The group took note of new, harder drugs hitting the hip-hop scene and teenagers using ecstasy, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
While Outkast's previous albums were considered to be laid-back, mellow efforts, Stankonia contains faster, more high-energy tempos, partially to reflect the "chaotic times" of the early 2000s.
Big Boi was impressed with Killer Mike's abilities, noting, "When I first heard him spit, his voice was just so commanding. The rapper noted that while working with Outkast, he used the opportunity to try to "compete" with the duo to improve his rapping skills. "Snappin & Trappin'" features a guest appearance from then-unknown rapper Killer Mike. To maintain musical cohesion with Big Boi while continuing to expand his vocal palette, André decided to combine rapping with soul-inspired crooning, which had a major influence on Stankonia's sound. However, recording sessions became difficult as André 3000 grew tired of rapping on songs, which made Big Boi and the producers uneasy about how the music would sound. They would then "sit around, smoke a few, drink a few", and create ideas for new songs. Much of the album was formulated during "vibe sessions" in which the group and producers would visit clubs in downtown Atlanta, select performers they saw, and invite them to the studio. André 3000 also created song lyrics by writing words on the walls of his home: "I had planned to paint my house anyway writing on the walls was just something I would do." One stray lyric on his wall eventually developed into "Gasoline Dreams". One song that came from a jam session on the guitar was " Ms. Really, you're just working on your mind." Big Boi spent the majority of the recording time in the studio, while André 3000 worked at home, creating beats and experimenting with an acoustic guitar. André 3000 recalled, "You can sit there and fuck with just a kick and a snare all day long if you want to.You're not working on the clock. Owning a studio helped the band expand creatively, as the duo did not need to worry about time constraints that would occur with a rented studio. The recording of Stankonia began in spring of 1999 and lasted for about a year.
He explained, "Stankonia is this place I imagined where you can open yourself up and be free to express anything". The two named the studio "Stankonia", a word created by André 3000 as a combination of the words "stank", a slang synonym for "funky", and "Plutonia", the title of a poster in his bedroom depicting a futuristic city. The studio had sentimental value for the duo, as it was the first place the two had ever recorded vocals, on a remix of TLC's " What About Your Friends". In March 1998, André 3000 and Big Boi purchased a studio off Northside Drive in Atlanta which had formerly belonged to R&B singer Bobby Brown. It really opened up the door for Southern rappers." But that song was hot, the flows was crazy. Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, who collaborated on the song "Skew It on the Bar-B" from Aquemini, recalled, "Before that, the South just wasn't played in New York. The record received the coveted five out of five "mic"-rating from The Source, and is credited with opening up Southern hip hop to other areas in the United States. Outkast's 1998 album Aquemini received extremely positive reviews from music critics, and expanded the group's musical diversity and experimentation. It is currently regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 359 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Stankonia was also voted the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll. At the 2002 Grammy Awards, Outkast won Best Rap Album for Stankonia and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Ms. The record produced three singles, " B.O.B", " Ms. Stankonia received general acclaim from music critics and holds an aggregate score of 95/100 at Metacritic. Billboard 200 chart, selling over 530,000 copies the first week. The album debuted at number two on the U.S. On Stankonia, the duo hoped to create a chaotic musical aesthetic, and incorporated a diverse array of musical genres, including drum and bass, gospel, rock, salsa, funk, and psychedelia. The band's ownership of the studio allowed for less time constraints and subsequently, more musical experimentation. In the spring of 1999, Outkast began working on Stankonia in the duo's recently purchased Atlanta recording facility, Stankonia Studios. The group's previous release, Aquemini (1998), played a significant role in introducing Southern hip-hop to other areas of the United States. Stankonia is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo OutKast, released Octoon La Face Records.