their best. And then you had tag team, the Wump, there it is, guys. Another thing I want to get into is, 1994 is an excellent year for rap debuts. Okay? you have

just even these three you have Southern Playlist of Cadillac music You have Ready to Die You have You have Charles's

He told me Charles texted me He's like yo This is my favorite album of all time I just can't ever say this on a podcast You have Naz's Illmatic Life is defined I think of crime

When I'm in a New York State of mine Fuck out of here Fuck out of here. Charles, you know, you've been doing so good at playing to the audience. And now you're just like, fuck. You're acting like I hate Illmatic. It's just not what I'm putting on in my whip.

And it's just like, I don't want to be bullied into it, all right? I'm not, I'm one of the hos and it scares me. I'm not putting it illmatic. We're going to get into bullying people into enjoying things when we discuss Infinity War at the end of the show. It is just like, it is a fantastic year for rap. It is, again, like above the rim is massive doggy styles kind of ruling the airwaves. It's one of those years where rap is really like solidifying itself as a commercial force.

And, you know, Biggie is kind of at the forefront of that. But like right beneath him is Outcast. My six CD changer. My albums that would be in my six CD changer for 1994. Ready to die. Illmatic Gangstar is hard to earn Hmm

I work too hard for my royalty Put lead in your ass And drink a cup of tea Pizza Red Alert And look You didn't think I was gonna get out of this Without mentioning that I was Like

You can get out in 1994 If you're me Without mentioning gangstar Outcast Southern Playlist of Cadillac music And then I don't know This is an album

That I don't think I don't know if you guys Even know this one This might be like real Like Justin's annoying us with his shit. Time. Word Life by O.C.

Let the charm be a part of your mind. Let the rhyme interquire like a vine. Work you mentally found intellect. Great album. Classic album. I don't think anybody... I'm curious how many people listening to this podcast. No O.C.'s word life.

Great year for rap. Great year for me. At 11, 12 years old, I think I averaged about four points a game on my junior high basketball team. What was the name of your junior high basketball team? What was the name of your junior high basketball team? I honestly don't remember. In Birchwood in North Providence, Rhode Island, that was the junior high. I don't remember if we were like the fucking badgers or whatever.

Like, I have no idea what we were. Charles, do you remember what the cover for what the actual CD of AT aliens look like? No. You don't remember what AT aliens when we were talking about that? Oh, I thought you said for Southern Play. I'm like, I don't remember what it was. I am, but I am. I want you to Google right now if you can on your,

your computer, the actual physical CD of Southern Playlists of Cadillac music. We'll wait. So Charles, you've Googled the art. What does it look like? So this one, in retrospect, I had seen the A.T. Lians one as a kid. This one, I haven't seen, but it is a very fine sister, all right, drawn in what looks like color pencil with her titty's just out, popping, doing their thing, bow, bow, you know what I'm saying? They even, what I like, they didn't draw like, you know, the bottom part of the underwear. That's full bush. You know, we got full colored pencil bush just up there.

I love this. Justin, how are your parents feeling about this very bush-heavy titty's popping CD cover? Or CD, actual CD? We will talk about this a little bit later, but my parents showed me Goodfellas at 10. I don't think they cared about this. I will say, though, this was 1994. Yes. I didn't have the internet.

This is the internet. Oh, God, is disgusting. I'm saying this might be the first pair of naked breasts that I've ever saw. So sad, but it explains so much. So with that, I think it's time for my second favorite named segment. of Last Song Standing. We're going to our album Trivia Corner, aka...

Spottiyati Quizilicious. All right, so Spottialiqizious is where Cole and I attempt to stump each other with little known facts about the album. Whoever gets the most questions correct will get first pick in the last song standing segment at the end of the episode. Cole, I've been winning the segment

and I think I'm going to win again. So do you want me to go first? Yeah, go first because I got to judge how unrealistic these guys. questions are and I'm going to base my questions on how hard years are. All right. I came prepared. So obviously, you know that Players Ball, the first single off this album comes off a Christmas album. Correct. You know that, right? Yeah. Yep. Yep. Do you know what the original title of Players Ball was? Oh, shit. I do not know, so I can't guess, but I'm like very, very interested. So, Sleepy,

Brown and Big Boy didn't interview with GQ where Sleepy Brown revealed that the original title for players ball was Sox and Draws. Now, do you know why it was called Sox and Draws? Like even Big Boat forgot. It's a very, it's a very cute video where like Big Bois's like, God damn it was called Sox and Joy, which is a terrible title for a Christmas song. Let's be clear. But Big Boy was like, it was called that because in the hood, that's all you got past a certain age. after Christmas, you just got socks and draws. But Players Ball is an infinitely better title. I don't even know if we get the outcast that we get today

if it's just called socks and draws. Because I'm like, what person in 1994 was just like, that's what I want to play? That's a great title. They should have put it in parentheses, Players Ball, parentheses, socks and draws. I do agree with that. I actually really liked about that.

That's really good. Okay, so I got that wrong. That was a really great. I actually really liked that question. though. Okay. Big Boy and Andre met while attending a performing arts high school in Atlanta. What was the original name

of the rapping duo before changing their name to Outcast? Oh, fuck. And bonus points if you could tell me their original MC names. Oh, fuck, because I did know this. This is the problem, you know it, and then when you're put on the spot. Because here's the thing.

They did have a name that they couldn't use because it was already taken, like the misfits. It was misfits. It's not that one. It's not that one, but they realize that there's a rock band called the misfits. But they did have another name before this that was official that they were using. I'm not even going to, I can't recall it. It's on the tip of my tongue.

What is it? Two shades deep. Yes. God damn. God damn. Big boy's name was Black Dog. Andre's name was Black Wolf and their logo was a little paw print. I'm see that's the thing that we don't talk about enough in music where it's just like music is a domino effect yeah and like just with or it's like a butterfly effect just one little change if they still went by black dog and black wolf once a fucking get don't get out like who are these fucking jebronis who are these fucking but see but then I think like but when someone's so good it's like album title or album covers sometimes on a classic like bad album covers on a classic record.

somehow the album cover just ends up being good because you associated with the good music. Like, does that happen? I think that happens sometimes, right? I mean, I will say the Southern Playalistic album cover is terrible, which is also funny. If you're like, oh, like even when they're rapping, I'm like, they are way better than their age. We tell you. The album cover tells you that I'm like, oh, this is what some high schoolers would think of school. Like, this is the dumbest, like, this is the dumbest album cover.

People are going to be like, how could you say that? but I'm like, no, to your point, because the music is so good on this album, we forgive how whack the album cover. Or they just didn't have a budget at that point. That is true. It might also be, but this is going to be a hot take. And maybe it's too early to say this. I think most of Outcast albums, album art kind of sucks.

Like, it's classic by the standards of that time. I understand during that time, people were like, this is probably cool. And in retrospect, sometimes I'm like, damn. damn yeah i mean objectively some of them are yeah not the greatest a little cringy but yeah associated with the good music they kind of just you know they they get some help from the music i think stankonia has a great cover though stankonia has a really really good cover i honestly even though it's corny a little bit now i kind of like the speakerbox and love below cover like i do think it is icon like it's not i think i kemeni is better i think a t aleans is

We'll talk about it later. We'll write them later. I want to go to my next question, which is also Players Ball related. Okay. The beat that became Players Ball was originally intended for who and bonus points if you can get the original name of this group. And if this is too hard, I will say that one of the members of this group was popping. Like, they would go on to be just as big as Outcast. Just as big as Outcast.

If not bigger. Wow. I don't know. So I'm trying to use your hint to figure it out because I'm thinking 94, 93, 94. And then who would go on? Is it male or female? Female. Okay.

This is making it easy. Well, it can't be TLC because they weren't bigger than Outcast. I'll give you half a point. So it was, it was intentional. ended for LeftEye's original group at the time called Jeanne Ozeka and Outcast got to hear the beats first. And they were like, yo, we want Players Ball. So it's pre-TLC?

How the story goes is that like they had to make, they were making beats. And the beats were either going to go to TLC or to Outcast. And I think at that time, Lefti had a group by the name of Jeanne Ozequois. Okay. who players ball was going to go to and like outcast heard players ball right and was just like nah we need like we need that beat right

if I got any of this wrong fact checkers fact check me but I remember this so all right well I got the group so I'll take the half point take the half point so how much of an advance did outcasts receive from LaFace records to get to to

produce Southern Playlistic oh you look you're shaking your $15,000 oh yeah You were smiling as I said that. I do my research, $50,000, which, do we have an inflation calculator? Because when I saw $50,000, when I was like going through all the shit, I was just like, that seems like a steal.

