- Welcome everyone to Last Song Standing. I'm Cole Kishna. - 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. Right. Cole and I are here to decide the greatest outcast song of all time on our first two We tackled Stankonia and AT aliens and on today's episode. We're taking it all the way back to 1994 as we discuss Outkast debut album southern play holistic

Cadillac music. Yo Cole, Bud, how you been? How you doing? 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. All-time troll job after you derailed it and then just within five minutes picked it. Let's be clear this is gonna be you more mad? I was just like driving around doing errands yesterday and I remember

Bird that literally just started laughing to myself. I was like, every time he's ever done it, then a doctor 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 bullshit the fishy bullshit No! No! Okay, you didn't tell me it was two and a half hours fucking long, dude. Oh yeah man, two and a half hours of Marvel goodness. Okay we'll save that but it's been a rough week. As far as the L double I feel like our bond is the L double s boys are breaking up Throughout this 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 with Outkast, but we should

I'll probably go back a little bit, because as you alluded to, last episode I took my favorite. Okay, I sung of all time that I had no problems with, elevators, and you took the subpar ATLians, and then. And in our pilot episode, I took B.O.B. and you took Miss Jackson. Let's be honest. My card for the end of this is just gonna look pristine. I'm so pissed that you... Got both of those songs like legitimately upset. I don't get upset a lot. It comes to music. I'm passionate man, fuck you. Here's the thing, you didn't come prepared. Air for old Charlie 3000. Let's go wait now you think you're I think you're the - Boy did this podcast, I think. - No, no, no, you wanna know why I'm not? Because I tried to open you and Justin's eyes to stuff like the MCU.

Nathan Fielder, what do I get? A bunch of, what's this weird bullshit? This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. 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 probably has Infinity War, the soundtrack in his earphones while he's playing the flute on the street. You don't fucking know. Jump in here, yeah, please jump in. - Yeah, he was in a Kelly Reichardt 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 You southern man, you know the salt of the earth, as some would say it just to hear how up in the air your nose is at all just like good entertainment fair it's disgusting Listeners here the anchor in my voice But with all of that out of the way cold do you feel?

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 On the single song that is the outcast greatest song of all time. That's gonna be a tough episode. I'm already... I'm actually really excited about the finale because There's I thought I went into this season thinking I had like a favorite but that's kind of crumbling because let me just Before we get into it, these albums have aged so well. I've enjoyed listening back to this. Player which I haven't revisited in quite some time and it just aged so Fleet to me, like what were your first thoughts like revisit 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 Idlewild, which I barely count as-- Nowcast 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, Kendrick Lamar. I've had the most fun with OutKast, and I think I had a lot of fun with this record. Favorite in their discography, it does make me think. Like it is a and we won't 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 three.

The 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 polished and a little bit more dynamic but I feel like Big Boi is kind of is who he is and then Andre is the one at least on this album that almost recognizable 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. This is a Big Boi heavy album. In terms of like to your point, when I was listening to this, I was like, oh, Big Boi would-- Is definitely the more fully formed of the two. And even what Andre is rapping about is interesting 'cause I'm like, oh, this sounds like a big--

Even though I know it's Andre rapping, I'm like, Andre's rapping about all this shit? Not my Andre's house. -It's really -- We're gonna talk about it a lot, but it's weird to hear him talking about guns so much. It's like really off-putting. Justin, how often do you return to this album? -You know, 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 All over again. Like the first thing that jumped out at me is the production in particular didn't, I don't know, it points it didn't feel dated, right? Like there were some songs like we can talk about specifics after. I don't know if like the beat to Hooty Hoo 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 AT aliens or Quem and I yeah or even 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 a good because I've been listening to these albums for months and every single time I listen to this, I'm like this like. Like Southern player and at aliens are both really good car. They're so good car. All those like it's like Southern player plays. 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 wreck. Like they made something that just bit like oh we will talk about some of the songs. I'm just like oh this shit to your

Wait, Justin, this beat knocks. Like this is fucking insane. - Yeah, absolutely. - All right guys, yo, the bantering is over. We're gonna throw it to a break. And when we get back, I'm gonna give you some facts about the album. Cole's gonna talk about the themes and-- Going to bullshit about being old as hell. Stay locked in. All right, we are back to discuss Outkast's debut album, released on April 26th, 1994. The 17-song album spawned three singles. Southern Playlist 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 out. In their discography. - Yeah, definitely not gonna try to like oversell any kind of grand theories here. I think, I mean, like all the...

Cast albums it's like everything's kind of built into the name you know this one has a very iconic like music, to play on the Mary Poppins Supercalifragilist, expialidocious, which is interesting because if you, 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 Boi were in high school, were freshly out of high school, Andre had dropped out of high school. They're like 16, 17, 18. 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're were legitimately so young when they made this thing. But you know in terms of the name it's all in there it's a celebration of 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 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 hadn't 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 at just kind of selling you the lifestyle. The childhood references that I just thought were really funny like Andre on on the title cut he says my heat in the trunk along with... With that quad knock, no, my heart don't pump no Kool-Aid, jump and you'll get sprayed too. And like big boy on Ain't No Thing says, I'm ready to wet 'em like cereal. So there's just like, there's just like all these little, there's a few more I'll point out later, but.

