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'Stank', a commonly used word on the album, is derived from a southern US pronounciation of ' stink', which was of course the original meaning of the word ' funk'. The term was invented by George Clinton, who applied the term 'stank' to the more carnal , hedonistic things in life, including funk music.'Stankonia' is the name of a fictional land at "the centre of the earth, seven lightyears below sea levelFor considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise''. Mean sea level (MSL) is the average height of the sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface. Defining the reference level ,", which is "the place from which all funky thangs come" according to the album's opening lyrics.
The album was arranged and produced in collaboration with members of Outkast's 'Dungeon Family' crew who previously based in Rico Wade's 'Dungeon Studio': Organized Noize and the Goodie Mob.
Part of the reason for Stankonia's acclaim and popularity was the diversity of its musical influences (which lead to comparisons with PrincePrince (born June 7, 1958), full name Prince Rogers Nelson is a popular musician. His music draws on a bevy of styles including funk, rhythm and blues, psychedelia and rock and roll. Prince is generally considered a brilliant guitarist, songwriter and com). It incorporates many musical genres to create a unique sounding whole. For example, the music opens with a heavy metalHeavy metal is a form of rock music characterized by aggressive, driving rhythms and highly amplified and distorted guitars, and the themes explored in heavy metal lyrics are often dark or sexually explicit. Heavy metal is a development of blues, blues ro-style electric guitarAn electric guitar is a type of guitar with a solid or semi-solid body that utilizes electromagnetic " pickups" to convert the vibration of the steel-cored strings into electrical current. The current may be electrically altered to achieve various tonal e riffRiff is also an alternate spelling of Rif, a region of Morocco. A riff is an ostinato figure: a repeated chord progression or melodic figure, often played by the rhythm section instruments, that forms the basis or accompaniment of a rock music or jazz com on 'Gasoline Dreams' before turning to slick P-funk on the second song 'So Fresh, So Clean'. The album also incorporates influences from gospelGospel music combines Christian religious lyrics with melody and rhythm that developed in tandem with early blues and jazz. Modern gospel artists have also incorporated elements from soul music, which originally arose as a secular form of gospel. Gospel m, ('Toilet Tisha'), samba ('Humble Mumble') and drum n bass (B.O.B).
The lyrical content is divided between Big Boi's verses and Andre 3000's. The artists describe themselves as a "player and a poet" respectively, and this is reflected in the lyrics; Big Boi tending to deal with more standard gangsta fare ( guns, hoes, pimping etc. on songs such as 'Snappin & Trappin' and 'We Luv Deez Hoez') while Andre3000 prefers to talk about girls, love and sex, using thoroughly bizarre metaphors about elephants, ski slopes, the four humours and such like.