Outkast’s Aquemini Gets Broken Down to Expose the Art in Storytelling (Video)

In his ongoing web series Lyricology 101, Andre Gainer takes a highly detailed approach to analyzing not only the lyrics but also the form and function of some of Hip-Hop’s greatest hits, both old and new. He’s broken down everyone from Joey Bada$$ to Eminem bar for bar, and in so doing he delivers content for the audiophile in every Hip-Hop Head.

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He recently placed Outkast’s 1998 song “Aquemini” in his studious crosshairs, taking particular care to note the technique Andre 3000 showcases in ten bars of his second verse. Mentioning the MC’s “fully articulated words” and remarking that there is “no spazzing or yelling,” Gainer remarks on the stream-of-consciousness quality to 3 Stacks’ lyrics while dividing up bars into quatrains as a unit of focus. Gainer gets very specific with his analyses, commenting on things like “eighth-note triplet subdivisions” as the lyrics are annotated on screen. Internal rhyme schemes, literal meanings of lyrics, and intricacies of literary devices are all elements of Gainer’s fascinating display of musical knowledge, which he expertly uses to make a familiar song feel like a discovery.

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Heads can catch up with the entire Lyricology 101 series by visiting Gainer’s YouTube channel.