Just tell it was made by high schoolers. Musically, I think is where this -- we can really talk about how this shines, right? Justin alluded to it. Up. Some samples but like we talked about previous episodes not really heavily sample it relying on sample more in interpolating existing work, putting their own spin on existing melodies. Dungeon family a lot but that there's that aspect here too where it really feels like an outro. Them 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. Considering their age and experience level. - They don't sound 17, 18 on this, which is funny. Like, it's like, I know it when I'm listening, but I'm still just kind of like, oh, they were fucking,

Teenagers. I'm just like, what are they... Sometimes with the rapping about shit, I'm just like, I was not... Bye. I don't know. I was not like this at 1718, if that makes sense. Yeah. I mean like it's what they. They, a lot of times, is like cliche kind of... Is very juvenile, but their voices in the rhyme schemes are older than their age. Like, their style is pretty much... I mean, maybe not André so much, but his rapping... 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, I'm not trying to sell it too much. Of thematic stuff going on aside from just kind of two kids rapping about their life and where they want to go. So just... Are you taking us back? What was the name of this segment? We all are on the edge of our seats. Favorite segment we love these olds take us back to 1994 we love these old

1994 I was 11 and or 12 at that time and the Zabenkopf family out it gets a 4.5 mics in the source which we 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 meccas, right? There was, I talked about this a little bit last time when we were talking about the source of war. In the South has something to say, which OutKast 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 Doggystyle came out at the end of 1993, the Chronic was still in rotation, the Above the Rim soundtrack came out in 1994, there was... There's 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 records from Atlanta. I mean, organized noise, like mentioned that it was just like you. At your main dupree with crisscross 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. As well as Outcast, I'll just say. No it didn't, but you know what, they were trying their best. Um, and then you had

tag team, the uh, the wump there it is guys. Another thing I want to get into is 1994 is an excellent year for rap debuts, okay? Okay? You have, just even these three, you have Southern Playlist of Cadillac music. You have Ready To Die. Die.

This is Illmatic. You know, you've been doing so good at playing to the audience, and now you're just like, Fuck. Acting like I hate Illmatic is just not what I'm putting on my whip. And it's just like, I don't want to be bullied into it, alright? I'm the I'm one of the hoes and it scares me. I'm not putting the filmatic We're going to get into bullying people into enjoying things when we discuss infinity war at the end of the show It's like, it is a fantastic year for rap. It is, again, like, above the rim is massive doggy-style. It's 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 My sixth CD changer. My albums that would be in my sixth CD changer for 1994. Ready to die. Illmatic. Gangstar's hard to earn. Hmm. ♪ I work too hard for my royalty ♪ ♪ Put lead in your ass and drink a cup of tea ♪ ♪ Peace the red alert and kid Capri ♪ ♪ Ooh la la ♪ Look. - You didn't think I was gonna get out of this without mentioning that I was like, you can't get out in 1994 if you're me without mentioning Gangstar. Outkast, Southern Playlisted 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

by OC. Great album. Classic album. I don't think anybody... I'm curious how many people listening to this podcast know OC'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 Well, maybe your junior high basketball team. I don't I I honestly don't remember. In Birchwood in North Providence, Rhode Island, that was the junior high. I don't remember if we would like the fucking Badgers or whatever. I have no idea what we were. Charles, do you remember? What the cover for the what the actual CD of a aliens look like now 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 know I am, but I am. I want you to Google right now. If you can on your on your computer, this actual physical CD 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 ATL'ian's one as a kid. This one I haven't seen, but it is a very. My sister alright drawn in what looks like. Color pencil. With her titties just out pop and doing. 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, titties-poppin' CD cover? This is where we see the 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, this is disgusting. I'm saying this might be the first pair of naked breasts that I've ever... Saw so sad would explain so much so with That I think it's time for my second favorite named Of Last Song Standing. We're going to our album trivia corner, AKA, ♪ Smutty I eat ♪ ♪ It's delicious ♪

So Sporeo Equisilicious 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 long standing segment at the end of the episode. I've been winning the segment and I think I'm gonna win again. So do you want me to go first? Yeah go first First, cause I got to judge how unrealistic these questions are, and I'm going to base my questions on how hard yours are. All right. I came prepared. So obviously you know that player's ball. The first single off this album comes off a Christmas album. Correct. You know that right? Yeah, yeah. 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 Boi did an interview with GQ where Sleepy Brown revealed...

That the original title for players ball was socks and draws. Now do you know why it's called socks and draws? Like even Big Boy had forgotten. It's a very, it's a very cute video where like Big Boy's like, God. And it was called Soxage which is a terrible title for a Christmas song. Let's be clear, but Big Boy was like, it was called that because of The hood. That's all you got pass apart certain eight age okay after Christmas. You just got socks and draws Players' Ball is an infinitely better title. I don't even know if we get the outcast that we get today. Called Socks and Draws, because I'm like, what person in 1994 was just like, They should- that's a great title- that's a great title- they should've put it in parentheses. Players' Ball, parentheses, socks and drawls. I actually really liked about that. That's really good. Uh, okay. So I got that wrong. That was a really great one.

I actually really liked that question though. Okay, Big Boy and Andre met while attending a performing arts high school in Atlanta. 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, 'cause I did know this. This is the problem, you know it, and then when you're put on the spot. - I know, I know. - 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, but yeah, it's not that one, but they, and they realized that there's a rock band called the Misfits, but they did have another name before this that was official that they were using yeah. I'm not even going to. I can't recall 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. Like just with, or it's like a butterfly effect. Just one little change. If they still went by Black Dog and Black Wolf But it see but then I think like so but was Someone's so good. It's like album title or album cover sometimes on a classic, like bad album covers on a classic record. Somehow the album cover just ends up being good because you associate it with the good music. Like does that happen? I think that happens sometimes, right? I mean, I will say the Southern Play-A-Listic 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 is cool.

This is the dumbest album cover. People are gonna 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 outcome or they just didn't have 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 Sub outcast albums album are kind of sucks like it's classic by the standards at that time. I understand during that time people like this 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 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 iconic.

