"Just to let you know that everything is straight/
I say stank you very much 'cause we appreciate the hate"
"Fo Yo Sorrows"-Big Boi
Calling out doubters? Check. A self-reference? Check. The generic use of the word "hate"? Check.
For most other rappers, the two lines above would be considered a cliche verse; a sign that he can't help but look at his past struggles as a motivation tool for his success, and then bask in that success for all its worth. But for Big Boi, one-half of hip-hop duo OutKast, he's got some real justification for those words.
Throughout most of his career, Big Boi has essentially lived and performed in the shadow of his OutKast partner, Andre 3000. For a good part of the late '90s and early '00s, Andre was considered to be our generation's Prince, an artist who could effortlessly fuse hip-hop with pop, funk, soul, rock and electronic music and, most importantly, OutKast's real visionary.
And the common opinion on Big Boi? Just an everyday gangsta rapper who was lucky enough to be along for the ride on OutKast's success train.
Now comes Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, Big Boi's first solo album. Sixteen songs long and lasting almost an hour, Sir Lucious Left Foot is clearly a full culmination of Big Boi's work since OutKast last (and final?) album, 2006's Idlewild.
Well, it's doesn't quite measure up to OutKast's best, but it comes pretty damn close: Sir Lucious Left Foot is remarkably varied, authentic and in-your-face and, most importantly, insanely fun.
Did I mention that it's insanely fun? Starting from the album intro "Feel Me," Sir Lucious Left Foot is rooted in funk music, an influence that always set OutKast apart from its contemporaries. Sometimes its inspiration is obvious: the heavy talk-box-based beats on "Shutterbugg," a certified future club banger, or the layered percussion rhythm on "Tangerine," a song that reminds me a bit of Funkadelic's "Cosmic Slop." Other times, the funk influences are subtler, including the distorted bass lines on the fantastic "Fo Yo Sorrows."
Otherwise, Big Boi delves into numerous genres all across the album. The opera-sampling "General Patton," one of the most massive sounding hip-hop songs in recent memory, the light soul of "Hustle Blood," and the Janelle Monae-assisted, '80s synth-pop on "Be Still" are standout examples.
Still, Big Boi consistently fuses these influences with his signature swift flow and complex, often hilarious wordplay. The fact that everything the man does sounds so effortless makes the album even the more endearing. If all goes like it should, Sir Lucious Left Foot will bring Big Boi the respect from fans and critics he's probably deserved all along.
9/10
Best Tracks: "Fo Yo Sorrows," "Shutterbugg," "Shine Blockas"
-David Biel