That doesn't seem like that much money, you know what I mean? All right. So I just pulled up an inflation calculator. $15,000, according to this website, in 1994, would be equivalent to $31,000 today. That's still not shit, really. That's not. Here's the thing. I was making around $30,000 at like my first shitty job out of college,

which is just like that like just like that was my salary. Right. So it was just like one year salary. It's just. Yeah. I mean, they're unproven group. So I kind of get it.

It's not like left face was like a huge label at the time. So. There. There. You know, I kind of get it. But I mean, you hear the low budget sound a little bit on the record.

You know, it's a little gritty. It's a little rough around the edges, which, you know, it's kind of endearing now. I mean, the dungeon was just like, I feel like we're always like, oh, the dungeon. It was the mom's basement. And then you'll hear them describe it.

They're just like, yeah, it was dirt floors. No, yeah. I watched a documentary, like an old, old VH1 documentary about Outcast coming up. And they had video of them in the dungeon. And it's like literally unfinished red clay walls, like dirt floor, like a literal dungeon. Like that's why they call it. It was so dingy. And they talk about it.

I think the sweet thing is like, Because you'll hear them talk about it each time. And they hold this like reverence for the place. There's almost like this wistful quality of just like, we had it so good then. And there was like a magic about being that young and that creative. And there's almost kind of a sadness when they talk about they're never going to get back to kind of just like the very just on the ground. We just love music so much.

Yeah. We'll sleep on dirt floors in an unfinished basement. Then I'm just like, damn. There's a purity. It reminds me of my old band days when we would do the same thing. The singer and my first band had an addict that we had practiced in

and we'd sleep up there, just working on music, trying to prove ourselves. I was just incredibly hungry. It definitely brought back some personal memories for me seeing that dungeon. But fuck.

So I lost another quiz. Hell yeah, bro. Dude. Which means you get to pick first when it comes to the last song standing at the end of this episode, which... Let's fucking go.

God damn it. Okay. All right. So now that we've set up the history and themes of Southern Player, I think it's time to get to the most contentious part of this entire show. We nominating, all right? And the Grammy goes to the Love Below Outcast. Speakerbox, the Love Below Outkast.

Remember the goal of each episode of Last Song Standing is for Cole and I to determine the single best song from an Outcast album. The songs we select over the course of the season will then. then duke it out in a season finale, Royal Rumble, where we'll be forced to agree on the last song standing. That's the greatest outcast song of all time. Right now, we're both going to get into it. Round one.

Cole, since I'm going to be picking first, why don't you hit us with your first nomination? Let's just get into Players' Ball. Damn, I knew we were both going to pick Players Ball. Yeah, let's just get it. Let's just get it done. It's, you know, it's the one off this album. It's a super important song to their discography and to their legacy. It's what put them on

the map. So let's just get it out of the way. We already talked about it a lot. But yeah, we should preface it by saying it was supposed to be a song for this LaFace Christmas compilation album, which they then kind of flip into this quasi-Christmas song, not really, where they kind of wrap around the idea of Christmas, which is my favorite part of like some of the lyrics are so funny. Like even just the opening line, it's like, it's beginning to look a lot like what. And it's like they just won't say the actual thing. I mean, Big Boy does the hallelujah. Hallelujah.

You know, I do some things more different than I use. It's just like, to your point, they get right up to the edge of just being like, this is a Christmas song. And then just like, nope. And I think the funny kind of history of it is that they're very frank that L.A. read goes to organized noise. is like, hey, we need one more song for this Christmas album, can outcast, like, give us a song.

And both Big Boy and Adjur, like, they're trying to ruin our careers. Fuck no, a Christmas song is so fucking whack. And I do think that, like, the original Players Ball does have, like, Christmas kind of effects. Like, I think, like, sleigh bells in the back. And then once Players Ball becomes, like, a huge hit, they take it off because it's just like,

this can't just be a Christmas song. This is a hit. Like, this should just be. an everyday song. So I wanted to ask you, do you think of Players Ball as a Christmas song? Cole? No, I've definitely,

like, so I went back and listened to the original. You can find the original, well, it's still a sleigh bells on the album, but they changed the actual lyric. Have you heard the one where it says, so at the end of the chorus on the original,

it says when the player ball is happening on Christmas Day? I had to go. Yeah, because if I'm wrong, I feel like they use that different version for the video. Yeah, Yeah, the video is the piano, the remix version where they take the sleigh bells out. They kind of remix the beat a little bit, and then they have these changes to the lyrics.

But even the one on the album, there's like so many versions of this song. It got kind of confusing to kind of parse them all out. But I was just going off the album version. But there is a version, the original version, if you go on Spotify to the actual LaFace Christmas album, you can hear that version of players ball where they actually say Christmas Day in the chorus and then they later change that to all day every day. But yeah, just again, to go back to that wrapping around, like getting up to the line, like even like Andre says, so shut up that nonsense about some silent. And instead of saying silent night, just says silent silent, silent, like

silencing the silent night. I mean, big boy says getting tipsy off the nog and high as hell off the contact smoke. Like they literally, the moment they say anything Christmasy, they're just like, what's the like what's the complete opposite thing that would say to sound cool. And that's, I think, the endearing part about this song is like knowing the history of, all right, they want to do this, they don't want to do this Christmas album. They don't want to be a part of it. But obviously, it's something that the label wants. So essentially organized noise and them agree that we're going to make this song

that is essentially about what we do on Christmas, which is smoke, get high, drink in the dungeon. And then they throw this kind of like players ball on top of it all, which is I think even encapsulation of this album, which is these two very, very young, fresh out of high school rappers rapping about shit that either they're seeing just day to day. Maybe they've done a little bit. Like I think they both kind of like, especially Big Boy being like, I was selling drugs, but Big Boy doesn't rap about selling drugs, like Pusha T does. So there is this constantly through this album and on this song, this like how much of this is just high schoolers basically inventing characters or like blowing up their status in the city versus just like, hey, rapping about the people that they looked up to and were surrounded by it this time.

Right. No, definitely. We didn't really talk about the music, which I think is really great. You know, there's no samples in this song. It's all original music, all original instrumentation, live music. musicians, you know, in terms of like their introduction to the world, I feel like this is a pretty good, pretty good, like, synthesis of, like, what made them special, you know? Like, they weren't trying to, to blend in from day one. It feels like they kind of had this established sound that they then just shared on this Christmas album, which I sent you guys a link to the actual

Christmas album for context, because to me, this thing sticks out, like a sore thumb. Did you guys get to scan through the actual Christmas album at all? No, I was going to not. How was it? How was the Christmas album? Give it a rating out of five. Five mics. I'm sorry. I mean, for a rating, be cool. For Christmas album, it's, I mean, it's pretty, I don't know, it's fine. You know, TLC, Tony Braxton. Like, for Christmas songs, it's, it's fine.

Can I just interject to say that, like, I just don't want to disparage TLC's Slayride as a part of this. Slay Ride is a fucking banger. I don't care what anybody's. Let's play a clip right here just to get it in the people. people's ears. Yeah, it's a great. And you called that out when I texted you about it, Justin, and I re-listened to it. Somehow I knew, like, all the words to the first verse still. I haven't heard this song in like 20 years. So yeah, great, great call out, Justin, because that is a great song, great original Christmas song. I mean, I think also what's interesting about Players Ball, which is interesting about this entire album is the fact that, like, this song is anchored by

Sleepy Brown's hook. Like, the hook is just so infectious. And I do think, that it's interesting that so many of the big songs off this album, Outcast is not doing, is like sometimes doing the hook, but not really, or somebody is doing the more melodic parts. And I do think that this album might think even when they talk about it, there is a kind of sense of like them not having full control over it because they're not producing yet, because I don't think Andre had completely really come into his own. And even at that point, he even talks about the fact that like he was not even rapping to the writing to the beat sometimes. He would be like, oh, I was listening to a lot of R&B music writing my lyrics and then I would

go and match the beat. And I do think it's kind of funny going back and being like, damn, would Sleepy Brown have done this hook even two or three years later or would Andre have tried to do it? If it's Big Boy, it's always going to be sleepy. If it's Andre, it might have turned out differently if he had even gone to Jamaica a couple of years earlier. So I find players ball is super interesting in their catalog because it's like, oh,

this is clearly a hit. And this still sounds like outcast, but a lot of the heavy lifting is done by the instrumentation, by Sleepy Brown, and they're coming into the verses to kind of give it that final push. Is that fair? No, yeah. I even like track this out

because to your point about it's like an outcast album, but it's very communal in that way. And there's a lot of presence from dungeon crew members from Organized Noise. Outcast on this album have, there's 11 actual songs if you cut the interludes, and only five of them,

so less than half of the songs have hooks by Outcasts themselves. And the most of them are Big Boy, three out of the five are Big Boy. One is together and one is just Andre Solo, which is on Deep, the last song. So to your point, like, there was a lot of presence from Organized Noise fleshing out those hooks.

