Outkast - Stankonia

When Stankonia came out at the start of the decade it seemed as if it might herald in a new golden age of hip-hop, where lyrical dexterity and musical experimentation came to the fore. Looking back now it's clear it wasn't but to be fair, it's a big ask for anyone to come with anything even nearly as inventive yet polished as Stankonia. While the follow up double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below showcased their individual talents, Stankonia took the Big Boi and Andre 3000 playa/poet dynamic of their previous works to its artistic zenith. Taking elements of funk, soul, drum and bass while still sounding ultra modern, Stankonia stands as a stone cold classic which no hip-hop artist may ever surpass, including themselves. (Conor Graham)