Sometimes it’s hard to believe that I’m nearly 50 years old. While I have a few more years to go before hitting that major life landmark, the reflection has already begun. Yes, a lot of that reflecting happens around life and my place in it, but if I’m being completely honest, I spend a lot more time thinking about the music that has shaped me as a man, husband, father, Southerner and how those things that helped craft my identity decades ago (egads!!!!) impact who I am today.
What’s most interesting is that despite the tremendous amount of music I’ve consumed over the past, say, 35-plus years that I’ve been an active, intentional music and hip-hop head, only a handful of albums truly stand out as being central and essential to my life’s story. In no particular order (and by no means exhaustive), De La Soul’s de la soul is dead, Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun, Res’ How I Do, DJ Quik’s Safe+Sound, Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt, Jodeci’s Diary of A Mad Black Band, etc. have all had a significant impact in shaping how I view the world. But it was Outkast’s ATLiens, released on Aug. 27, 1996—30 years ago—that truly helped me discover my hip-hop self, the version of me I know the most intimately, that I cherish the most deeply and that I believe in with the most passion.
Yes, that’s a lot of weight to put on an album, especially one made by two 21-year-olds. But everything about ATLiens opened my eyes and ears to who I could be. I’d argue that it did the same for others, but we’ll get there. Let’s start at the beginning.