I think I queminized better. I think at aliens is *weird noises* talk about it later. We'll write them later. I'll 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 uh 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 hit. 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 the outcast. I'll give you half a point. So it was, it was intended for. Dyes original group at the time called Janos a qua and outcast got to hear the beats first and they were like yo Oh. We want players ball, so it's pre tlc the how the story 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 OutKast. Time left, I had a group by the name of Janos a qua, okay, who players Bob was going to go to and like outcast heard. Players ball right and was just like now we need like we need that Pete right if I got any of this wrong fact checkers fact check me but I remember this so alright well I got So I'll take the half point. Take the half point? So how much of an advance did Outkast receive from LaFace records to get to produce Southern Playlist?

the next, video! 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 groups, so I kind of get it. It's not like Loveface 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 Was kind of endearing though. I mean, the dungeon was just like, I feel like we're always like, it was the mom's basement that you have to describe it. There's just like yeah, it was dirt floors. No yeah, I watched a documentary like old old V H one 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. They are so dingy. And they talk about it. I think the sweet thing is like you because you'll hear them talk about it each time and they hold this like a. 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 gonna get back to kind of just like the very just on the ground, we just love music so much. We'll sleep on dirt floors in an unfinished basement. Then I'm just like damn there's a purity that it reminds me of my old band days. We would do the same thing my The singer in my first band had an attic that we had practice in and we'd sleep up there just working on music trying to prove ourselves. 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. It just which Which means you get to pick first when it comes to the last long 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 Playa, I think it's time to get to the most contentious part of this entire show.

We knobinating, all right? - And the Grammy goes to the love below. - Outkast! - Scuba Box, The Love Below, Outkast! - Outkast! - Stankonia, Outkast! - Outkast! - Outkast baby! - Remember the goal of each episode of Last Song Standing is for Cole and I to determine the single best song from an Outkast album. The songs we select over the course of the season will then duke it out in a season finale, Royal Rumble, where we'll be forced to agree on the Last Song Standing. That's the greatest. Of all time. Right now we're both going to get into it. Round one, Cole, since I'm gonna be picking first, why don't you hit us with your first nomination?

Let's just get into players ball. All the players came from far and wide Wearing down from the grave Taking up games Damn, I knew it. I knew we were both going to pick plays 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 it's a super important song to their discography and to their legacy uh 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 LaFaze Christmas compilation. 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, summertime.

Say the actual thing. I mean, Big Boi does the Hallelujah, Hallelujah You know, I do some things more different than I used to. It's just like, to your point, they get right to it. Right up to the edge of yeah just being like this is a Christmas song and then just like nope and I kind of history of it is that they're very frank. That LA Reid goes to organize noises like, hey, we need one more song for this Christmas album, can OutKast give us a song? And both Big Boi and Audra are 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.

Be an everyday song. So I want 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 of 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 because if I'm wrong, I feel like they use that different version for the video. Yeah, the video is the is the piano over the remix version where they take the sleigh bells out. They kind of remixed The beat a little bit and then they have these changes to the lyrics but even the one on the out there's like so many versions of this song it got kind of confusing to got to 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 lafayce christmas album you can

Ear 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 he's. To opposite thing to 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 something that the label wants. So... Simply organize noise and them agree that we're gonna make this song that is essentially about what we do on. Christmas which is smoke get high drink in the dungeon and then they

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 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 Boi doesn't rap about selling drugs like Pusha T does. So there is this constantly through this. Album and on this song, 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 we're surrounded by it this time. Right now, 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 all original instrumentation God bless.

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 blend in from day one. Feels like they kind of had this established sound shared on this Christmas album, which I sent you guys a link to the actual Christmas album Because to me, this thing sticks out like a sore thumb. Did you guys get to scan through the actual Christmas outfit? at all no I was not how was it how was the how was the Christmas album give it a rating out of five five mics I mean, what was your rating, B. Cole? For Christmas album, it's, I mean, it's pretty, I don't know, it's fine. You know, it's a TLC. Tony Braxton like for Christmas songs, it's it's it's fine But can I just interject to say that like I just don't want to disparage TLC sleigh ride as a part of this sleigh ride is a

Fucking banger. I don't care. Let's play a clip right here just to get it into people's ears. 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 that. A song in like 20 years. So yeah, great call out, Justin, 'cause that is a great song, original. - It's my song. - I mean, I think also what's interesting about Player's 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's 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

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 kinda funny going back and being like, Damn. 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 gonna be sleepy. If it's Andre it might have turned out differently. 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 OutKast, but a lot of the heavy lifting is done by the instrumentation, by Sleepy Brown, and--

they're coming into the versus to kind of give it that final push. Is that fair? No, yeah, that was, I even like track this out because to your. Point about it's like an outcast island but it's very communal in that way and there's a lot of presence from dungeon crew members. From organized noise. Outkast on this album have there's 11 actual songs if you cut the interludes 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 to and one is just Andre's solo which is on Deep, the last song. So to your point, There was a lot of presence from organized noise fleshing out those hooks. 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. There's stories about them rapping for L.A. Reid, getting rejected.

It and then organize noise kind of like putting them in this boot camp experience in the dungeon where they would be And they would have to like be rapping their verses while they're jogging and shit, which is funny because it's just like In comparison, how old was Organized Noise at this time? What, they were in their 20s and they're telling these 17 and 18 year olds, go do fucking laps. Yeah. But I mean, it was -- they were trying to get that star power. They were trying to get more of a -- you know, all the things that L.A. Reid knocked him for, because L.A. Reid 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 cook is classic. It's so good. - And also I have to just shout out, there are, when we talk... Like moments of seeing where they would go. This is such a little moment, but my favorite part of this song besides just like the great production in the hook is...