Because I don't think that, yeah, they hadn't really found their voice in that way totally yet. And they're still being very much groomed and molded by organized noise. You know, there's stories about them rapping for LA Reed, getting rejected,

and then organized noise, kind of like putting them in this boot camp experience in the dungeon where they would be... They would be like jogging and they would have to like be rapping their verses while they're jogging and shit, which is funny because it's just like, how like in comparison, how old was organized noise at this time?

What, they were in their like 20s? and they're like telling these like 17 and 18 year olds go do fucking laps and rap. Yeah. But I mean, they were trying to get that star power. They're trying to get more of a, you know, all the things that L.A.

Reed knocked him for because L.A. read was really their only connection to the music industry. And so they had to seek his approval. And so they did, you know, they worked to that point. But yeah, to your point,

the hook is classic. It's, it's so good. And also I have to just shout out. There are, when we talk about like moments of, seeing where they would go. There's such a little moment, but my favorite part of this song,

besides just like the great production in the hook, is Andre's second first, where he goes, my heart does not go pity pat for no rat. I'm leaning back my elbows out the window. Coke, Grumman, Indo fills my body. Where's the part? It goes, give me 10 and I'll serve you then.

Now we've been. The corner in my cat, I lack. My heart does not go pity pat for no rat. I'm leaning back my elbows out the window. Coke, Raman, Endo feels my body. It's the party We rode deep to underground Seeds a lot of hoes around

I spit my game while waiting It's those moments like that Where he like gets it to a pocket Yeah And he's like he's having fun Where a lot of times I feel like Andre is kind of like getting up

To if we're talking about like Oh they're just getting up to the The part where they're going to say Something Christmassy and they get back I feel like Andre has a lot of parts In this album where he's getting into pockets and he's having a little bit of fun, and then he reverts back to kind of like where big boy is at.

And there's nothing wrong with that, but even watching some of the videos of a young Andre, he's not even as comfortable as Big Boy in a lot of those music videos. Like he's wearing like a Braves jersey, and he's kind of doing like what he thinks a rapper should be doing. But there's shots of him just like standing there. And I'm like, oh, you weren't fully fleshed out yet. You're still kind of wearing a rapper mask,

which is fascinating to even see. Because at this point, he's not even Andre 3000 yet he's just going by Dre which is hilarious because I'm just like of all the fucking names to pick in 1990 fucking four why would you just be like you know what the world needs another Dre and he's from Atlanta just hilarious yeah my favorite line on here it just makes me just because it's just so weird to hear Andre rap about guns where he's like I'm like no matter what the season forever chill with my smith I sit my fifth I chill with Wesson,

Smith of Wesson gunplay. It's just, it's just so odd to hear him. I mean, the lyricism is great. The flow is great. It's like, but to your point, like,

watching the videos, it's like, it's one of those things where, like, maybe you wouldn't know to, to look for it had, because we know the transformation

that occurs just shortly after this album, uh, in terms of Andre really finding himself. But it is funny to go back and look and just feel, yeah, he does seem like, acting a lot kind of playing a part and not quite expressing himself and you can really feel that I think there is there is one moment a couple moments on the album that I'll say for later that I feel

like the real Andre starts to peek out anything else on players ball you want to you want to no I just players ball it's funny like players ball just is the song like there's a lot the single all the singles are really really good but players ball is just a fucking jam it is and it's just so funny because it's just like to your point, I think earlier, we don't, we don't really think of it as a Christmas song and you really have to like hone in on the lyrics because like even the video that they shoot, they're all in the club.

They're just like in the club in a basement eating cereal, shooting pool. Like even the fucking video, I'm just like, you guys couldn't even commit to the bit for this shit. There's not like, oh, there are both fucking elves or Santa. It's like, nah, we smoke a weed. and we in a club drank it. I imagine you being in high school and someone comes up and says,

do a Christmas song. I mean, at that age, you're just like, fuck that. Yeah. Yeah. It's like such the cringiest shit, right? So for my second nomination, I want to touch upon something that you said, Cole, which is Andre,

sometimes on this record, the rapping is great. It's still phenomenal. But what he's rapping about is so forward. to what we would know he would stand for just a couple of years later. So I want to go with one of my favorite songs off this. Ain't no thing. Andre's opening a smoke out in the dungeon with the merit dame. It's just a kiddye's.

Y'all hear my shit go. It's Andre. Y'all hear my shit go. It's Andre. Can you punk ass come out to play, stay in your little hole, then coward duck your head. You don't know who you be fucking with. You's better off dead. Again, to the get-go. You know, my shit go. It's Andre. Can your punk ass come out to play, say, stay in your little hole, then coward duck your head. You don't know who you be fucking with. You's better off. Yeah, that's what I say. Best run the other way in case the physical breakdown. Y'all can break now. Again to the adolescent reference, can you come out to play?

Yeah, it's just, it's so funny to see how. far Andre has come and he said something in an interview to the recording academy where we said quote, I can't explain the gravity, attraction, or soundscape of that record. We were merely hired young guns that only wrapped on the record, which organized produced in its entirety. I actually cringed out when listening to it because I hear how I was still trying to find out who I was as a young man with many influences good and bad. I was only about three years away from living a pretty strict life with just my mom and I was essentially still a mama's boy that got sent to live with my dad and that's when I met big boy. So it is like even still to this day,

it's funny hearing like how Andre even admits I was a mama's boy who was like just basically trying to keep up with my friends. And it's just like even he like when he's rapping it. I'm like, bro, Andre, you don't even believe this. But it sounds so good and he's rapping so well that you're like, it still sells it completely um i'm assuming you i have more stuff to say about ain't no thing but before i continue do you like this song i was on my list it's i was going to nominate it if he didn't so it's definitely i it's close to my favorite it's definitely my favorite hook the hook is so fun the hook it's my favorite hook on this entire it's so fun ain't no thing but a chicken way we ever spoke out in a dungeon with the bearer jane it's just the pips players mac daddy's e-point it's all about the

saying, yo, it's the joy. The East Point, the way he says East Point makes me smile every single time. He's like, he's points. I think I like this hook so much because it does point to where I think they're about to go, which is, I think I love Outcast the most when they are playful, when they are leaning into the fact that they are outsiders and they're so different. and you have this alchemic like relationship between this two, and you're going space age and horoscopes.

And Ain't No Thing isn't that yet. But the hook to me is when they're really like, oh, these are kids just having fun. And it's just going to get so much better from here. What about ain't no thing besides the hook? Are you just like, oh, it puts it in? Because you didn't even look at me crazy when I picked it. No, I mean, I was probably going to pick it next.

So it was, I mean, it's like I said, said, one of my very favorite songs, if not my favorite song, definitely my favorite hook. And the beat is like a standout. The beat is insane. It's so good. It's got a Miles Davis sample. It's from this really abstract when Miles was in his like electric phase. It's this like crazy live album. And it's like the sample is just like a blip. We can play it here. It's like a blip of a trumpet stab with some effects on it. Yeah. And it's like seven minutes into this long song. And it's like I just, you know, When you're thinking about them producing, it's like you think about them sitting through this abstract album just to pull this one little clip that then becomes this timeless beat. The drums are just, like to me, like this would fit on ATLians,

this beat or this song even as a whole could fit on AT aliens. And you can't really say that about a lot of the songs on here. So it has just a, there's a clarity to this beat where I feel like a lot of, some of the songs on Southern Player are a little bit, convoluted. And I don't know if that's like maybe just a mix wasn't as clean, but ATLN's and has like a more stripped back feel and I feel like this, this beat could fit on there. It's just really clean. The drums knock. There's a really killer, uh, subsynth baseline. So I really like the beat. Again, the rapping, there's not really like a, like, I don't know if you thought this too, but like there's not like a, they never get too low with the rap. Like there's not a song where I'm like the rapping's just subpar. But there's also not a song where like, I, like, I feel like they're just, like, there's a rapping that's miles ahead of everything else. So it's like the verses are great, but the verses are great are kind of on every song.

