In the latest episode of Best Albums, Strange Music’s Rittz shares why he holds OutKast’s sophomore LP, ATLiens in high regard.
He points out “Elevators” as one track that was groundbreaking upon the project’s 1996 release, which followed Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.
“There wasn’t even nothing to think at that point,” Rittz says. “Nobody had heard anything like that before their first album, so you just wanted to know where they were gonna go next. When ‘Elevators’ came out, you’d never heard nothing like that before.”
A Georgia native, Rittz was really excited by the rising of Southern sound around the time of ATLiens release with Master P and UGK also putting in work. He and his friends considered themselves as “the white OutKast” and he has a tattoo honoring the LP on his right hand.
Rittz points out that the production also helped make ATLiens the iconic album that it is today. He cites “Jazzy Belle” and “Wheelz of Steel” as other standout tracks.
“The beats were so cutting edge, nobody had that sound period,” he says.
He also applauds Jazzy Belle for its content as well as the sound.
“It was showing respect to women, too,” Rittz says, “at the same time instead of being derogatory. It was just real. It was dope.”