Andre's second verse where he goes, My heart does not go pity pat for no rat, I'm leaning back, my elbow's out the window. Coke rum in my--indo fills my body, where's the party? It's like that where he gets into a pocket and he's having fun where a lot of people 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, um, the part where they're going to say some. Christmasy and they get back. I feel like Andre has a lot of parts in the in this album where he's getting into

And he's having a little bit of fun and then he reverts back To kind of like where big boy is that 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 the 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 yeah but there's shots of him just like standing there and I'm like oh you weren't fully fleshed out yet you're 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 word... Needs another Dre from Atlanta just hilarious Yeah, my favorite line on here 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 & Wesson gunplay. It's just so odd to hear them. I mean, the lyricism is great, the flow is great, 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 because we know the transformation that occurs just shortly after this album. In terms of Andre really finding himself. But it is funny to go back and look and just feel -- yeah, he does seem like he's acting a lot, kind of playing a part and not quite expressing himself. You can really feel that, I think. There is one moment, couple of moments on the album that I'll say for later that I feel like the real Andre starts to peak out. Players ball. You wanna, you wanna, you wanna. No, I just think players ball. It's funny. Like players ball just is the song. Like there's

The sing- all the singles are really, really good, but Player's 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 really think of it as a Christmas song and you really have to like hone in on the lyrics. Even the video that they shoot it's 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 We're smoking weed, and we in the club drinking. - Yeah, imagine you being in high school and someone comes up and says, Do a Christmas. I mean at that age you're just like fuck that yeah, yeah, it's like such a cringy 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-- Rapping about is so foreign 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. Ain't no thing is just, it's infectious, the hook is crazy, Audrae's opening lines. ♪ Get ready from the get go ♪ ♪ And he does the blah blah blah ♪ ♪ Y'all hear my shit go ♪ ♪ It's Andre can your punk ass come out to play ♪ ♪ Stay in your little hole then coward duck your head ♪

Fuck it with You's better off dead. Again, to the adolescent reference, can you come out to play like that? Yeah, it's just, it's so funny to see how. For Traction or soundscape of that record, we were merely hired young guns that only rapped on the record, which organized produce in its entirety. 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 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, he still sells it completely. Um, I'm. Assuming 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. I was going to nominate it if he didn't. So it's definitely close to my favorite. Definitely my favorite hook the hook is so fun. The hook eats my favorite hook on this entire It's so no day for the chicken way. We got in a dungeon with the mayor Jane. It's just the pips play is back daddy's

It's all about the sesame. Oh, yes. It's the joy like the East Point the way says East Point makes me smile every single time. He's like, I think I like this hook so much because it does point to where I think they're about to go, which is, yeah, I think I love outcasts 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 outcome, this alchemic like relationship between this two and you're you're going spacey 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? Like, oh, it puts it in, 'cause you didn't even look at me crazy when I picked it. - No, I mean, I was probably gonna pick it next. So it was, I mean, it's, like I said-

One of my very favorite songs if not my favorite song definitely my favorite hook and the beat is a standout for it's so good uh it's got a miles davis sample really 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 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. Yeah. Or this song even as as a whole uh could could fit on ATLians 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 the -- Some of the songs on Southern Play are a little bit convoluted. I don't know if that's like maybe just a mix wasn't as clean but atlans 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. Killer subsynth bassline so I really like the beat again the rapping Like there's not like a, I don't know if you thought this too, but like, there's not like a. 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 I feel like they're just like, there's a rapping that's my. Else ahead of everything else. So it's like the verses are great, but the verses are great are kind of on every song. Given the rapping quality is like a given across the album. There's not as much like big.

His punchlines 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 isn't 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. For this? I don't... It's probably a mild take. Is Southern Play-A-Listic just a very, very fantastic classic, you know, fucking weed album? Like, is it just like... Because this is like even Andre at this point, after this album releases, he becomes 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, yo, we were smoking so much. Tweet. 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 Cadillacs cars.

Smoking a lot of fucking weed, shooting you in the face, and like selling drugs. And it's just like. 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. We're talking 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 Bigg where you're talking about shooting people, I'm like, guys, guys. Well, to that point, let me show one of my favorite lines on here. Again, Andre, rapping about gums, he says, 3570. Your forehead. They'll be more dead because I'm a pro kid. Scheme there but lord forgive me i gots to keep my millie right veneer me but he likes

Blurs it to say like, he's playing on Milli Vanilli, do you know who Milli, are you only to know who Millie Vanilli is. Do you think I grew 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 syncs now. - I mean, I also remember- - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I wanna 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-syncing live at their shows. Other singers sang the songs, then they went out and lip synced them. Okay, okay. Thanks, Justin.

That's important. I love how Justin is just like whoa. Oh, I love your memory just of Milli Vanilli No, I I think it's great that I had a chime in and be like no no no it's still fuck Milli Vanilli But anyways, I love that line. Again, Andre Gunplay, I'll take it. But yeah, this is a great... I love this. - I think this is like, here's the thing. It's gonna be tough for me to pick which one I wanna go with. I think Ain't No Thing is probably just like my personal favorite. Like I'm not talking about like which song 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 gotta listen to this again. Oh, let me just repeat it one more time. So it is just one of the most infectious songs Your second nomination, what are you going with? - Okay, let's go get up, get out.

Trained Goody Mob. I love this song. It's a seven and a half minute posse cut, which you just don't find often these days. It features CeeLo on the hook and the first verse, got BigGip on the third verse, and they're really good. Rapping like 16 bars is like the normal length of a rap verse. 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 feel of the song. I like the message of the song and I think thematically when we're kind of talking about automatically this this album is 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 outcasts 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 So the course is all about kind of motivating yourself, being self-motivated. Because society or your parents might not be the ones motivating you. Before going too long, was this on your list? Do you like this song? So the song is not on my list. Oh, wow. Okay. I will. 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 people they started noticing fans coming up to them being like, Yo, I listened to 'Get Up, Get Out,' I listened to what you guys were saying, I finished college or I stopped doing this or I stopped. 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 Play-A-Listic It comes in a tradition of they probably wanted to create their Atlanta album where it's like - Homatic 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. 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 that 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 doesn't like I listen as something to say I can see it okay can you see it yeah okay Hey this was the third single and I remember when the song came out on BET and it... I was... I like this song. Start by saying I like this song. But I have some issues. - Oh. - I have some issues with this song. 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 CeeLo has the best verse on the album? Let's fucking go! CeeLo has the best verse on the song and probably the album. This is the best verse on the entire song. Don't sleep on Andre's verse on this song though, but yes. CeeLo is the star of this song coming out of it. I like, 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 Boi was and who Andre was. I just knew these were two guys rapping, and there wasn't, like, now looking back, I can see the differences in their... Their styles and how they evolve. But at the time they just like, they sounded similar enough on this album. Like 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. CeeLo just jumps off the record. Like you immediately like he comes in his voice. Yeah the things he's saying

