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BUY THE CD
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For their latest
album, Big Boi and Andre 3000 of OutKast decided that they wanted to work apart—but not
really apart. So each one recorded an album, and put them together in this two-disc
set.
The Love Below is Andre 3000’s contribution. You may know it
for fun, upbeat songs like “Hey Ya!” and “Roses”—but most of the rest of the album has a
very different sound. For the most part, it’s more an artistic experiment than a
commercial album. You’ll find everything from spoken word (like a conversation with
God—who just happens to be a beautiful woman—in “God” or a “Who’s On First”-like
conversation with P. Diddy’s manservant in “Good Day, Good Sir”) to funk to cheesy lounge
music to a collaboration with Norah Jones. Be warned that it’s a pretty racy album, and
it’s definitely unlike anything you’ve ever heard—but, then again, so is Andre 3000.
From the sound of the singles released on the radio, I expected something
different from The Love Below. While it definitely has its high points (like
“Happy Valentine’s Day” and “Dracula’s Wedding”), it took a few plays for it to grow on
me. And while I can appreciate it more now than I did the first time I heard it, it’s
still not on my list of favorites.
Big Boi’s Speakerboxx is more of
the smooth hip-hop album you might expect from OutKast. Songs like “Ghetto Musick” and
“Flip Flop Rock” with Ludacris and Killer Mike are high-energy and sure to make you break
into spontaneous dance—no matter where you happen to be at the time. Still, many of the
songs sound alike after a while, and the album starts to feel a bit
monotonous.
While Andre 3000 has a pretty good voice and Big Boi’s not bad
on his own, it also feels like they’re missing something—namely, each other. As my
husband wisely pointed out, the sounds/styles of Big Boi and Andre 3000 together
work—they balance each other out, like on their hit, “Ms. Jackson.” But it’s just not
the same when they’re apart.
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