It's kind of like a given. The rapping quality is like a given across the album. There's not as much like big boys punch lines aren't as inventive or tight. You know, there's no polar bear line. There's no just like he's not as descriptive. Andre's voice is it as elastic yet. It's still like, he's a teenager, but his voice is like very deep and he's kind of adding a very macho bravado.

And one of my hot takes for this, it's probably a mild take. Is Southern Planoistic just a very, very fantastic classic, you know, fucking weed album? Like, is it just like, because it's just like, even Andre at this point,

like, after this album releases, he becomes a vegetarian, he quits marijuana, and he's like, I don't, he was very scared that, like, yo, what am I as a rapper without weed? was Southern player just because, like, he was like, yeah, we were smoking so much weed.

And it's funny listening back to this album where I'm like, every song is literally about like three to four things. It's like Cadillac's cars, smoking a lot of fucking weed, shooting you in the face, and like selling drugs. And it's just like, that is kind of like content wise,

usually where a lot of their verses go back to. But the heavy thing that they keep going back to like, dog, we're smoking a lot of weed. which is once again when we talk about them being like 17 18 when they make this makes a lot of sense because I'm just like oh y'all know a lot about smoking weed and you're not that detailed about all of the other shit like when Andre Bigmore you're talking about like shooting people like guys guys well to that point let me shoot one of my favorite lines on here again Andre rapping about gums he says 357 to your forehead they'll be much

more dead because I'm a pro kid. Great rhyme scheme there. But Lord forgive me, I got to keep my Millie, write, veneer me. But he, like, slurs it to say, like, he's playing on Millie Vanilli. Do you know who Millie? Are you old enough to know who Millie Vanillae? They're giving me a face.

Yes, I know who fucking Millie Vanillae is. Like, what, like, do you think I grow up under a rock? I don't know. I mean, that was pretty early on. And they were just mostly known for lip syncing, which now is, in retrospect so funny they got so clown for lip-syncing when everyone fucking lip-sinks I mean I also remember whoa whoa whoa whoa I want to fact check this they didn't get clown for lip-syncing they go clown for not singing their songs and then presenting themselves as a singer

they were other singers okay okay they weren't like lip-sinking live at their shows other singers saying the songs and then they went on and it's lip-sinked them okay okay thanks Justin that's important I love how Justin is just like whoa whoa I love your memory, Justin. I'm the keeper of Millie Vanilly. No, I think it's great that I had to chime in and be like, no, no, no, no, no. It's still fuck Millie Vanilly. But anyways, I love that line. Again, Andre Gunplay, I'll take it. But yeah, this is a great, I love this song. It's so fun. I think this is like, here's a thing. It's going to be tough for me to pick which one I want to go with. I think Ain't No Thing is probably just like my personal favorite. Like, I'm not talking about like which song I think of is the best on this album. But for like when I'm writing like around, I'm just like, this is the one that I probably like, I'm like, oh, I got to listen to this again. Oh, let me just repeat it one more time.

So it is just one of the most infectious songs on this album. Your second nomination, what are you going with? Okay. Let's go get up, get out featuring Goody Mob. You need to get up, get out and get something. How will you make it if you never even try? You need to mind. So I love this song.

It's a seven-a-half minute posse cut, which you just don't find often these days. It features Seelow on the hook and the first verse, got Big Gip on the third verse. And they're rapping like 16 bars is like the normal length of a rap verse. Each of their verses are like over 20. Most of them are 28 bars, which is just like a long time on a posse cut with four complete verses. I love just the field of the song. I like the message of the song. And I think thematically, when we're kind of talking about,

thematically, this album's a little bit limiting. They're not really saying all too much. I feel like this is the one that has something to say. And it also like points to stuff they'll do a lot more later in their career, which is we talked on two episodes previously about this idea of ascension and outcast, trying to like push people to uplift people, but also take them to these higher places. And you get that here with the chorus,

you know, the chorus is all about kind of motivating yourself, being self-motivated because society or your parents might not be the ones motivating you. Before we going too long, was this on your list? Do you like this song? All right. So the song is not on my list. Oh, wow. Okay. I will say to you that I think this song arguably is probably the most important off this album. Maybe not the best, but important in terms of like, to your point, they're honest about it. Both Andre and Big Boy were like, they went out to tour this album. And while Players Ball might have been bigger, I think they started noticing fans coming up to them being like,

yo, I listen to get up, get out. I listened to what you guys were saying. I finished college or I stopped doing this or I stop. And I like, to your point, I like what you said, I think that this song is kind of like the skeleton key of like them realizing that, oh, we not only do we have more to say, but we can be a more worldly group. And I think Southern Playalistic comes in a tradition of they probably wanted to create their Atlanta album, where it's like, Ilmatic is very much a New York album.

Like, Nas is talking about where he grew up. People are like, this is a biography for us. And I think you had that on the West Coast and you didn't have that on the South yet. But I think Get Up, Get Out is the song that's looking past Atlanta. It's looking past talking to like the players and the strippers. and the drug dealers and all of the hopefuls. And it's just like, no, this song is for anybody, you know? And it's, that's why I think you can't,

you can't extract it from this album, but hot take, I don't know, get up, get out, never did it for me. Really? Justin has something to say. I can see it. Can you see it? Yeah.

Okay, this was the third single, and I remember when the song came out on BT, and it, I was I like this song I want to start by saying I like this song but I have some issues

I have some issues with this song first of all it's seven minutes with like very little variance in the beat which is just kind of an insane thing second

if we're talking about this as the best outcast song can it be when Cilo has the best verse on the album let's fucking go Celo has the best verse on the song

and probably the album This is the best verse on the song. Don't sleep on Andre's verse on this song, though. But yes, continue. Celo is the star of this song coming out of it. I will say this. I said this last time, and I think that you guys touched upon this. Listening in 1994, I didn't know all the contours of who Big Boy was and who Andre was.

I just knew these were two guys rapping. And there wasn't, like, now looking back, I could see the differences in their styles and how they evolved. But at the time, they just, like, they sounded as. similar enough on this album. Maybe it doesn't sound that way looking back, but at the time they did. No, they do, yeah. And there's just something that's like not totally distinguishable about them from one another.

Sealo just jumps off the record. Like you immediately, like he comes in, his voice, the things he's saying. Seelow's really good on this record. A sub take, which I texted by texted at Charles this week. I don't know if I stand by it fully, and I know that's the first rule of a take is you've got to stand by a take. But

Goody Mob's soulful. Food might be a better record than Southern Playlistic. I think that the highs on Soul Food are probably better than the highs on this record. And I think that had the, I think Goody Mob was a much more finished product, just like you guys were talking about Big Boy being a much more finished project. Like, I know who Coojo was. I know who Seelow was when I listen to that record. And those songs are really good.

I mean, do you think that's also just because at the time they're making Southern Playalistic, like outcast Goody Mob or. Organized noise are kind of one organism at this time. So it's just like, get up, get out makes sense if you're just like, this is kind of a starring vehicle for Seelow. And organized noise has enough power to be like, yo, goody, till a face, goody mob is next. So because like I do see how outcast is probably an easier pitch at that time. Sure. Then good.

Sure. Is that unfair? You know, they're good. They're smooth. they're better looking. Like, no, shit. Like, I'm sorry. This is, if this is going to be the dissect episode where we say full bush for the first

time, then it's going to be the dissect episode where I say that Seelow just was not an attractive man relative to Andre and Big Boy. I have one more take about the song. And it is the song with a message. However, should we be giving it points when that was, when that message at times kind of veers into, Hey, how about you pull up your pants? Yeah. Okay, let me lay out, because this really changed my perspective on it.

Seelow, like you guys are saying, it's a big part of this song. He's got an incredible verse, and he obviously is the hook. So Seelow writes this one year after his mother passes away. She was a firefighter. She got in her car accident, paralyzed for two years, and passes when Seelow was 18. Seleo's dad died when he was two years old. So not only is he getting out of school in that classic kind of like, what do I knew next after high school, not going to college,

what am I going to do with my life type thing. Also, his parents are gone. He moves in with his aunt. And so he talks about this being the song that he kind of lets it all out. It was one of the first songs that he wrote or contributed to after his mom's passing. And he said it's like totally autobiographical. in terms of like where his mind was at this time and trying to motivate himself to do something with his life rather than fall into doing drugs and just kind of like pissing away his life.

