Customer Reviews

Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Let me start by saying ... I LOVE Hip Hop/Rap and it is one of my first loves. I've been a fan of Outkast since the beginning with Southernplayalisticadillacmusic. Outkast has always set the trends and this album does not disappoint! The Speakerboxx is light years away from this CD ... you will NEVER stop playing this CD. It drips with Southern flavor, 808 bass checks, super-fantastic music - Big Boi represented well for his half of the OutKast group.

Big Boi starts out with one of the HARDEST intros I've heard in "ever"! LoL Then leads into some lighter songs in my opinion Daddy Fat Sax, Turn Me On.

Favorite Songs that make the CD top notch to me:

Follow Us - Just funky
Shutterbug is a feel good song that makes you want to groove. The lyrics are very creative.
Tangerine - T.I. and Kudjoe did their thing big time and the drums remind me of the track Bubba Talk by Bubbaa Sparxxx
You Ain't No DJ - Good battle rap song
Hustle Blood - Hot song and Jamie Foxx sounds so good
Fo Yo Sorrows - This is the chill song ... drink or smoke something
Theme Song - Puts you in the mind of the old OutKast
Shine Blockas remix - Different parts of the south represented ... Bun B., Project Pat, Gucci Mane, and Big Boi hold it down on this song.

General Patton is so ATLiens taking this CD to another level with this track. You gotta respect it.

Bottom Line - If you are looking for Andre3000, any representation of the new style of rap, a lot of features, no 808, you will disappointed. I would have given this CD 4.5 stars, but since I cannot, it is closer to 5 stars, then 4. Compared to what is out there in the Hip Hop /Rap world, this CD gave us some really, really good tunes without attempting to being a gangster, rapping about "ice", buying out the bar, and all the frivolities that most rappers rap about. Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty is for grown folks, 25 and over. The rap game has become so watered down, to hear this CD is a breath of fresh air.

Big Boi, one half of the legendary OutKast, has finally delivered his much anticipated and hyped solo album Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty. While being the less celebrated member of OutKast, it's clear that Big Boi is/was as much a part of their success as Andre 3000. He is equally as talented lyrically (although less poetic) as his partner in rhyme and just as creative.

This album has been brewing in the crock-pot for at least two years and with a switch to the Mighty Def Jam roster and a reunion with the man that originally put OutKast out, L.A. Reid, Big Boi does not disappoint in any sense of the word. Sir Luscious exceeds all expectations with his creative rhymes, eclectic beat selection and all around stankness.

Everything we have come to expect from OutKast is delivered on this album. The Dungeon Family makes a strong appearance on this album with Organized Noize & Mr. DJ contributing a few production pieces. Sleepy Brown and singer Joi (where has she been? We need her new album yesterday!) reappear to provide the soul and funkiness on a couple songs. Big Rube (again where has he been?) lends his poems to enhance a few songs and George Clinton gives the same futuristic presence that he provided on Synthesizer from OutKast's Aquemini.

Some soon to be great artists also appear on the album. Janelle Monae (Archandroid) returns the Tightrope favor on Be Still and B.O.B. (Adventures of Bobby Ray) effectively improves Night Night. Other appearances include T.I., Jamie Foxx, Yelawolf, Vonnegutt and Gucci Mane.

Big Boi delivers lyrically on this album showing he can hold his own. However, he did record a few songs with Andre 3000 that did not appear on the album because of label disputes. Royal Flush was released a while back with Raekwon and is an excellent track to seek out. The more recent collaboration is Lookin For Ya also featuring Sleepy Brown. That's another great track that was left off. No these omissions don't take away from Sir Luscious, however you just wish they were (officially) included.

Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty is an instant classic and is an early contender for album of the year (along with Eminem's Recovery and a few other albums). The lyrics are crazy, the production is lively and quite simply amazing, and the guest spots only enhance songs while never overcrowding them. The album flows quite well and there's not a song on the album that is skip worthy. All fans of hip hop should go out and support this album. The lyrics are included in the book as well which is always a welcome addition. 5 stars.

