Thoughts on Aquemini, after 10 years

It's unclear why rappers never make a big deal about living up to OutKast's legacy. Granted, Andre 3000 and Big Boi are blessedly still with us, unlike the legends most often name-checked as anxious influences. Maybe up-and-comers feel illegitimate trying to lay claim to a throne that's still ostensibly occupied. Then again, maybe the band's most defining aspect, its winning teamwork, rightly strikes young turks as essentially impossible to replicate. Nevertheless, you'd think that a few more people would mention Aquemini, released 10 years ago today, while slobbering all over Ready to Die and Illmatic. Living legends deserve some saliva too.

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