So I get, I can see where that could be a critique, Justin, but knowing the context of it, it just feels very authentic to me to where it's, it's just, yeah, it's just like trying to motivate yourself. When no one else is there, he has no parents to motivate him. So yes, it's all on him. What is, no, what is the emotional version of being dissected? Is it like, you have, you have melted my, my ice cold heart on this one. Yeah, I was, like, Cole dropped one on you.

Yeah, I was, I was about to come in here, I'm about to be like, I'm about to be like, yada, yada, yada, respectability politics. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Isn't this so cool? And Cole's like, actually, this is a really heartfelt song. And I'm like, fuck. So I like this song, like, I like this. song, it's just to your point that I, I know it's an outcast song. I know it's on their album, but the reason I didn't pick it is I'm like, can get up, get out really go far at the end of the

season? Fair. If it is like the hook, what do we remember about this? We remember the hook and see those verse. And I'm sure people like, no, so and so has the best verse. But on my Andre's verse is great. And if we're talking about Andre not really, expressing himself on this album, I think you can look to this verse as the closest preview of the Andre to come, you know? Let me take y'all way. Back to when a nigger stayed in southwest Atlanta, A. Y'all could not tell me nothing thought I hit that bottom rock at age 13, start working at that loading dock. Then laying my mama off a work in a remote is tripping, but I come home back

like Hank from making and dipping. Doing dumb shit not knowing what a nigger know now. Yeah, that petting shit will have you cached up and locked down. Andre got a good verse. I'm not taking anything away from Andre. He takes us through his entire childhood, his middle school, dropping out of high school. It's like a total autobiography of his entire life in one verse. I think it's great. Go back and listen to his verse.

It's really good. And there's nothing showy about it. He's not trying to front. He's not trying to put on to act. It's very introspective. Talks about not listening to his mom. Kind of pokes at his own veneer in like putting on this persona. That's not really him.

He says, the doper that I get, the more I'm feeling broke his shit. So, I don't know, it revealed a lot to me. And the Seelow thing, I probably wouldn't have nominated this, but the Seelow thing put me over the edge. I'm a sucker for meaningful songs. And on an album that doesn't have all that meaning in that way, I had to talk about that. Oh, hell yeah. See, Justin, you should open your heart a little bit more.

Stop being so fucking cheap. You know what? I will for literally anything besides Infinity War. Well, with that, guys, we're going to go on a little break. And when we get back, we're going to pick our final songs for the nominations. And then we're going to pick our two choices for the greatest songs off Southern Playlistic. Make sure, stay tuned. All right, Cole, it's time for our final songs.

And I have a feeling that we might have both picked the same song, but I might be wrong. Okay, let's hear it. Your turn. I'm picking the title track, Southern Playalistic Cadillac music. The hook on this song. song is my second favorite hook after ain't no thing southern playlistsic catalogue punk music it's when we talk about this being like a writing around record just like holy shit yeah this might be my favorite beat off the album I think oh really okay it's so infectious

it I do think of outcast as such a like a melodic group even for this time but especially as they get along and just like the hook to this is insane. I think it has some of their most nimble rapping. Before I continue, you didn't pick this, did you? No, I did.

I was going to try to give some love to Crumbling Herb. But, wait, before we, before we finish the playlistic, make a case for Crumbling Herb because for people who don't know this story, uh, Logan Murdoch,

friend of the fucking show. He came into L.A. where I live now. We got some nice dinner. We had some burgers together. Justin was nice enough to drive us. And we're driving back to Logan's hotel. And he decides to put on Crumbling Herb. And then I pissed everybody off in the car when I was like,

I don't we fuck with Crumbling Herb like that. Not really my favorite song. I don't even like Crumbling Herb. I'll be real. And they acted like I fucking killed a puppy. you don't like the hook of crumbling herb. That hook is great. It's like if you're talking about car music,

it's like the perfect driving music to me. I'm a sucker for the chords on this song are so good. It's got this really great keyboard line. I just, I mean, again, like a lot of me trying to pick the songs on this album where the rapping is going to be always pretty good or great.

So it's mostly about the beat and the hook. And like, to me, the beat and the hook are some of my favorite moments. It's like, in terms of like a vibe, a vibe song? You're like usually the vibe guy.

Like this is full of vibes on the song. Here's the thing. The production, the hook, I agree. It's just like, I don't know. I'm very particular about like

my weed music. It's like crumbling herb. I'm just like. Is it a weed song though? It's not a weed song. It's like kind of existential, right? There's only so much time

and left in this crazy world. I'm just crumbling herb. So he's getting high, but he's also like, He's trying to chill. He's trying to... Wait, isn't that a weed song? I mean, it is.

Why I don't pick the song is because the potential of the hook and Andre really goes in on this existential, like, we only have so much time left. But then, like, Big Boy doesn't get into that at all. And then by the end of the song, Andre just starts rapping about weed too. But, like, in the first verse, he says, he opens with, let me dig into your brain,

folks falling like rain, talking about people dying around him. Poverty got me selling things. Guess I'm going to explain. And then later he says, the clock is ticking. People from my block are missing. I'm putting it down. Like it'd be hot before we all get shot.

So there's like, it's like pretty dark at first. And so like the crumbling herb aspect is this like escape and this attempt to to keep it light and enjoy life while you're still here. But then it kind of like just disassembles into just a classic weed song by third and fourth. Honestly, I was lying. I like the production. I think it's the hook. I think it's the hook. You don't like the hook?

It's like, there's only so much time left in this crazy world. I'm just crumbling herb. It's just like, I always laugh. I'm just like, it's like when he does the, I'm just crumbling nerve. I just, I, it's so goofy to be. I don't know why.

It's like, it's funny. I laugh, but I can't, like, you are right about the existential stuff in the song you are. but like delivering that existential stuff and the sleepy brown just coming in and be like, I'm just crumbling nerve it's just like all right man I don't know

Justin why you look so fucking upset I know he's so pissed right now I mean first of all isn't the chorus more you're the one who was fucking shitting on fucking C-low and get up get out a couple fucking yeah no I do want to say that I cannot so I think the chorus my interpretation of the chorus has been

more about it's about black on black violence right and how it's part of the yeah that's the second part of it yeah the master plan and how it's like this this idea of like this is what the Charles Died disappeared from the camera I want to make sure

oh my cat sushi we're recording this one at home sushi is not fucking with this crumbling herb okay I just song more than me I just wanted to make sure I said, I always thought the songs about black on black violence and Charles just disappears. Oh, I did put down my mic and I literally was listening because I was just like, I was tuned in because I'm like, please, Justin, what do you want to tell me about black? I'm not, I'm not, I'm talking about it.

Okay. I just, I do want to, I do want to say, though, that I cannot talk about the hook on get up, get out without also acknowledging that this song is kind of in the same vein as that. So I have to admit that the hook is a little preachy where a lot of this record is not. Am I off base on that, Charles? I don't think so. That's probably also where I think their hearts are in the right place, but it's so funny when like ATLians comes right after this. And we were clear, like still some of the politics on ATLEs don't work.

But they definitely, the preachiness is not as like intense. as some of the crumbling er. I don't know. Let's get back to Southern Player because I interrupted with the crumbling herb. Here's the thing. I want you to pick your heart. If you're going to put one of your three picks

is going to be crumbling herb. Just do it. No, I just, I mean, I got it. I got it off. I'm not picking that as my last long standing. So we talked about it enough. We gave it, it's due.

So you're picking Southern Player. Yeah, for this exercise, I've got to go with Southern Player for sure. What is it about Southern Player to you? Because you know I'm a hook guy. So this is just like, Like, this sounds cracked to me. This looks not my favorite, to be honest.

Like, what? You like, do you like the crumbling herb hook better than this? Oh, maybe. Yeah, probably. Probably. Maybe it's just the, maybe it's not the melody. I just, the singer, it's not just, it's not my cup of tea. No offense.

But I just like Sleepy Brown's voice a lot. I mean, I like Sleepy Brown too. I fuck with Sleepy Brown heavy. He's a legend. OG. but you like the crumbling er book better than the title track this is a hot take hole

I don't is it okay I don't really fuck with this at all for me it's the beat though the beat on this thing is great the instrumentation again just crazy live there's a fucking saxophone solo on the intro

just is a great oh this solo is insane it puts me in just such a good mood bro like if we're talking about like Yeah, because sometimes it's hard to go back in time and be like, what was so different about outcast? Because our ears are so much more open to like different sounds. Hip-hop has gone a million different places since 1994. So it's hard to like distinguish.