*grab the deluxe edition that includes a bonus DVD and two extra tracks! Also track down Something's Gotta Give ft. Mary J. Blige. It was released in 2008 but still is a good addition to the end of the album as well as those Andre 3000 tracks listed above.*

Big Boi & Andre 3000 just don't fall off! They are the most consistent artists of our generation. No lie! Everyone should hear it. How this isn't getting more play on the radio is beyond me. There are about 7 bonafide radio hits on it. Not to say that the other songs aren't jammin too. Finally someone is making interesting music. It was looking as though the year was gonna be a musical wash. We need more of this and less of the crap they play on the radio. Big Boi and Andre 3000 always know how to perfectly reinvent themselves all while still staying true to themselves. They are highly regarded in music but still stay underrated and that must keep them hungry and continually trying to top them. Even without Andre he still sounds undeniably OutKast. This could be a contender for album of the year if it more people open up their ears and recognize real music.

Seriously. Every song here has a pop hook (meant in the truest sense of the word) that transcends "hip hop". Like "Crazy", "Paper Planes", or, oh yeah "Hey Ya" , these are songs that sound instantly familiar, but not because they've bitten something that's been done before, but rather because they have a timeless quality to them. "Follow Us" has a chorus that you swear you've heard before. "General Patton" and "Night Night" have beats so perfect that you wonder how no one has thought of them sooner. "Be Still" makes you sad that songs that deserve to be the most popular in the nation will never even crack the Top 100, but still amps you up enough to find out who guest singer Janelle Monae is and what her album's all about. Then "You Ain't No DJ" brings just enough dissonance to ensure there's a little dirt under the nails of the album. Amazingly, but not surprisingly, Big Boi's raps avoid corny gangsterisms or cliched mic-prowess boasting. It's also a relief to know that Big Boi values his craft enough to use the endless delays that ensnared this record as an opportunity to continuously hone it into a stone classic. Then consider that the version available in the store, with previously released instant classics like "Shutterbug", "Fo Yo Sorrows", and, of course, "Shine Blockas", doesn't even include two absolute monster bangers featuring Andre 3000 that were left off by Def Jam ("Royal Flush", also featuring Raekwon, and "Lookin' For Ya", about which, after it leaked, Big Boi famously stated "You know, I'm no stranger to that Internet, baby.") For sure, Big Boi is on some Smiths-type stuff, even relegating a track like "Theme Song", aka "Ringtone", that would be a lead single on most hip hop albums to mere Sir Lucious bonus track status. Big Boi has dropped the album of the year so far, but it also cements his place in the pantheon, since he's probably the first rapper in history to be a part of four separate unimpeachable classics (Aquemini, Stankonia, Speakerboxxx, and Sir Lucious). OutKast fans have seemed to traditionally root for Andre 3000, probably because he's the eccentric weirdo with a jones for Parliament-Funkadelic. After Sir Lucious though, you wonder if all along Andre 3000 was merely Bootsy Collins and it was Big Boi who was George Clinton.

To call Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty amazing is to state the obvious. Surrounded by an array of eclectic names he has achieved what Kanye could only dream of: a sophisticated, lavish hip-hop/rap record that distills originality and spunk.

The temporary separation of Outkast in 2007 left us all with a bad taste. Andre 3000 and Antwan Andre Patton parted ways to pursue solo projects, but gravitated towards each other outside the main capsule. The recording and subsequent of Sir Lucious endured several obstacles for six long years which only increased the expectation and eventually diluted hopes when it was announced that the long awaited collaboration between the Outkast duo would not be part of it due to label disputes. Fortunately, that did not dwindle the quality of the final mix.

