Big Boi - Sir Lucious Leftfoot

[KillahBee]

Has anybody heard it yet?
As a huge Outkast fan, I've gotta say, this album has exceeded my expectations BIGTIME!
Big Boi does his thing on here, dude still sounds the exact same as he did 10 years ago
Daddy Fat Sax is a beast of an opener, and the whole album continues from their (The Train Pt. 2 is epic)

And the production, THE FUCKING PRODUCTION!!!! By far the best set of beats I've heard on a hip hop album since Hell Hath No Fury
Every beat on here is banging, this is how every rapper should look to have their album produced: not just 4 second loops, but beat switches, random bass and synth punch ins, sound effects - this album has raised the bar in terms of production

'Kast are still the most innovative dudes in hip hop, and this album proves it, these guys' originality makes me ashamed of myself!

Im more of an Andre fan than I am of Big Boi, but its going to be hard for him to match this album, I get the same feeling listening to this that I did when I first heard Stankonia

[Anim]

Only heard a couple of tracks from it they are , can't wait to hear the rest.

[Colossus]

After hearing Shutterbug I knew this would be fire. Glad I held out.

I'll give it a peep today. The stuff you said about production is what excites me. Beats make or break a modern album for me.

[dR3]

Just heard it all the way through, and it's a 6/10 for me. The beats ain't really my style, but they're decent. Jamie Foxx's Hustle Blood hook is orgasmic.

[MikeNUFC]

Will download it a minute. If Shutterbug is anything to go by, this shit should be brilliant.

[Cube23]

The hooks and beats are so good. Every weak is solid. Gucci Mane even delivered for his skill level.

[DrRapid]

So far I've only listened to 5 tracks from the 15 but it's sounding good. I'm not amazed but it always needs a few takes for me to get into it. I'll give some better feedback when I've listened to it all.

[DrRapid]

I'm beginning to like it more now, that first track after the intro is awesome. HipHopDX gave it an excellent 4.5/5 review, only Distant Relatives and How I Got Over have achieved that this year so far. Pretty good

It’s hard to find an artist in any genre of music who has been in the game for 16 years and has sold over 15 million albums being doubted. But in some respects, that was the position Outkast's Big Boi found himself in during 2009, when plans to release his solo album stalled for the second consecutive year. Andre and Big Boi's combined track record speaks for itself. But if you subtract Speakerboxxx/The Love Below from the equation, Big Boi and André's respective solo resumés only consist of a handful of acting roles, a few compilations and the polarizing Idlewild soundtrack.

In the seven years since Speakerboxxx/The Love Below dropped and subsequently sold over 11 million copies, the two men who some claim have become Hip Hop’s greatest duo have sold pitbulls, clothes and a few movie tickets—almost everything except for another proper Outkast album.

We likely won’t see another group offering until 2011, but Big Boi gladly picks up where Speakerboxxx left off, vacillating between a shit-talking B-boy, social commentary spitting vet and a ladies man with a wandering eye. Tracks such as “Turns Me On” and “Tangerine” could easily have been substituted for 2003’s “The Way You Move,” which is certainly not a bad thing. The Dungeon Family’s trademark, thick 808-driven basslines are complemented by live instrumentation and vocalists who accent the songs without pandering to Top 40 radio, showing that Big Boi has managed to pull of the difficult task of finding a winning formula without becoming formulaic.



Obviously aware of his legacy and still more than willing to compete and collaborate with his peers, Big avoids the pitfall so many emcees fall into of compartmentalizing any of the album’s topics into one song. With 2008’s “Somethin’s Gotta Give” essentially serving as a mulligan, there’s no one “club song” or heavy-handed “this is me being socially conscious” offering. On “Follow Us,” he runs the gamut of all the album’s topics in less than eight bars, saying, “I know some of y’all done wrote a nigga off/ Like the leases on these cars and these homes you think is bought / Stay then / With so many bosses why are they still layin’ niggas off their job / Nigga for real / Go on give a nigga a gig then / Help a brother get up out this pigpen / But nobody wants to keep it pimpin’ or a hundred and ten / So with this pen / I illustrate from within...”