Why were they such outcasts in the genre? And I think you can point to a song like this, which does feel very distinct and different from definitely the East Coast. I would say it's more similar to like that West Coast feeling, but it's definitely a different spin on like this funk influence. Right. So the production is what I feel like really sets this apart. And it starts with that 808 beat, which you think is going to carry through, but then they just flip it. It's like so cool. Yeah. And it's like it's just, and talking about cruising music, if you're trying to just live up to the title, like it does so perfectly. So yeah, there's three verses on the song, and each verse, Andre and Big Boy trade off, which I just love. I love when they exchange mid verse and just really play off that chemistry. Andre's opening line on the second verse is so good. Are you a WWF, WWE fan?

I am not. Okay, talk about childhood references, because I was a, like, that was, WWF when I was like elementary school was my, I was obsessed. And so he says, And so he says, Then I yell, Ho. Ho is a shot out to Hacksaw Jim Duggan. I don't know if you know him,

but he used to say, ho, that was like his trademark scream was ho. And Dusty Rhodes had a special finishing move called the Bionic Elbow. Justin, do you know these references? Were you W at FN? When I was a kid, I want to say that again, we stick around for the Stinger, folks, but like Charles being too good for Dusty Rhodes and Hacksore Jim Duggan, but being like, oh no, like the Green Goblin is going to like, go do that.

He's going to save the day. He's going to love him. Green Goblin wasn't even in Infinity War. He's a villain. So he's a part of the Sony Spider-Man universe. Watch yourself. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

There were multiple. There's a multiverse of shit just going around with that stuff. But like, no, yeah. I mean, drop these bows like Dusty Rhodes is great. It's also like a couple years later connects to the ludicrous song, throw them bows, you know. It's just some real Atlanta shit here. It's great. Great song.

Great verses. I love this song. Well, it's the M.R. Crooked Letter coming around the South Rowland, straight hymn is and bows in that old southern slouch. Like, it's, I will say this too. Andre kind of mentioned that one thing that, like, makes him cringe about this record is that he felt as if he wasn't as crisp as he wanted to be. He could not, like, pronounce his words as well as he would in other albums.

I will say big boy gets him on this album. Like big boy's like he obviously gets better as a rapper. But I do think big boy just in terms of like kind of having the blueprint of the big boy flow, the slang he would use the pockets getting in and out of rhythms. I was constantly surprised. I was like, oh, big boy was I think a little bit more finished than Andre. In my notes, I have like this feels. Big Boy,

they don't want to declare a winner, but it's like his presence is stronger on this album, I feel like. And Justin made a great point where it's like Andre kind of blends in with Big Boy. And maybe we just think about that in retrospect, again, knowing where Andre would go to differentiate himself. But Big Boy had found himself. And again, he would iterate and polish this version, this persona as they matured.

But the essence of who Big Boy is, is you can feel it on this record, where Andre, again, you can feel that he was kind of playing a part, or at least in retrospect, that's what it feels like. And so I agree with you. Like Big Boy's presence is much stronger to me on this record. Although I'll say Andre, I personally has some better moments than Big Boy does, especially on like Get Up, Get Out, where it does point to where he would go.

But I agree with you. So yeah, Southern Player, I'm happy with that pick. It does have, is it? I didn't catch this until. I was like scrolling through the lyrics. But is this, I can't decide this is really good or just corny. But Andre says,

I'm packing my tag backwards if you want to be acting wrong. So tag backwards is Gat. So he says, I'm packing my Gat backwards. If your base is, what's, that good? Andre's a legend.

He is, but everybody got some stinkers. You know, every, everyone got some stinkers. it's fine. I love this album. It's just, there's a lot of lines on this record where I was just like, oh, you guys were teenagers. Yeah. Because it right after he says, Ward is Bond like super glue. It's funky like pooper scoop. Oh no. I like that one. I like

that layer. I wrap that one in the car. That one's dope. That one's dope. I'm giving him that one. Okay. All right, guys. So to go over, round one, we both had players ball. Round two, Cole had get up, get out, I had an ate no thing in round three. Cole had Southern Playalistic and I had Southern Playalistic. Now that we've made our case for what songs from Southern Playlistic Cadillac music are in contention for Outcast best of all time. Each of us must choose our last song standing, aka the song we're bringing with us to the season finale Royal Rumble. I'm so pissed right now because I get to go first. So you get to go first.

well okay well let's just see what you do because I have some strategy here hmm ooh what's your heart telling you Charles not the troll what's your heart telling you no I got it I got it or is your heart just a troll is your heart my heart is trolling my heart is trolling and I really like I think right now

if we go back I have bombs over Baghdad elevators Ooh. I'm going to be honest, I'm in between Players Ball and Souther playlist of Cadillac music. And I think I like Southern Playlists

to Cadillac music more, but Players Ball is more important to their discography. Would you be upset if I didn't pick Southern Player and if you picked Players Ball? Because that is a very real possibility. Don't get my fucking head, Cole. Don't play fucking mind games.

I'm just going with my heart. I'm going Players Ball, bro. Don't get in my heart. I'm going players ball. God damn it, dude. You tried to fuck. Like, I can see it, bro. You're trying to put the breadcrumbs.

No. Players ball. I came here to win. We're going players ball. God damn it, dude. And here's the thing. I know I'm a sellout. I like Southern play a catalog music better.

See, that's what I was saying. Go with your heart, dude. Nope. Nope. Because now you put me in a tough spot. Fuck. You're going to. Pick, get up, get out.

It's fine. More people. Do you think more. people like Players Ball in 2024 or more people like Get Up, Get Up, Get Out. Players ball, come on. I think. It's not even close. To quote Kendrick,

you're faking for likes and digital hugs, Charles. Damn, I am. I am. This is this, like, here's the thing. There's been a lot of podcasts where I've had to own up to the fact that I'm fake as hell. It's fine. Hollywood Holmes is here. The realness, we left it on the East Coast, baby. This time for that celebrity status.

Go pick your song. What song did you pick? God damn it. See, I was trying to get you to not pick Players Ball because I really wanted it because I genuinely liked the song and it's genuinely my favorite on the album. So now you force me to pick,

see, this is where I'm like, Southern Player or Get Up, Get Out. Get Up, Get Out is nowhere near going to be like Southern Playlistic. We can have an argument. We can have an argument about that song. That's a good song. Get Up, Get Out is a great song as well,

but like we can't have that greatest outcast fucking song where Seelow kills them on their own shit. Like, you just can't. But there's a part of me that just wants to leave Southern Player out just to fuck with you. It's fine. It's fine. Here's the thing.

It's your graphic card. You know what I'm saying? Okay, hold on. We're totally forgetting about Ain't No Thing, though. Wait, Ain't No Thing was my nomination. Now you're going to steal my nomination? Yeah, whatever. It was on my list.

Oh, fuck off. Because A Ait No thing is my favorite song. No. Wait, really cool? I genuinely like ain't no thing better than Southern player. Pick it. Justin, what do you think? Pick it.

We've entered weird territory. You guys are playing opposite day here. I know. Last episode two. Three episodes running. Oh, fuck. The fact that you're outsmarting me, Charles is just really good. I came ready.

Getting under my skin. Because here's a thing. I like all of these songs. I like all these songs, but it's also like this isn't about my taste. an exercise about like winning the people's hearts, winning the charts. You know what I'm saying? I know I'm a very controversial figure at the ringer and on the dissect feed. And this is my, this is me saying to the audience, I hear you. I'm for y'all now. So pick what I'm saying. Your graphics is going to look crazy, Cole. I know. That's the big, dude. My, my graphics

not looking great. But if I'm being honest to myself, okay, here's the battle. Here's the battle. Personally, I like ain't nothing better than Southern player. But if I'm in this exercise specifically where you're trying to toe the line between your favorite but also be an objective, what is the best song? I think you'd have to pick Southern Player. Justin, am I wrong with that? Are we, are we doing a life? Are we asking what I would pick off this album? Yes.

Yeah. If you do not pick Southern Player, I am considering using my. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. And I'm not sure I'm going to. But like, I, before we started the season, I sat down and wrote down. on what I thought what's the best song on every album. And for me, it was like clearly Southern Playeristic.

Wow. Okay. The title track. Yeah. All right. In the spirit of being somewhat objective and trying to be true to this exercise, I do think Southern player is the correct pick. So with some trepidation, it's a great song.