Big Boi has admitted his love for Kate Bush's and the unpredictability of her tracks. If anything, the results of reworked tracks and the apparent disparity of styles is his interpretation of such vision. He could not get a hold of Bush for this album but the list of names is still jaw dropping, including funk god George Clinton who participates in Fo yo sorrows, an experience Big Boi has described as `Dorothy going to see the Wizard of Oz"

Shutterbugg is a spanking first single. Although it does not convey the whole mood and inventiveness of the record, it offers a good glimpse of the electro gender bending style that proliferates in Sir Lucious. T.I.'s rhyming propels the already robust and catchy Tangerine into a sure hit single, and Jamie Foxx (yes, THAT Jamie Foxx) delivers a surprisingly outstanding performance for the slow Hustle blood.

Janelle Monae returns the favor and sings lead vocals in Be still, which sounds closer to something off her stunning The archandroid yet it is not dissonant with the rest of the record. Second single Follow us is as catchy as the aforementioned but thrives on synth tracks and the strength of Vonnegutt's chorus that reminisces of old school Boi.

True to his style, the Savannah born MC does not abaandon the sense of humor and infuses song transitions with skits plagued with jabs and punch lines at pop culture and politics, some of them featuring additional vocalists. The true gem amidst this pomp is the lyricism: ranging from boasting to sex and women to the club scene, Patton has created a record that if well offers a nod to his late father in the title, delivers but a fun ride without narcissism and false pretenses.

Big Boi declared on an interview to The Guardian that "as long as you still got honest voices and people that care about music, then you're going to get quality" and his aim is to get modern music back to the music. In the end, Jive Records got it right when they called this record a "piece of art" but screwed big time when they passed on it because it was unmarketable (isn't that always the case with uniqueness?) For me, being able to savor his work in its pure essence from conception to execution is a delight. And for everyone is the realization that he is not a sidekick, he is a mature frontman of exceptional talent that has much more to give than a few cool dance moves.

I originally did not care two cents for this album but when I heard Shutterbug on the radio i INSTANTLY had to check out what Big Boi was working with for this album. I'm pleased to say he put out a very good album folks. With a current 88 on MetaCritic, this album has Universal Acclaim! I haven't bought a CD I thought deserved my money in quite a few months now but went out and bought this album. Big Boi deserves it for the quality on this album. It's great and I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I'm loving it right now.

In 2008, OutKast member Big Boi announced that he was working on a solo album, entitled "Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son Of Chico Dusty". He had a lot of high hopes for this album- even going as far as wanting to duet with notorious recluses Sade as well as Kate Bush. While he didn't exactly get them on the album, he soldiered on with his the recording. Though it was billed as a solo debut, technically, it was his second solo album. You see, OutKast's 2003 Grammy award winning "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" was actually solo albums from Big Boi and Andre 3000, but was released as a double album, because the record label thought it was much too soon to embark on solo careers after their highly successful 2000 album "Stankonia". He released two singles from the album, "Royal Flush" and "Something's Gotta Give", only to find out that his label Jive Records wasn't interested in releasing the album- let alone promoting it. He engaged in a year long battle with the label over creative differences, culminating with his asking to be relased from his contract. In 2009, he signed with Def Jam, which was headed by Antonio "L.A." Reid, the former LaFace Records chairman who oversaw much of OutKast's career. As a result, the album sees the light of day in 2010.

Much of "Sir Lucious Left Foot..." is handled by Big Boi's longtime producers Organized Noise, with notable exceptions. Scott Storch produces the electro-funk first single "Shutterbug", Salaam Remi hands in "Follow Us", Andre 3000 produces the bass heavy Yelawolf featured "You Ain't No DJ", and Lil Jon provides the Jamie Foxx assisted "Hustle Blood". Two of Big Boi's proteges make appearances- the indie rock band Vonnegutt on the aforementioned "Follow Us" while Janelle Monae guests on the synth heavy "Be Still". The legendary Too Short as well as Parliament-Funkadelic founder George Clinton appear on the funky "Fo Yo Sorrows". While the album gets off to a good start, it starts to lose steam towards the end of the album- largely due to questionable track sequencing. "Sir Lucious Left Foot..." is a good debut effort from Big Boi, but one would have to wonder how much better this album could have been if record label politics hadn't gotten involved. Three songs that featured Andre 3000 had to be cut- including "Royal Flush"- due to Jive Records blocking all appearances from him due to their long standing feud over the OutKast brand. Still in all, it's an album worth checking out.