CeeLo is really good on this record. A sub take which I texted by texting to Charles this week. I don't know if If I stand by it fully and I know that's the first rule of a take is you got to stand by a take, but Goodie Mob's Soul Food might be a better record than Southern Playlistic. I think that the highs on Soul Food are probably better than the highs on Southern Playlistic. Highs on this record and I think that had the I think goodie mob was a much more finished product just like you guys were talking about Big Boi being a much more finished project. I know who CeeLo was when I listened to that record and those songs are really good. Do you think that's also just because at the time there making something play-a-listic, like, outcast goodie mob organize noise are kind of one, 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 CeeLo and Organot wants outcast pops.

Organized noise has enough power to be like, yo, goodie till a face goodie mob is next. So, cause like I, I. I do see how OutKast is probably an easier pitch at that time. - Sure. And they're, you know, they're good, they're smooth, they're better looking. Like, I'm sorry, if this is gonna be the. Dissect episode where we say full bush for the first time that it's gonna be the dissect episode where I say that CeeLo just was not an attractive man relative to Andre and big boy. I have one more take. About this song and it is the song with a message. However. Did we be giving it points when that message at times kind of veers into, Hey, how about you pull up your pants? Yeah. Okay. Let me, let me lay out. Cause this really changed my perspective on it. CeeLo, like you guys are saying, is a big part of this song. He's got an incredible verse and he...

And he obviously is the hook. So Cee-Lo writes this one year after his mother passes away. Firefighter she got in a car accident paralyzed for two years and passes when CeeLo was 18. CeeLo is 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 do next after high school not going to college, what am I going to do with my life type thing. He 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 only autobiographical in terms of 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 could see where that could be a critique Justin but knowing the context of it I just feel 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 how you have, you have melted my. My ice cold heart on this one. I will say like Cole dropped one on you. I'm about to be like yada yada yada respectability politics. Ha ha ha isn't this so cool and Cole's like actually This is a really heartfelt song that's been- and I'm like, Fuck. So I like this song enough, like I like this song. It's just to your point that I.

I know it's an OutKast song, I know it's on their album, but the reason I didn't pick 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 CeeLo's verse. And I'm sure people like no so it's always the best verse but I'm 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.

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. There's nothing. Showy about it. He's not trying to front. He's not trying to put on an 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 as shit.

It revealed a lot to me and the CeeLo thing, I probably wouldn't have nominated this, but the CeeLo thing put me over the edge. I'm a sucker for meaningful something. 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. You know what I will for literally. Anything besides Infinity War. Well with that guys... We're gonna go on a little break and when we get back we're gonna pick our final songs for the nominations and then we're going to pick our two choices. For the greatest songs off Southern Play-A-Listic. Make sure stay tuned. Alright Cole, it's time for our final songs and I have a feeling that we might have both picked the

name song, but I might be wrong. Okay, let's hear it. Your turn. I'm picking the title track so I'm gonna play a list of Cadillac music. The hook on this song is my second favorite hook after 8 Note Dang. Southern Playa-listic, Cadillac, punk music. It's... When we talk... This being like a riding around record just like oh these shit yeah this Be my favorite beat off the album I think. Oh really? Okay. It's so infectious. I do think of OutKast 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. Continue. You didn't pick this, did you know it? I did. I.

I was going to try to give some love to Crumblin' Herb, but wait, so before we, before we finish Southern Play-A-Listic, make a case for Crumblin' Herb, because for people who don't know this story, uh, Logan Murdoch, friend of the fucking show, uh, he came into LA where I live now. We got some nice dinner. We had some burgers. Together. Justin was nice enough to drive us and we... Driving back to Logan's to Logan's, um, hotel and he decides to put on crumble and herb and then I pissed Everybody off in the car when I was just like, how do we fuck with Crumblin' Herb like that? Not really my favorite song. I don't, I don't even like Crumblin' Herb. I'll be real. And they acted like I fucking killed a puppy. You don't like the hook of crumblin' herbs. - It's like, if you're talking about car music, it's like the perfect driving music to me. The core.

I'm a sucker for the chords on this song are so good. It's got this really great keyboard line. I mean again like a lot of me trying to pick the songs on this album or the rapping is gonna be always pretty good or great, so it's mostly about the beat and the hook and To me, the beat and the hook are some of my favorite moments. And it's like, in terms of like a vibe. A vise. You're like you're usually the vibe guy like this is no no no. The lives on the song. Here's the thing the production, the hook I like. 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 a kind of existential, right? There's only so much time left in this crazy world. I'm just crumbling herbs so he's getting high but he's also like he's trying to chill. He's trying to try it. Wait, isn't that a weed song? I mean it is it why don't

The song is because the potential of the hook and and Andre really goes in on this existential like we only have so much time left 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's open 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 gonna 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 it's, like, pretty dark at first. And so, like, the crumbling herb aspect is this, like, escape and this attempt 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 know what the heck it's like. There's only so much.