I don't want to undermine it. Yeah, I love this song. You think I'm more mad that you fucking. I'm more mad that you pick fucking. in players ball when it's that's what's really making me mad but let's lock it in Southern Blailistic Cadillac music is my pick.

All right, I got players ball. Now, every episode, Justin, you already hinted at it, you get a coaches challenge. I'm assuming you don't have to use it anymore because Cole ended up going with Southern player. Yeah, I'm trying to think of like so what stones are we leaving off.

Ain't no things great. Get up, get out. Get up, get out. I personally would not use it on get up, get out. Rumbling herb. Yeah. Hootie-hoo, deep, no. You know a song I really like which didn't get discussed? It's not going to be my pick, but claimant true. Really? That baseline is insane. I just like, I think I said it at the beginning, but the baselines on this album are insane. I would agree with that. And claimant true is one of them. I'm not going to pick it, but those drums in that baseline, man.

That is also one thing about this exercise is it feel like people are going to be like, oh, you guys pick the singles and I'm like, no, no, no. Like Outcast, their deep cuts are still good, but I think their singles are just so potent that I do, it is a bummer that I'm just like, damn, like, that's their, but that's their best, like, one of their best talents to me is towing that line of accessibility with artful quality. Like, they do it better than anyone or as good as anyone where they give you these high quality songs that are also radio friendly. Like, to me, that is what makes Outcast really special. Well, I have a feeling that when we get to a Quemini,

which is not going to be next week, but when we get to a Quemini, we might not be picking singles because we're talking Rosa Parks and skew it on the Barbie. Right, right. Oh, yeah. And I just, like, those are great songs. And I'm, you know, I'm sure a lot of people listen to this.

It's like, well, Rosa Parks is great. I'm like, there are. No, we got the art of storytelling too. Like, we got chunky fond. Because here's the thing, I'm not going to pick. Wait, my mic, because I love Chunky Fire. Damn. Now I just want to do, I want to do Equimini next.

So just to clarify, I am not using my coach's challenge this week. You did get close. You did get really close. I had to, I basically had to, I'm anticipating having to use it for Equimini. And I didn't want, it's like, you know, if, if there's a bad foul call in the first five minutes of an NBA game, you're like, I don't want to use my coaches challenge right now because what if I needed in the fourth quarter? Right.

Yeah. But that's kind of how I felt using this. I'm like, if Southern player doesn't get picked, I might have to use it. But I didn't. I took one for the team. It was a good pick, though. All right. Should we reveal who we doing next, Charles?

Yeah. Let's do it. Next episode is an Andre 3000 special. So what we decided to do with Speakerbox Love Below is split them into their own episodes since they are their own albums. And we are going to start with Andre's Love Below. We are also going to be covering Andre's features in that episode, which I am very, very excited about. Oh, I'm so excited. I once, like, here's the thing. Shout out the blogs. I used to have a mixtape that just compiled all of his features. And I was just like, fuck. Like, that was,

it was a great time. So we're doing, just to repeat, we're doing Love Below, Andre Features. Then the next episode we're doing big boy speakerbox all his features and honestly his albums because big boy has been prolific in a way that uh let's just say andre has been all right well thank you to justin of course to kevin pooler audio production and bureaucratic for the theme music we will see you back next week for andre three thousand special all right we're back cole tell the people about our favorite segment all right this is our coles cultural exchange. This is where Charles shares something special to him. I

share something special to me and we get to know each other a little bit more and the things we love. This week made me hate you more than... This is great. This is a great day of life. This is like tearing our bond apart because you made me sit through. Well, in all

honesty, I didn't watch the complete two and a half hour infinity. What? Oh, I did. Oh, I did. Why'd you give it on letterbox, Justin? Do you want to know my letterbox review? Please. I'm going to read my letterbox review.

Just for clarity, it was Avengers. Is it, what's it called, Charles? Avengers, Infinity War. And the context. Highest grossing movies of all time. And the context was that Justin and I had never seen a Marvel movie outside of Black Panther. So we are going into this with an open mind, into the Marvel universe.

You chose this fucking movie for whatever reason. Justin, let's hear your letterbox review. Okay. I keep in mind, I had to get this. across in a few words, so I kind of like, I had to simplify what was going on here for all of my 150

followers on Letterbox. And I said, had to watch this shit basically because I lost a bet or something. Maybe the ugliest movie I've ever seen. I do enjoy that Bradley Cooper is doing like 10% Peter Falk voice.

Put the raccoon in a Cassavetti's film. Do you guys know Peter Falk, Columbo? Yes. Yeah. And Bradley Cooper, as the raccoon, is kind of doing that voice a little bit, and it's fantastic. And I just, I'm like, that is like the one saving grace I watched from this, that I took from this thing. Because I cannot fucking believe that you, a grown man, are coming to me and Cole, two purveyors of some of the, some of the, some of the, coal is sitting here trying to, like, dissect the finer points of art. I'm asking for people to just enjoy things that make them feel things in their soul.

and you are out here saying, what if like, you know, the fucking Hulk couldn't really, he had to put on a thing and like fight the HALs. The Hulkbuster aren't, not a thing. The fucking Hulkbuster armor.

I got some questions about Hulk specifically, actually, but continue. Charles, last time you said you cried when you walked in a movie. At what point did you cry? When they were all fucking

disintegrating or whatever, that cheesy ass like, I don't feel so good. I don't feel so good. I don't feel so good, Mr. Stark. Oh man, I was a wreck. I was like, Peter, no, Spider-Man. Like, here's the thing.

I knew that they were all going to be fine because I read all these comics. Like, they were going to be fine. Wait, they come back? Well, spoiler. I'm assuming you guys aren't going to watch Avengers Endgame. No, they all come back at the end. Oh, my God. Okay, so here's, I actually liked the ending.

I was like, oh, shit, they're going dark with it. This is kind of cool. But now that you told me that just the one saving grace of this movie, we're like, oh, fuck, they actually killed. some people. You're telling me that all they just fucking come back. I mean, they're not going to kill Spider-Man. What are you insane? Can I guys? Why don't, wait, you guys didn't enjoy this. Dana's so cool. Can I, can I, can I tell you something? Can I tell you something? Watching this move me made me respect every other movie that's ever been made. And here's

the one reason why. Because the second I put this on, I'm like, did I actually put on the wrong one? because there's so much shit happening that I have no context for. This is 19 films worth of fan service coming together. The second I put on, I'm like... Y'all didn't think any of this was cool? They're fighting fucking Thanos, who has the infinity gauntlet, bro.

Thanos had some points. Thanos has some points, but I do think that guy was hanging out on the same corners of YouTube as Kyrie. Oh, don't say that. Don't say... Wait, so you guys didn't like in the beginning where, like, Thanos is just coming in

And then he's giving the Hulk the work. He's like, ba, blah, blah, bab. Just like killing him. Thor's like, no, you kill my brother. And then they're fighting in New York. None of that. None of that hit, y'all. Did they film any of this on, I'm sorry, Cole.

I keep cutting you off. This is your show. Did they film any of this on location or was it all CBI garbage? Because this looked fucking. This is so fucking awful looking. And Don Cheadle's dumb face when he gets like whacked and he's like, oh, like this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I need the floor for like two more seconds. And I'll give it to you and then I'll deter my mic up. Why are you being so elitist? Why are you elitist fucking member of the goddamn media? Can I read the first paragraph of the Wikipedia page? Can I have the summary? Can I do that?

No. All right, go get your little shit off. Get your jokes off. Having acquired the Power Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones from planet Zandar. Thanos and his lieutenant's Ebony Maugh Coe obsidian Proxima midnight Corvus Glave

intercept the spaceship carrying survivors of Asgard's destruction After subduing Thor Thanos extracts the space stone From Terrastack Overpowers the Hulk and kills Loki Thani also kills

Heimdow After he sends Hulk Hymdow After he sends Hulk to Earth Using the Bifrost By frost By frost All this is lit

All this is fucking lit Bro What the fuck? What the fuck are any of these words Who the fuck are any of these people What the fuck is going on with this shit? Why do you think you're better Than the American public, Justin?

Both of you What the fuck? All right I'm salt of the earth What the absolute fuck man? And you guys are bicostal elites All right Tell me what

Here Cole Why was Infinity War why were why was it up to your artistic standards okay but okay here's a thing going in with no context and like no affinity for any of these characters to be fair this is the end of like 20 films so i like i purposely fucked to you guys or i was just like they're not going to understand one thing happening in this like i get like they set up all the moments where like new people come on like i get like people would cheer like whatever like i get i got a sense of that but without context there were so many moments where I just laughed out loud

because it's like you see the dude and that played Sherlock. What does he play in that movie? Dr. Strange? You mean? Dr. Strange? He's like a grown man and a cape waving his hands around like without context. It's just fucking hilarious. And then just like that. He's a magician doing magic. What's hilarious about that? Just literal. Okay. So what's going on with the Hulk?