Aside from showcasing his underrated, nimble flow, Sir Lucious Leftfoot’s best quality is the way in which guests are seamlessly added in without overshadowing Big Boi. Hearing the underrated half of Outkast next to newcomers like B.o.B and Yelawolf is a reminder of his ear for finding emerging talent. After all, Big Boi has been instrumental in the careers of artists like Killer Mike, Janelle Monae, Slimm Calhoun and Vonnegutt. While a glance at the liner notes will tell you all but three tracks have guest features, the reality is that Big more or less holds things down himself on half of the album by relegating guests to choruses.

Given his success at melding the modern Rap aesthetic with the blueprint laid by the O.G.’s such as Too Short, UGK and 2 Live Crew he namechecks, Sir Lucious Leftfoot is essentially a successful exercise in contradiction. He does everything the unimaginative rappers he takes to task do—making songs about chasing ass, custom ringtones (“Theme Song”) and even has the much-maligned Gucci Mane on his album (“Shine Blockas”). The difference is that Big Boi sounds great by putting a new spin on all of the above, so why nitpick? This time around listeners can judge Big Boi without juxtaposing his album right next to Andre 3000’s. It’s the audio equivalent of seeing Scottie Pippen thrive in the triangle offense while Michael Jordan was chasing flyballs in the minor leagues and realizing just how good Pip was on his own. Big Boi flying solo isn’t as good as an Outkast album, but it serves as a great appetizer until the next one comes along. Moreover, when 2011 arrives, we’ll likely look back at this as one of the year’s best offerings.

REVIEW

[°[~CHR!$~]°]

that was a kool read heard couple tracks...they were dope!

[KillahBee]

Thanks for that DrRapid
Im loving this album, and the fact that hiphopdx gave it 4.5/5 without the likes of Lookin' 4 Ya and Royal Flush being on here shows how much work Big Boi put into this

If Jive didn't fuck Big Boi over, this album would be perfect

[Drama Setter]

Hate it when see someone overrate sth ,gotta say the album was wack as shit don't exaggerate it , only good things about this album were some club banger beats and hooks nothing shit else

[KillahBee]

Hate it when see someone overrate sth ,gotta say the album was wack as shit don't exaggerate it , only good things about this album were some club banger beats and hooks nothing shit else

If you think this album is overrated then you're underrating it, and if you think its wack then thats your opinion, to me its great, and any fan of Outkast will be happy by it

[Drama Setter]

Hate it when see someone overrate sth ,gotta say the album was wack as shit don't exaggerate it , only good things about this album were some club banger beats and hooks nothing shit else

If you think this album is overrated then you're underrating it, and if you think its wack then thats your opinion, to me its great, and any fan of Outkast will be happy by it

fair enough

[MikeNUFC]

Just listened through for the second time, great album. OutKast fans can't really dislike it as it has that fantastic signature Kast feel to it.

Weirdly though some of the good points of the album make it slightly worse. That sounds stupid as fuck but I'll explain.

For example, the production and hooks are WORLD CLASS. Some of the best I've heard in hip hop in ages. However, becuase there that good and that "big" they sort of overshadow what is, fantastic Big Boi rhyming. Whats gunna happen, I feel, if the hooks and beats take over the lyrics and people arent gunna remember Big Boi's verse that well - with other beats/hooks they would stand out and be memorable as hell but becuase of the quality of the rest of the track, the verses are almost like hidden.

Also, because it has that gorgeous signature OutKast feel to it, it's almost as if the songs are asking for Andre verses and your just waiting for him to come in, which takes something away from it.

This is me being horrible picky though.

For what the album is, it's brilliant. Another CD to add to the list of great albums of 2010.

[KillahBee]

^ I can see where you're coming from Mike, and I agree with you when you say the production and hooks might take something away from Big Boi's performance on here

To be honest, I haven't really payed much attention to Big Boi's lyrics on my first few listens, I mean I'm not tuning out altogether when BB rhymes, but my focus has mainly been on the production and BB's flow - once I start to focus on the lyrics I think I'll appreciate the album even more

I alos agree that a few 3K features would have made the album a little more special, but BB does hold the album down well, as do the guests

BTW, I'm not sure if you heard it yet, but if it wasn't for Jive, this track right here would be on the album: http://www.mediafire.com/?nvizm1oyymt (On the iPod I placed this song after General Patton) btw, bet you wouldn't believe that thats a Boi 1Da beat

^ To me, that is the best hip hop song of the year, actually its the best song I've heard all year
even though I think the album is great, I can't help but wonder what it would have been without Jive fucking Big Boi over