♪ Time left in this crazy world ♪ ♪ I'm just crumbling her ♪ I always laugh. I'm just like it's like what he does that I'm just crumbling nerve. I just I it's so goofy to be I don't know why. It's funny. I laugh. But you are right about the existential stuff in the song, you are. But delivering that existential stuff, that's... I'm just coming in and be like, I'm just crumbling the 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 one who's fucking shitting on fucking Cee Lo and get out Okay, I know I do want to say that I cannot um, so I I think the chorus my interpretation of the chorus has been more about It's the about

Black on Black Violence, right? And how it's part of the-- - Yeah, that's the second part of it, yeah. - Yeah, the master plan and how it's like this idea-- of like this is what the Charles you disappeared from the camera I want to make sure she I were recording this one at home Is not fucking with this crumbling herb. - Okay. - I just- - He hates the song more than me. Just wanted to make sure I said I always thought the songs about black on black violence and Charles just disappears Oh, I put down my mic and I was Listening because I was just like I was tuned in cuz I'm like - Justin, what do you want to tell me about Black Ops? - I'm not, I'm talking about the stories. Okay, I just, I do want to say though that I cannot talk about the hook on Get Up, Get Out Also acknowledging that this song is kind of in the same vein as that so I

I have to admit that the hook is a little preachy. Where a lot of this record is not. That's probably also where I think their hearts are in the right place, but it's so funny when like, comes right after this and we were clear, like still some of the politics on ATLings don't work, but they definitely, the preachiness is not, is like intense. As some of the crumb winner. I don't know it doesn't let's get back to southern play because I interrupted with it. The here's the thing I want. I want you to pick pick your heart. If you're going to put one of your three picks is rumbling herb, just do it. - No, I just, I mean, I got, I got it off. I'm not picking that as my last long standing. So we talked about it enough. We gave it a do, but I- - So you're picking Southern Player? - Yeah, for this exercise, I've got to go with Southern Player for sure.

About Southern play it to you because you know I'm a hook guy. So this is just like cracked to be this looks - Not my favorite, to be honest. - What? Do you like the Crumblin' Herb hook better than this? - Oh, yeah, probably. But 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 I mean I like Sleepy Brown too, I fuck with Sleepy Brown Heavy, he's a legend, OG. But you like the Crumblin' Ur book better than the title? Track. This is a hot take. All I don't is it okay. I don't really fuck with this at all for me. It's the beat. The beat on this thing is great. The instrumentation, again, just crazy live and there's a fucking...

Taxophone solo on the intro just a great. Oh, this solo is insane. It's so good. We just such a good mood, bro Like if we're talking about like 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 is on a million different places since 1994, so it's hard to distinguish why were they such outcasts. In the genre and then 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 the production is what I feel like really sets us 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, 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 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 is opening line on the second verse is so good. Did you are you a WWF WWE fan? I am NOT okay Talk about childhood references, 'cause I was a he- like that was- WWF when I was like elementary school was my sh- I was obsessed. And so he says bows like dusty roads does it for you yet and then he says then I yell ho ho is Shot out to hacksaw Jim Duggan. I don't know if you know him, but he used to say ho that was like his his trademark Scream was ho

and Dusty Rhodes had a special finishing move called the bionic elbow. Justin, you know these references? Were you WFNs? - When I was a kid, I wanna say that, again, stick around for the stinger, folks, but like. Charles being too good for Dusty Rose and hack store Jim Duggan, but being like, Oh The Green Goblin is gonna like go do that. He's gonna save the day. He's gonna love us. - The 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, Justin. 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 the Drop these bows like dusty roads is... It's 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.

On great versus I love this song. Well, it's the MI crooked letter coming around the South. The road was straight him as in Vogue. So the slouch like it's I will say. Is to 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 pronounce his words as well as he would in other albums. I will say big boy got like big boy gets him on this album like big boys 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 Slang he would use the pockets getting in and out of rhythms. I I was constantly Lisa Price was like, Oh, big boy was, I think a little bit more than it.

Than Andre. In my notes I have like this feels big boy you don't want to declare 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 Boi and maybe we just think that about that in retrospect again knowing where Andre would go to differentiate himself but Big Boi Had found himself and again, he would iterate and polish this version, this persona as as they matured, but the essence of who Big Boi 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. Big Boi's presence is much stronger to me on this record. Although I will say Andre, I personally have... As some better moments than Big Boi does, especially on, like, Get Up, Get Out, where it does point to where he would go.

So yeah, Southern player. I'm, I'm happy with that pick. It does have, is it, I don't. Catch this until I was like scrolling through the lyrics but is this I can't decide if this is really good or just corny, but Andre says, I'm packing my tag backwards. You want to be acting wrong. So tag It says I'm packing my gat backwards. Your face is saying, what? That's not 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. There's a lot of lines on this record where I was just like, oh, you guys. We're teenagers. -Yeah, 'cause right after he says, War does bond like super glue. It's funky like Pooper scoop.

