Hear Zack de la Rocha’s Unearthed Remix for Outkast’s ‘B.O.B.’

Outkast will mark the 20th anniversary of their 2000 classic Stankonia with a series of digital bundles featuring radio mixes, vocal-only tracks, instrumentals, and remixes of the album’s biggest singles. Among them is a rare remix of “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)” engineered by Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha, which Rolling Stone is premiering ahead of the bundles’ arrival on October 30th.

On the long-commercially unavailable, released-only-to-radio remix, de la Rocha — who worked on his version at Atlanta’s Southern Tracks Recording in September and October 2000 — gives “B.O.B.” a hard-rock edge, adorning Andre 3000 and Big Boi’s rapid-fire verses with riffs worthy of Rage Against the Machine’s more abrasive material; unfortunately, de la Rocha doesn’t contribute his own verse to the proceedings.

“Zack added an extra layer of grunge to a masterpiece,” Big Boi said of the remix in a statement to Rolling Stone. Andre 3000 added, “I’m a fan of the Rage sound so it was an honor to have them involved in a remix.”


In addition to “B.O.B.,” digital bundles will also be dedicated to “So Fresh, So Clean” and “Ms. Jackson,” with the latter padded out with the Goodie Mob track “Sole Sunday” featuring Outkast.

Subscription record club Vinyl Me, Please is also offering a 20th-anniversary edition of Stankonia as its October Record of the Month, with the two-LP set pressed on “black and white galaxy” vinyl.