Outkast attempts solo work
By Matt Wright
For the Record Column, Nov. 13, 2003
Everybody has heard of the rap duo of Big Boi and Andre. These two rappers together combine a great flow of words that no other can match.
The latest album that these two have released provides the listener a choice of whether he or she would like to listen to Speaker Boxx or The Love Below. The two made their own albums, but sold them as one.
Andre calls his CD “The Love Below.” The songs on the CD are about people falling in love or having sex. If you have listened to OutKast’s earlier albums you can tell that Andre has changed his style on this CD.
Although he raps a great deal in his CD, there are a lot of mono-dialogue and singing done by himself. Also, this CD is very instrumental with a wide variety of instruments starting with the piano and going to saxophone and then trumpets. The music has a very Jazz/Blues sound.
On the other hand, Big Boi lets you know why his CD is called “Speaker Boxx.”
Right off the bat, the first song gives you a minute straight of hard core base lines that will thump any car speakers. Big Boi’s latest hit is called “The Way You Move.”
It is composed of deep base and a low jazz chorus which is sung by Sleepy Brown. The lyrics are fast paced and rhyming with a whole lotta bass, but Big Boi has a completely different style than Andre.
I give the CD a grade of A+, for the change in their style and the use of their own single albums sold together to make one. Same great music, just a different look.