BEST OF 2012 - #10 - BIG BOI "VICIOUS LIES AND DANGEROUS RUMORS"

I'm definitely a big fan of Big Boi.  Ever since I started listening to OutKast (I was turned on to them when Stone Gossard played one of their songs on a Pearl Jam radio show).  He's a really interesting and underrated MC. But more than that, he has an interesting musical sensibility.  I think in OutKast, Andre 3000 got most of the credit for that. But if you listen to Big's two albums (Sir Luscious Leftfoot was one of my favorites of 2010).

His new one, Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors, came out late in the year and made me shuffle my year end list a bit.  I'm not mad, it's a great album.

There's some cool funky party jams, which I guess we'll always expect from him. I like "In The A" (which features T.I. and Ludacris) and also the new wave-y jam "Mama Told Me" with Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child. "Apple Of My Eye" is also a very strange, and very cool song. Then there's also a song called "Thom Pettie" that name drops "Free Fallin'."

But the ones that stand out to me are "She Hates Me" and "Tremendous Damage," which are both pretty revealing.  "She Hates Me" seems to be about his marriage.  When he says "Forgive me if I raise my voice, I won't raise my hand/But one thing I will do baby is raise my lil' man." What a line.

"Tremendous Damage" is about his father, a Vietnam vet, who passed away recently.  Not your average subject matter for a hip-hop song.  That's why I like Big Boi, and why (to me) he stand out above the pack of MCs.  Musically, he always looks for something a bit funkier and more creative, and lyrically he goes to different places.

Like everyone else, I hope that Andre 3000 wises up and agrees to an OutKast reunion.  But if that doesn't happen, Big Boi's second act is turning out to be a very strong one.

BIG BOI'S SIR LUCIOUS LEFT FOOT... WORTH THE WAIT!

One of my favorite albums of the year so far is Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son Of Chico Dusty. For those who are unfamiliar with the story of the album, it was sort of due to come out two years ago.  Big Boi, like his group OutKast, is signed to Jive Records. Jive, apparently, didn't know what to do with it.  I read that Big Boi said that the last straw was basically when they asked him to cover a Lil' Wayne song! How insulting. So he ended up taking the album to Def Jam (a weird choice, as they don't seem to know how to handle "left-field" hip-hop records, The Roots' How I Got Over is exhibit A).

I don't know how the album has done, commercially.  I wonder if Jive was right - it isn't the job of a major label to put out "art," it's their job to put out stuff that's going to sell, even if they know it's bad.

Still, this album has some catchy songs.  "Shutterbugg" is a total hit!  Actually, I may not be the right person to decide if a hip-hop track is a hit in 2010. But it is a great song.  There are many others, including some with some pretty big name guests (which seems important these days, big guest lists): "Night Night" features B.o.B. (who I don't really "get"), "Shine Blockas" features Gucci Mane (a big current artist, apparently) and "Tangerine" features T.I. *I* don't care about the guests, but the songs are all really tight. Another song, "Follow Us," features what sounds like a rock band, Vonnegutt, who I don't think I'd like, but the singer serves this song well.

It's too bad Jive didn't let Boi use his collab with Andre 3000 and Raekwon, "Royal Flush." I guess I can't blame them - they are waiting for a new OutKast album, why should they give away the group's first new song in years.  Anyway, it doesn't matter - it's been on iTunes for years (and it even lists Sir Lucious... as the album). As far as I'm concerned, it is on the album, it was just a single that came out two years early. Anyway, check out Boi's album, it's a great one, and it makes me look forward to OutKast's next one even more!

BIG BOI'S "SIR LUCIOUS" DUE OUT JULY 6

Congrats to Big Boi: after releasing singles for two years, his debut solo album Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty has not just a label (Def Jam) but a release date (July 6). The singles that I've heard ("Shine Blockas (featuring Gucci Mane)," "Royal Flush (featuring Andre 3000 and Raekwon)" and "Sumthin's Got To Give (featuring Mary J. Blige)") are all great. I wonder how long it will be until Andre 3000 puts out his solo debut... and until OutKast put out a new duo album.

BIG BOI (AND OUTKAST) VICTIMS OF "SHUCKIN' AND JIVIN'"

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Big Boi said that his long-awaited solo album is being held up by he defacto label, Jive, who got OutKast when Arista disolved their roster. He says that both he and Andre 3000 are working on solo albums with the same production team - Organized Noize - so they've been listening to each other's tracks, and holding on to some of them for the next OutKast album. Leave it to a major label to drop the ball on one of the coolest and best selling bands of the decade. OK, Idlewild was a bad move, but it's not like this was a one-hit wonder: OutKast has earned the right to try something new and fail without being deemed "over." 

OUTKAST TO RELEASE THREE ALBUMS IN THE '09

Big Boi said in an interview with MTV that the Outkast camp will release three albums next year. Big will release his album, followed by Andre 3000's, followed by a group album. I already mentioned that I like Big Boi's "solo" song "Royal Flush," which features Andre 3000 and Raekwon. He has another single out, "Sumthin's Gotta Give" with Mary J. Blige. I'm looking forward to that. I think Andre might get a bit overindulgent with his album, but I'll check it out. Hopefully they'll return to Outkast with renewed energy.

BIG BOI HAS A HOT NEW SINGLE (AND ANDRE 3000 RAPS ON IT!)

Anyone can act tough by getting into fights and acting all macho. You're probably tougher if you don't have to do that. That's what I think of Big Boi from OutKast: can you imagine being in a duo with Andre 3000? OutKast is one of the greatest hip-hop combos ever, and one of the most commercially successful of the past few years.

So imagine if your partner decides he doesn't want to rap. He doesn't want to really work with you. And, turning down millions in ticket sales, he doesn't want to tour. Big Boi has like this calm, zen-like way of dealing with it. He just moves on, doesn't talk smack about Dre, and hopes that dude will come around.

So, it's funny that Big's new single, "Royal Flush," features Dre (as well as Raekwon from The Wu-Tang Clan, a bunch of guys who could maybe learn a thing or two about co-existing with bandmates from Big Boi). He raps on it. It's a great song. Talk about just rewards. Here's hoping they do an OutKast album soon.

Oh yeah, and on the macho tip: Big Boi also talks about being influenced by, of all people, Kate Bush, and he recently collaborated with the Atlanta Ballet. For real.