Please do not sleep on the Speakerboxxx disc from Big Boi. As much as I LOVE Andre 3000'sThe Love Below, I have found that I love Speakerboxxx in the same way, for different reasons. The main reason I have a deep appreciation for the Big Boi's disc is due to his incorporation of new styles into the Hip-Hop genre and the thought provoking nature of his lyrics. I highly recommmend listening to the disc with the lyrics in hand to appreciate the level that Big Boi is on. His critiques of the "Rap Game", U.S. society, government, Iraq war, Post 9/11 rights, prison, family, race, God, Women, etc. are right on. The albums discussion of these topics are sorely needed in a music scene that rarely talks about anything pertaining to social events. Speakerboxxx is a genre straddling album that delves deep into social topics in true Outkast tradition. I ask that everyone who fell in love with Andre's disc (like I did)gives it an honest listen and appreciate where Big Boi is coming from because both albums are essential classics in differnt ways. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is the Best Double Album I've heard since Sign 'O' The Times, its a masterpiece.

I agree - I think "The Love Below" hits you quick, and "Speakerboxxx" is gonna take some time to sink in. I think dismissing Big Boi's disc is doing oneself a disservice, because it's really pretty excellent.

I've yet to listen to it. But I keep hearing great things. To me this seems like concurrent solo releases rather than a double album. I imagine each disc to have wildly different identities so I wanted to break Andre in fully before I move on to Big Boi's.

They both sunk in pretty well with me!

Anxiety said:

I took a while to even take "the love below" off repeat, but once i did..."speakerboxx" hit me instantly. i went through mtv's preview before they were released, and dug both, but once i put both albums in my stereo at home, all these dope songs started standing out. i agree! i love both albums, but for different reasons. "unhappy, bowtie, rooster and church" are the SHIT. some great hooks and production. filled with either nice grooves or serious funk. "the way you move" has really grown on me (big boi got me bustin up with his lyrics, plus it has a nice feel to it) and i also dig the vibe of "ghettomusick".

Ghettomusic is incredible, and Bowtie sounds like something the Gold-era NPG would do. Church is a gospel rave-up jam. Awesome stuff. Some of the stuff toward the end of this album is filler, but much of it is really good.

That's funny...I took to Speakerboxxx instantly.I think Dre's disk is too Prince-ish, but i like it as well.
[This message was edited Fri Sep 26 8:41:01 PDT 2003 by WonHungLo]

I listen To SpeakerBoxx first with lyrics in hand. I felt that I already knew what kinda of vibe Dre was on and Im already conditioned to that kind of sound with Prince, so I was really curious as to how Big Boi would come. SpeakerBoxx is amazing, I think Big Boi has really grown lyricaly over the years and the production is just plain sick. Now if I could just get pass Hey Ya and Spread on Dre's disc I would give it another listen.

WonHungLo said:

Don't you think it is only so Prince-ish because he is the most recent point of reference for soul, pop, r&b, funk, etc. Though I am not denying the obvious Prince influences (Dre even admits that), I hear just as much Sly, Parliament/Funkadelic as I do Prince. He is just following the path of musicians that don't like boundaries or so called genre rules.

Dealodelandron, although the Prince's sound is a extension of Sly and you can hear the Clinton influence on The Love Below And Speakerboxx due to Clintons inovations. You must admit the Prince influence is the most dominant sound on The Love Below. That's not to say Dre only studies Prince, however he once said that his favorite album of all time is Under The Cherry Moon. With that being said Prince's influence is bound to show more than others.
[This message was edited Fri Sep 26 11:00:53 PDT 2003 by Meloh9]

20th listen to TLB and still no Big Boi. I'll get around to it eventually.

"I know you'd like to thank your shit don't stank/But lean a little bit closer/See that roses really smell like Boo-Boo"-Roses.
The cd Is worth getting for this song alone!

25th listen still no Big Boi

If you don't like Speakerboxxx, you don't like hip-hop. The Love Below, on the other hand, has no genre.

Both albums are really good, but I think people in this forum are going overboard about Dre's disc. I mean, damn.

Don't mean to rain on the "Parade", but The Love below is way overrated. Had a listening session with the lights turned low, a nice stick of weed, and a long island ice tea. All prepared to hear this new masterpiece you all are raving over. Well Speakerboxxx is pretty good with a couple of really great songs. Which is probably the collision of Andre's spacyness mixed with big boi's earthines.In other words "Outcast".