Is he supposed to be like bad? Because like, or Is Mark Ruffalo just awkward or is the character supposed to be awkward? Why is he dressed like a community college professor? Because Bruce Banner is supposed to be like a nerdy guy. And he like, once Thanos beats the fucking ever-living shit out of the Hulk, the Hulk is like, what do I got? I'm supposed to be the strongest that they're fucking is. And now Thanos beat the shit out of me.

So he's scared. It's called PTSD. I thought you guys would understand since we live in a progressive society. Yes, you don't. Okay, but here's the thing. like I actually like comic books I feel like if this was a comic book it would be much more enjoyable

but the translation they lost the comic book essence to me like I think of a film like Watchman which I think is great Watchman is terrible What are you talking about? Watchman TV show's great What? You don't like Watchman? The movie?

The TV show and the movie The TV show's great The TV show's fine Like the movie? That movie's terrible Cole Infinity War is so much better than fucking watch. Anyways,

the point is, like, they lost the comic book essence to me. And it just becomes this blockbuster, plug and play kind of thing where it just,

I get, I'm just, there's no emotional attachment. There's no effort to connect you to these characters in any real kind of way. It just feels like they're milking IP as much as they can

to cash out. That was what I kind of took away from this was just made a lot of money. Mission accomplished. If, if, If I could snap my fingers, I'd make the Russo brothers just disintegrate. I'm going to be honest, guys.

This hurts because I thought this was a safe space for us to share our cultures. And I listened to At the Drive-In. Okay, yeah. I was- Let's give the context. So I gave you at the drive-in a early 2000s indie band on my journey to finding my Forever Band Radiohead. I progressed from my high school love of Blink 182 into a more artful, kind of more intricate at the drive-in. You had never heard them before, Charles. What did you

think person play on this thing? I listened to Relationship of Command and it's hard for me to say this after you two or so mean to me for no reason as a brotherhood. But I enjoyed relationship of command before you guys started shitting upon one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. I was like, this is like, this is my band. Like, this is just something that I would play in the whip. Really? On a given day. Like, this is my type of rock music.

I thought it was very enjoyable. But that's all you're getting from me because you guys are assholes about it. I wanted to like, I really wanted to just like bro out on at their drive-in. But instead, you guys want to shit on me. So it's just like, is this a safe space again? Can we talk about why relationship up command is dope? or are you guys going to yell some more? Like, I can't, like, give you, like, any songs.

Like, I was just, like, playing it around. And I was just, yeah, why did you act surprise? This is actually, like, the type of rock music. I'm like, this fucking killer. This is dope. A little too abrasive. He was, you know, it's catchy, but he's also kind of abstract with the lyrics. But to me, I mean, it's like a perfect blend.

You can see, like, how this would be not totally too far out there coming from Blinkwinity. It's like a, to me, it was like a kind of natural maturation in sound. I honestly thought that it was, it took away the stuff from Blink 182 that sometimes I cringe at. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This was more of an intense, like grown up sound where I was like, that's what I mean by like, I would actually listen to this rock in a way that it's like,

I'm probably not going to listen to a Blink 182 album. Right, yeah. If I'm listening to Blink 182 now, which is very, very, very rare, it's just nostalgic pure. But at the drive-in is still like genuinely enjoyable to me. Of all their albums, is this your favorite album? That's hard because Vaya, the one right before this, was really good. It's definitely more, much more raw, low budget.

It's like the Southern player of their catalog. Because this is when they kind of, they became like the darling indie band. Like they were very, very respected. So they got, I think, I think this one was on epitaph, if I remember correctly. So they had a little bit of a budget. And so it's just more polished. So it's definitely more, the most polished. Um, but Vaya is really good. So if you genuinely like him, I would suggest going to Vaya and I think you'd like that one too. There's one of like, of the music that you've given me. This is like this fits in squarely of just like one of my favorite recommendations. Like I was like, it's interesting too, just the parallel between them and Outcast because what happens after this record is the band split. Omar and Cedric, the guys with the froze. They start Mars Volted together and it gets super weird, super tech. Great, great, great music like takes the weirdness about the driving and it just goes.

full force. Sparta is the band that the other three members formed and it's much more straightforward rock music. So it's much like Outcast kind of splintered apart at the end, so did At the Drive-In and you can see that what made At the Drive-In special was this blend of technical ability, guitar licks, abstract vocals, poetic lyricism, but with a foundation that's a little bit more accessible than a Mars Vulta and that combination is like what made them special. So, uh, I'm really glad that you liked them actually. Honestly, that was a, that was briefly well said because I feel like, um, this episode was our relationship of command and after this episode, we're departing. You know, we're spinning off.

Okay, I'll be Mars Valta. You'll be the other guys and no, you're going to, I'm Mars Vulta for sure. You know, actually, we can cut this if it gets to like one of my most tragic stories in life, my band worshipped at the drive-in. Mars Volta forms the year after the relationship of command comes out. They do a tour on their first three-ta song EP. My band was supposed to open for Mars Vulta. I mean, there is literally no one on Earth that I would rather open for at that time of my life. And everyone in my band would be Mars Vulta.

We literally worship these guys. So we drive to the venue on the day of. We get there. Mars Volt is gone and we're like What the fuck? Where did they go? Apparently they got in a fight A fight with a bartender As they were doing sound check

And then they just bounced And so we show up so excited And then the show gets can't We ended up playing for free Giving people their money back And just putting on a free show But imagine the devastation of like This dream come true

Yeah, well people bummed room Were you playing for like a bummed room We was like damn they're not marred We tried to make it like You know People were there for us It was in Sacramento, so we had like a local following for sure. It was there for us.

But yeah, I mean, imagine going to see your favorite band and they canceled the show. Shout out for y'all thugging it out for the people, though. Yeah, that was fun. Anyways, so where are we going next, Charles? You want me to give you my next pick? Yes, because I need help. I need help because I was just like, damn, I don't know. Infinity War went over so terribly.

Like, now I'm afraid. I'm just like, what would I even? show these two because now they're going to be fucking pissed off. So you what what's what's the next one from me? All right. We're going a little bit. So do you know Jimmy Eat World? I do. Do you know them well? Like do you know their catalog well? I like it's it's the same with like it's the same with like you know the big songs. I know the big songs. I was never bumping like Jimmy Eat World in my in my okay. So Jimmy It World's interesting because they started out definitely not like I had the drive in, but their early music was way more technical, experimental,

and then they kind of went more pop and polished. And I wouldn't say they sold out. I feel like a natural progression, but I tuned out, when they kind of started making hits and stuff, I kind of tuned out. But their first, I don't know if it,

maybe it's their first full length. It's a very early record. It's called Clarity. Okay. Came out in 2000, 1999 or 2000. This, along with Out the Drive and was like a huge influence on the band that I was in musically. I haven't actually listened to this album in a long, like, in maybe over 10 years.

So I'm going to actually, I didn't listen to it in preparation for this. I'm going to listen to it and give my kind of reaction to it next week alongside you. So Jimmy Eat World Clarity. You know, I'm going to keep in this category because I think, you know, you said so many beautiful things about Jimmy Heat World. So I have to really talk about a foundational band for me. Okay. who kind of just opened my eyes to emotion and music and just honestly just how vulnerable and open you can be.

Has one of the greatest lyricists of all time for next week. I'd like you to listen to fall boys from under the cork tree. Woo! Let's fucking go. Real rock is back. Okay, you know it's funny? Because you said that Forever Boy or Fallout Boys is your forever band just like Radiohead's mine. I've never, and this is true, I have never listened to a fallout boy album.

Wait, what? I know the singles. I've never, I've never put on a fallout boy album. Oh, from under the cork tree, this is the shit, bro. Okay. This is, this is the, put it in my veins. It's just like, honestly, if you talk about, like, the two greatest, like, lyricists of all time, it's like, I would put, like, gnaws and then right above gnaz, I would put P ones. It's just, like, it's just, it's just, it's great. It's a great. This is, oh, I'm so fucking excited. Next episode, Jimmy E. World Clarity, fall a boy from under the cork tree, baby. Last song, standing, boys forever.

Hell yeah.