This article was originally published on FarFromProfessional.com on 9/29/23.

Jay-Z and OutKast dropped historic albums that changed the game.

It is impossible for me to think about, write about, and definitely listen to Aquemini and Hard Knock Life and not remember my friend, Luke. In our high school group of friends, there were a few of us who were plugged into the music scene. We knew when the next big albums were dropping, and we were there to snatch them up. We argued about our favorite rappers and bands, and about who spit the best verses or shredded the guitar better. We discussed the merits of what are now considered classic albums from what now appears to be the zenith of contemporary music. We dissected every line and every sample. We bonded over music.

OutKast were (and still are) a couple of my favorite artists. ATLiens is my “stranded on a desert island and you can only bring one” album, so the promise of a follow-up to that masterpiece thrilled me. I was a little worried that they couldn’t live up to my expectations.

Jay-Z became Luke’s favorite rapper after Biggie’s murder. Those two artists had recorded a couple of tracks together before Biggie was killed (“Brooklyn’s Finest” and “I Love the Dough” for the noobs), and they had incredible chemistry on the mic. Luke loved Jay-Z’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt (who didn’t?). But he was disappointed with Jigga’s follow-up, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (who wasn’t?). It was easy to understand why he approached Vol. 2: …Hard Knock Life, with skepticism.

We were there at Sam Goody the day these two monumental albums hit record stores on September 29, 1998.

It was “new music Tuesday”. This used to be the day of the week that new albums would hit stores back when people went to these physical locations to purchase music. It was a much-revered day of the week because of the promise it held; I always had a healthy sense of anticipation as the day drew closer to whatever project I was anticipating.

In the early summer of that year, just after school let out in June, Luke and I started tracking upcoming hip-hop releases in The Source. Back then, we subscribed to the magazine. One of our favorite things to do was call each other after school the day the latest issue hit our mailboxes. Like most music magazines, every issue of The Source would feature a section for upcoming hip-hop/R&B albums. Record release dates were (and maybe still are) a tricky thing because they could get pushed back. You would get hyped only to be disappointed when the album was delayed.

Aquemini and Vol. 2 …Hard Knock Life were two upcoming highly anticipated hip-hop albums. Not quite the international stars that they are now, André 3000, Big Boi, and Jigga were still hip-hop heavyweights back then, and these follow-up albums carried with them high expectations.

OutKast’s previous album, ATLiens, is infallible. It’s perfect. There’s not an ounce of fat on that filet. They took the Dirty South sounds, their own special Dungeon Family recipe, and they cooked up something incredible with that one. The follow up to ATLiens didn’t have to be better, but I hoped it would at least take me to an undiscovered sonic wonderland.

Jay-Z’s previous album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, was the follow up to his flawless debut, Reasonable Doubt. It was shinier, and it sounded a lot more expensive, which probably mirrored the same lifestyle trajectory that Jay-Z was on. He said it on “Can I Live”:

I’d rather die enormous than live dormant.

Vol. 1 was more ambitious, but it wasn’t soulful. Its bling wasn’t brilliant. So, it was fair to say at that point in time, in that summer of ’98, that Jay-Z’s next album had to be a hit because his last one wasn’t and because Biggie was gone; and because there was some new blood in the rap game, particularly in NYC, with the sudden and meteoric rise of DMX earlier in 1998. There was no guarantee that Jay-Z’s rap career would become what it is now, and if you don’t capture the attention of the public the way that he and other rappers who have enjoyed decades of success have done, then you end up like Craig Mack.  

Fortunately, Jay-Z is a one-of-a-kind talent, so are OutKast.

I think Luke and I flew out of the mall that day and into my car. We listened to the first three tracks on each album, with my subwoofers thumping through the smooth streets of suburban Vancouver, Washington. We started with OutKast and listened to “Return of tha Gangsta,” “Rosa Parks,” and “Skew It On the Q.” I was blown away. The album sounded like OutKast, but they managed to add another dimension to their sound: the 5th dimension.

Aquemini, like ATLiens, was unique among its peers, and that’s why Luke didn’t really vibe with it. It wasn’t aggressive; OutKast didn’t flex in their tracks about money, cash, or hoes (coincidentally, that’s the name of a track on Vol. 2). At the tender ages of 16, most of my friends drew a hard line when it came to the music they listened to, and they stood on the side of a more aggressive sound, whether it was rap music or rock or electronic. I enjoyed all that shit, too, but I also liked more thought-provoking artists, like OutKast and Mos Def and Tribe and, of course, Kool Kieth. These types of artists required their audience to be open to adventure because their music was going to take you somewhere you hadn’t been before.

Jay-Z wasn’t, and still isn’t, that artist. He was the first to venture into places other rappers hadn’t—my favorite of which is his MTV Unplugged album. What makes Jay-Z remarkable is that he makes the familiar feel brand new. Reasonable Doubt wasn’t unique in its concept. That was the era of Mafioso rap music, but it sounded different. Jay-Z has always had an ability to revisit the same place but with a new perspective and sound. …Hard Knock Life continued to build on Jay-Z’s mafioso persona, but it cracked into the pop-culture milieu where In My Lifetime didn’t. We only made it as far as the third track, “If I Should Die,” before we made it to Luke’s house. That isn’t one of the albums’ good songs. It sounds like something leftover from the Vol. 1 sessions. But the title track, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” is a banger. I liked that one from the jump, and I would eventually love a few more tracks.

Aquemini is the superior album between the two, and if my dear friend Luke was still in this plane of existence with us, I wonder if he would share the same opinion. Back then, he loved Vol. 2. It is a dope album, but it sounds like a time capsule. It’s cemented in late-90s rap. On the flip side, Aquemini is timeless. It was never rooted in that era; it was only birthed in it, so its sound transcends the years.

Favorite Tracks

“Money Ain’t A Thing” (Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life)

Jay-Z is a billionaire now, and it’s because he spent years building that wealth. He was rich in 1998, and he wasn’t afraid to let you know. “A Week Ago” is my runner up, but “Money Ain’t A Thing” slaps!

Jermaine Dupri was living it up back then, too. He’s out there racing horses and sports cars on dirt roads like the hip-hop Dukes of Hazard.

“Aquemini” (Aquemini)

It was close between the title track and “SpottiOttieDopalicious,” but it was “Aquemini” in the end, and it’s because of two things:

1. André 3000

2. The switch up

Big Boi spits a couple of sick verses on this track, too. He’s butter smooth with his delivery here, even more than usual. But André murders the track with his second verse, after the track switches up and the horns kick in.

Treat yourself by listening to these hip-hop classics on their 25th anniversary.