OutKast is celebrating the 20th-anniversary of their seminal album Stankonia with a set of bonus tracks, previously unreleased remixes, streaming bundles and vinyl and digital editions.

According to reports, the digital re-release will arrive in 24-bit and 360 Reality Audio formats, and will feature a total of six bonus tracks that include a remix of “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)” by Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against The Machine, a remix of “Ms. Jackson” by Mr. Drunk, a remix of “So Fresh, So Clean” with Snoop Dogg and Sleepy Brown, plus a cappella versions of the three songs. The cuts will also be offered with individual streaming bundles comprised of additional remixes from Fatboy Slim and the Goodie Mob x OutKast collab “Sole Sunday.”When Stankonia was released in the Autumn of 2000, Outkast were already a major group. The duo was formed eight years previously by Andree 3000 and Big Boi on the school benches of their college in the Eastern district of Atlanta. They then went on to smash open the American rap scene in 1994 with the single Player’s Ball. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, with its mixture of over-the-top funky rap, TR-808s and live instrumentals became the go-to sound of ‘Dirty South’ rap. With ATliens (1996) and Aquemini (1998), OutKast created their own, distinct sound and mythology and saw real commercial success, literally putting Atlanta rap scene on the map. But it was with their fourth album that Andre and Big Boi became pop stars without resorting to blending more-accessible styles.

Stankonia is a masterpiece of meta and postmodern street rap which merges politics, avant-garde and pure entertainment. It channels as much of Parliament’s P-Funk as it does the massive, supersonic rap sound that the Bomb Squad gave to Public Enemy and Ice Cube. Responsible for the majority of the production, Andre 3000 and Big Boi dabble also in dub, soul, rock and drum’n’bass. Larger than life musicians and unmatched storytellers, these two college friends make an unbeatable team and perfectly master their field here. From the polemic B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) – in which a remix by Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against The Machine) features on this anniversary edition – to the ultimate tracks that are So Fresh, So Clean (revisited with Snoop Dogg here for the record’s 20th birthday) to Ms. Jackson, the sensual banger We Luv Deez Hoez and the thrilling Gasoline Dreams, Stankonia is a firecracker of an album which paved the way for the maximalist and hard-hitting albums of a certain Kendrick Lamar. – Damien Besançon