"The Love below" on the other hand is interesting electic ideas in search of genius. Andre thinks he is more talented than he actually is. Boy can't sing. Let me repeat that "He can't sing!". Just because your voice doesn't crack with every line sung doesn't make u a singer. These tunes are to electic to be sung by a extremely limited volcalist. A Bilal, a Prince can pull off a lot of weirdness by being able to bring harmony and melody to a song with their vocal talents. Andre can not.

The album has no unfied feel to it. Energy and momentum is wasted with interludes. The songs start out interesting and then go no where. I keep waiting for the counter melodies. For the new rhythm introduced midway though a song that that takes it somewhere else. There is no genius at work here, no mind blowing complication built that begs to analysed as well as partied too.. It's the work of someone trying to be greatly creative, but who doesn't have the underlying musical foundation and innate ear for harmony/melody/rhythm that can make the work profound. Just because one reaches for the stars doesn't mean one can actually grasp the north star. I applaud the effort. It is much needed, but come on this is no Prince, no Hendrix, no Beatles, no Joni.

Those folks all can get highly complex and weird, but u could also just give them one instrument and a stool and set and listen to them perform. Don't be fooled by all the bells and whistles. True innate musical talent is as captivating in its simplicity "gotta a broken heart again" as it is in its complexity "Lovesexy" the song.

I believe many are mistaking eccentricness for great song writing. Well it's only my opinion, peace.

tricky99 said:

I don't know if people are saying this is Prince, Hendrix, Beatles, or Joni. There have been comparisons to Prince, but I think it's moreso the energy, the freshness, the boldness, and the fun that I hear in Andre's stuff that reminds me of some of Prince's more interesting work.

As far as complex and weird vs. simplicity... I think "Prototype" and "Take Off Your Cool" are pretty simple without a whole bunch of bells and whistles.

To add on to my previous post...

I think that it is important to understand the critical and popular reception Outkast is receiving in the context of the genre through which most have come to know them--hip hop.

Within hip hop I think there is no doubt that they are one of the most (if not THE most) creative dynamic and talented artists today. As far as studio wizardry, complexity and bells and whistles... well that critique kinda dims considering the production quality of much of hip hop which is belt on studio wizardry (even in its simplest forms--turntablism was an early form of technological manipulation that became the bedrock of hip hop's production qualities).

I respect your opinion and i am always interested in what u have to say on any topic. I've been following Outcast since elevators and after listening to the new stuff i think big boi is bringing alot more to the table than people are giving him credit for. I think he grounds Andre. Don't get me wrong a think "the love below" is interesing listening. i am just not particularly moved or terribly intrigued with it. I'm going to keep listening though, it might grow on me. They are trying to bring "music" to hip-hop whereas prince tried to bring hip-hop to "music". Both succeed to varying degrees.

tricky99 said:

I hear what you're saying. I agree that the enthusiasm with which Dre's work has been met risks obscuring how strong Big Boi's work is. That's why I'm glad it's a double album instead of two solo albums. The ppl that went out seeking Dre will maybe discover Big Boi's talent as well.

From the moment I heard that they were doing separate projects I worried that the creative tension that they brought to each other would be lost. Some of Big Boi's better tracks are actually co-written or produced by Dre and they remind me of the strength they present when they are together. And I do miss Dre's flow.

Recent interviews have them saying that their next project will be a straight up Outkast project. I hope their egos can survive the browbeating / pedestal raising that will accompany Speakerboxxx/The Love Below so we can see them as Outkast together again.

Big Boi can outrap Eminem very easily; but I do blame him for the dirty south rappers that have all come out and dominated the charts. Unlike, Big Boi, they are really pathetic and talentless; but they are still stars. All that gold teeth and fucking up the english language is just pathetic. I'd call this shit uncletom rap.

2freaky4church1 said:

How is he at fault for that?

Big Boi promotes these cats.

2freaky4church1 said:

Ok yeah. I think Dre's impact on BigBoi has been to reign him in from extreme dirty south type stuff.

2freaky4church1 said:

That's true to a certain extent. I live in Atlanta and know first-hand that most of the MC's here are cut from the same fuckin' cloth. Lil' John and The Eastside Boyz, YoungbloodZ, Ying Yang Twinz, Trillville, Bonecrusher all make that "bounce" music that sounds the same and there is really no variety in their sound. T.I. however, had the potential (and still does) to go "outside the box." He's actually an excellent lyricist, but keeps it too local. The tracks he did with Kanye West and The Neptunes were good, but not good enough to make a mark in the hip-hop industry.

seanski said:

LOL!! "Crazy bitch"... Hell yeah, this song rocks hard!!