Oh no, I like that one. I like 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 to go ahead get up get out. I hadn't ate no thing and round three Southern Play-A-Listic, and I had Southern Play-A-Listic. Now that we've made our case. For what songs from the Southern Playlist to Cadillac Music are in contention for Outkast's Best of All Time? You 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. 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. - Or is your heart just a troll? - 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. I think I like Southern playa-listed 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 it don't get my Fucking head call don't don't play fucking mind games I'm just going with my heart I'm going players ball bro don't get my heart have 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 Playa Cadillac music better. See that's what I'm saying go with your heart dude. Nope. Nope. Nope. Now you put me in a tough spot. Fuck. You're gonna be- P-P-PICK GET UP- Out it's fine more people do you think more people like players ball in 2024 or more people like get up get out players ball come on i think it's not even close to quote kendrick you're faking for and digital hugs Charles. Damn! I am! I am! This is this like here's the There's been a lot of podcasts where I've had to own up to the fact that I'm fake as hell Hollywood Holmes is here the real news 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 like the song and it's genuinely my favorite on the album. So now you forced 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 some play list. We can have an argument. We can have argument about that song. That's a good song. Get up, get out is a great song as well, but like we can't. That greatest outcast fucking song where CeeLo kills them on their own shit like you just can't but there's a part of me that just to leave southern player out just to fuck with you it's fine it's right here's the thing is your The card you know okay hold on we're totally forgetting about ain't no thing though wait thing was my nomination now you're gonna steal my nomination yeah i could whatever it was on my list i told you it was on my list i because i ain't 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 ventured weird. Territory you guys are playing opposite day here last episode two three episodes running I did The fact that you're outsmarting me, Charles, is just really... I came ready. I came fucking ready. Getting it under my skin. Because here's the thing, I like all of these songs. I like all of these songs, but it's also like this isn't about my taste. This is an exercise about 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 For y'all now, so pick a pick ain't no thing you know what I'm saying your graphics is going to look crazy. Call I know that's the thing dude, but 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 tow the line between your favorite but also be an objective. What is the best song? I Think you'd have to pick southern playa - Justin, am I wrong with that? - Are we doing a life, are we asking what I would pick off this album? - Yes. - Yeah. Southern player I am considering using my oh shit my oh and I'm not sure I'm going to but like I Before we started the season, I sat down and wrote down what I thought was the best song on every album. And for me, it was like clearly Southern Player-istic. Wow. Okay. The title track. Yeah. Damn. All right, in the spirit of being somewhat objective and trying to be true to this...

I do think Southern Player is the correct pick. It's a great song. I don't want to undermine it. Yeah, I love this song. You think I'm fucking Herb as a barrel? I'm more mad that you picked fucking players ball when it's... That's what's really making me mad, but let's lock it in. Southern Blade of Lillithus. - The Cadillac music is my pick. - All right, I got players ball. Now, every episode, Justin. You already hinted at it. You get a you get a coaches challenge. I'm assuming you don't have to use it anymore Because Cole ended up going with another player. Yeah, I'm trying to think of Like, so what stones are we leaving off? Ain't no thangs great. - Get up, get out. - Get up, get out. I personally would not use it on get up, get out. - Crumbling herb. Hooty Hoo, Deep, No, you know a song I really like which didn't get discussed? It's not going to be my pick, but Claiming True.

Mmm, really? Yeah, that bass line is insane I just like I think I said it at the beginning but the bass lines on this album are insane. I would with that and Claimin True is one of them I'm not gonna pick it but those drums and that bass line man That is also one thing about this exercise is I feel like people are gonna be like, Oh, you guys picked the singles. And I'm like, No, no, no, no. Like OutKast, their deep cuts are still good, but I think... Their singles are just so yeah, it that I do it is a bummer that I'm just like damn, that's it, but that's. 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 they. Good as anyone where they give you these high quality songs that are also radio friendly like to me That is what makes outcasts really special. Well, I I have a feeling that when we get to Equemini, which is not going to be next week, but when we get to Equemini, we might not be picking singles.

Because we're talking Rosa Parks and Skewed on the Barbie, right? And I just oh, yeah, and I just like those are great songs and I'm you know, I'm A lot of people listen to this is like well rosa parks is great i'm like we got no we got the art of storytelling too uh like we got the chunky fire because here's the thing i'm not going to picture wait i mikes i love chunky fire damn now now i just want to do i want to do a quemini next but so just just to. - Clarify, I am not using my coaches challenge. - Okay. - This week. I got really close. I had to. I basically had to. I'm anticipating having to use it for a quem and I and I didn't want it's like, you know, if if there's a bad fall

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 it in the fourth quarter? But that's kind of how I felt using this. I'm like, If Southern Player doesn't get picked, I might have to is it but I didn't take one for the team it's a good pick though all right Should we reveal who we're doing next, Charles? -Yo, let's do it. -Next episode is a -- Andre 3000 special. So what we decided to do with speaker box love below Into their own episodes since they are their own albums and we are going to start with Andrés Love Below. We are also going to be covering Andrés features in that episode which I am very very excited about. Oh, I'm so excited. I once I 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, Andrai features. Then the next episode we're doing big boy speaker box all his features and honestly his albums because yeah big boy Has been prolific in a way that let's just say Andre has. Well, thank you to Justin, of course, to Kevin Pooler, Audio Production and B. Rokratic for the theme music. We will see you back next week for Andre 3000. All right, we're back. Cole, tell the people about our favorite segment. All right, this is our 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 like tearing our bond apart because you made me sit through well and all In all honesty, I didn't watch the complete two and a half hour Infinity War. WHAT?! Oh, I did! Oh, I did. Why'd you give it all in letterbox, Justin? Do you want to know my letterbox review? Please. Read my letterbox review just for clarity. It was Avenger. Is it? What's it called? Charles? Avengers infinity war and the highest grossing movies of all time. 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 I had to simplify what was going on here for all of my 150 followers on Letterboxd. 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 Cassavetes 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. 'Cause I cannot fucking believe that you. You, a grown man, are coming to me and Cole, two purveyors of some of the... But Cole 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

Really he had to put on a thing and like the fucking Hulk I got some questions about Hulk specifically actually but continue Charles Last time you said you cried when you were in this movie. I did! I did! At what point did you cry? When they were all fucking decen- Degrading or whatever and that 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 smarter man like here's a thing I knew that they were all going to be fine because I read all these comics like they were going to be fine. Be fine. They come back. Well, spoiler alert. I'm assuming you guys aren't gonna watch Avengers Endgame. No, they all come back at the oh my God. Okay, so here's I actually like 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 gonna

Kill Spider-Man? What are you, are you insane? Can I? - Hey guys, why don't, wait, you guys didn't enjoy this. Cool 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. Here's the one reason why because the Can 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. I have the second I put on I think any of this was cool They're fighting fucking Thanos who has the Infinity Gauntlet bro. You know had some points Thanos has the points But I do think that guy was hanging on the same corners of YouTube as Kyrie And 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 he's giving the Hulk the work. He's like bah bah bah bah bah bah bah just like killing him.

