Big Boi

It’s easy to forget that Antwan André Patton, better known as Big Boi, is a superstar in his own right. Having made six platinum selling albums with OutKast, including the diamond selling ‘Speakerboxx / The Love Below’, Big Boi is one of the most recognisable voices in hip-hop, yet his star status is often overlooked. His proximity to André 3000 is more than likely the cause, as Patton is understated next to his flamboyant and at times otherworldly partner in crime. It seems forgotten that ‘Speakerboxx ‘wasn’t ‘The Love Below’’s bonus disk, in fact it was the more consistent and often stronger of the two, making Big Boi’s first official solo outing a big deal.

And here we have it, the long overdue and brilliantly titled, ‘Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty’. If that sounds like a mouthful, wait until you get your tongue around some of the albums lyrics, as Big Boi’s lightning flow is back in full force. Throughout the album’s first eight tracks there is barely a moment to breathe, packed with a trio of future club staples ‘Shutterbugg’, ‘Follow Us’ and ‘General Patton’, as well ‘Daddy Fat Sax’ and ‘You Ain’t No DJ’; cuts that would sit comfortably next to OutKast’s best work. To gloss over this section of the album is to not do it justice, but the highlights come thick and fast and it’s difficult to pick favourites. Perhaps ‘General Patton’ with its ambitious use of brass and operatic vocals shines the brightest, reaching heights that no rapper has come close to this year, let alone a mainstream rapper. Indeed, this is an album that really puts recent radio rap successes into perspective. Eminem’s ‘Recovery’ seems wetter than ever next to this, B.O.B’s debut was patchy at best, and Drake? I’m not buying it.

If I was being picky for the purposes of review, there is a two song lull where the pace of the record drops. Jamie Foxx’s guest appearance on ‘Hustle Blood’ perhaps isn’t the most welcome comedown from rising star Yelawolf’s fire that precedes it, similarly Janelle Monáe is the only cameo to (slightly annoyingly) wrestle the spotlight from Big Boi himself. Still, these are decent tracks in another context, and by the time ‘Fo Yo Sorrows’ (yet another album highlight) follows them, we’re back in the zone.

Hopefully Big Boi’s first release out from underneath the OutKast umbrella (they should sell those) will see him held in the high esteem he deserves. ‘Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty’ is a varied and heavily layered record that allows Big Boi to express his talents unobstructed, with only a single Andre 3000 production credit (‘You Ain’t No DJ’) to draw away the attention. Meanwhile other high-profile guests including Gucci Mane, George Clinton and T.I. are blended into the mix to compliment and flavour the record, but not overshadow it. All of this ensures that for once it’s undeniably Big Boi that steals the show, making this my favourite hip hop release of the year so far.

'Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty' is out now on Def Jam, and you can stream the album on Big Boi's myspace: www.myspace.com/bigboi

Words by Kyle Ellison