No, you killed my brother! And then they're fighting in New York. None of that, none of that hit y'all? 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 CGI garbage? Because this looked fucking aw- This is so fucking awful looking. And Don Cheadle's dumb face when he gets like, Wah! He's like, Oh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Cole. I need the floor for like two more seconds. Okay, go ahead. And I'll give it to you and then I'll turn my mic off. Why are you being so elitist? Why are you elitist fucking member of the goddamn media, okay? Can I read the first paragraph of the Wikipedia page? Can I, of the summary, can I do that? No! Go get your little shit off get your jokes off having acquired the power stone one of the Infinity stones, from planet Xandar. Thanos and his lieutenants, Ebony Maw.

Cull Obsidian, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, Intercept the Space... Ship carrying the survivors of Asgard's destruction. After subduing Thor, Thanos extracts the Space Stone from Terra Stax. Overpowers the Hulk and kills Loki Fanny. Oh, so kills heme doll through time, whole continue Heimdall after he sends hope to earth using the B frost 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? I'm salt of the earth and you guys are bi-coastal elites. All right? Tell me, here, Cole, why was Infinity War, why was it up to your...

Standards okay here's that 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. Talk 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 and like, I get like people would cheer, like whatever. Like I get, I got a sense of that, but without content. There were so many moments where I just laughed out loud because it's like you see the dude and that played Sherlock What is he playing? Dr. Strange? Dr. Strange? He's like a grown man in a cape waving hands around like without context as just fucking hilarious and then just like the- He's a magician doing magic what's hilarious about that?

Well, okay, so what's going on with the Hulk? Is he supposed to be, like, bad? Or is Mark Ruffalo just awkward, or is the character supposed to be -- Heats 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 there 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 Society yes, you don't Okay, wait, here's the thing like I actually like comic books I feel like if this was a comic book It'd be much more enjoyable, but the translation they lost the comic book essence to me Like I think of a film like Watchmen, which I think is great. Watchman is terrible. What are you talking about? Watch Watchman TV shows 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 watching it. 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, 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. If I could snap my fingers, I'd make the Russo brothers just disintegrate. I'm gonna be honest guys, this hurts because I thought this was a safe space for us. To share our cultures and I listen to at the drive in. Okay, yeah, I was.

Let's give the context so I gave you at the drive-in a mid a early 2000s indie band as my on my journey to finding my forever band Radiohead, I progressed from my high school love of Blink-182 into a more art-- Kind of more intricate at the drive-in. You 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 were so mean to me for no reason. It was 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.

To like, I really wanted to just like bro out on at the drive-in, but instead you got 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 is it or are you guys gonna 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 cool? This is actually like the type of rock music. I'm like. Oh really? I thought it might be like 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 Blink-182. It's like a, to me, it was like a kind of natural maturation in sound from my personal journey. I honestly thought that it took away the stuff from Blink-182 that sometimes I cringe at. This was more of an intense, like grown up sound. - Exactly. - That's what I mean by like, I would actually listen.

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. Albums is this your favorite album? 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, it's definitely the more, the most polished. Bye. Viya is really good. So if you genuinely like him, I would suggest going to Viya 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... Well it's interesting too, just the parallel between them and OutKast, because what happens after this record is the band split. Omar and Cedric, the guys with the 'fros, they start Mars Vulted together and it gets super weird, super tech, great, great, great music, like takes the weirdness about the drive 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 Outkast kind of splintered apart at the end. Sewed it 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 Volta, and that combination is what made them special.

I'm really glad that you like them actually. Honestly, that was beautifully well said because I feel like 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, Malta. You'll be the other guys. - No, you're gonna, I'm Mars, Malta for sure. Actually, we can cut this if it gets too, like one of my most tragic stories in life, my band, Worshiped at the Drive-In, Mars Vault of Form. The year after the relationship of command comes out. On their first three-taught song EP. My band was supposed to open for Mars Volta. There is literally no one on earth that I would rather open for at that time in my life and everyone in my band would Be Mars Volta. We literally worship these guys Drive to the venue on the day of, we get there, Mars Vault is gone, and we're like, what the fuck?

They go. Apparently they got in a fight with a bartender as they... They were doing soundcheck and then they just bounced. And so we show up so excited and then the show gets 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 People bummed out. Are you playing for like a bummed room? He's like damn they're not we try to make it like, you know, people were there for us. It was a lot. 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. So, but shout out to 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? 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 to? Because now we're going to be fucking pissed off. So you.

Who what what's what's the next one for 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 the same with like... With Bling or something. 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... World's interesting because they started out definitely not like at 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 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 they're for I don't know if it maybe it's their first Full length. It's a very early record. It's called clarity. Oh, God came out in 2000 1999 or 2000. This. Along with At The Drivin' 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 gonna actually read I didn't listen to it in preparation for this I'm gonna listen to it it and give my kind of reaction to it next week alongside you. So Jimmy Heat World, Clarity. - You know, I'm gonna 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. OK. 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. Week I'd like you to listen to Fall Out Boys from Under the Cork Tree. Woo! Let's fucking go! Real Rock is back! Because you said that forever boy or follow up boys your forever band just like radio. That's mine. I'm never in this

It's true, I have never listened to a Fall Out Boy album. Wait, what?! I know the singles, I have never... I've never... Put on a fallout boy album oh from under the cork tree this is the shit bro okay yeah, this is 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 Oz and then right above Nas I will put P1s. It's just like, it's just, it's a great, it's a great, this is, oh, I'm so. Fucking get cited next episode Jimmy eat world clarity follow boy from under the cork tree baby last song standing boys forever oh yeah