...comes from the South. I almost forgot how progressive the music from the South was. I feel like I did back in 94 and 96. Man, it's been a long time.......Clear!...Come on Hip Hop...Come on back to us baby...

Back in 2007, after the release of Outkast's sixth and worst studio record, Idlewild, Big Boi announced that his first proper solo album was in the works. Soon after the announcement he released what was to be the record's lead single, "Royal Flush." The song, for reasons we'll get to later, was pulled from the planned album. Over the next two and a half years Big Boi changed labels, releasing more singles in support of the much-talked-about Sir Lucious Left Foot along the way, no release date in sight. Then, finally, in the Spring of 2010, a release date popped up. Oddly, the record didn't featuring the four or five collaborations with his Outkast partner, Andre 3000, that fans had heard about (and, in most cases, already heard). More on that later.

Sir Lucious Left Foot arrives, same as every Outkast album, on a hot day. Be it late spring, mid summer or even late fall, Big Boi and Andre have always released their records for summer ears. And, if you've heard their albums, you'll understand why. (Very little reminds me of sweaty summer days in the 90s as much as the group's classic 1994 debut.) Lucious is not only another perfect fit for the Outkast sound, but it's maybe the most summer-ready release to come from the camp since their debut. More than even a Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake or early 90s West Coast hip-hop record, Lucious is a summertime classic, having the elements of not only a great pop record, but also a big screen blockbuster. The record is all-out, big and shiny, full of big-name guests, huge productions and epic hooks. The music is oddly creative while also being instantly catchy and accessible. And here we were, thinking that Andre was the weird one.

If you were to say that it sounds like Big Boi modeled his record after the two ultimate summertime hip-hop masterpieces, Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle, I'd say that you are right on. The funk sound of those two records isn't necessarily present here, but the elements are. The skits that offer cohesion and a cinematic quality work in the same manner; the guests are wisely used as minor characters who function as detours along the way; the hooks are anthem-like; the compositions are very musical and flow well from track to track; and, most importantly, the lead emcee rises above everything else. There's so much going on here, so many styles, ideas and guests, so much personality. That Big Boi without question remains the focus throughout is a major accomplishment.

Still, though, what is a Big Boi record without Andre 3000? These two emcees have been working closely together, growing artistically, since the early 90s. Hearing one without the other feels wrong. Their now-classic 2003 record, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, was split into two parts, a disc for each artist. Still, though, they turned up everywhere on each other's discs. Not here. Word is that if Andre's vocals turned up on any of the record's songs, some sort of detail from the group's previous contract would be called into question. And thus, all the songs featuring Andre were left on the cutting room floor. A damn shame.

That Lucious is so damn good regardless of the record ink blunder adds to the accomplishment. Sure, Big Boi has always been a good emcee, but Andre had always been presented as the musical genius behind the band's increasingly experimental work. The elements Big Boi mixes and the scale he's working on here argues otherwise. This is a big, grand pop album held together by some of the best hip-hop verses we've heard on a mainstream label in years. There's so much here to love, once again reminding us that the Outkast boys just simply work harder on their records than maybe anyone else in hip-hop (aside from maybe DJ Shadow).

Years in the works, with Lucious we have a new mainstream hip-hop classic. A summer classic. A varied, super-album stuffed with potential singles and full of ambition and ideas. I'd offer a song-by-song rundown, but that would take another 1,000 words. Front to back, this is a fun, rewarding album that adds nicely to the Outkast legacy.

Seven years after Big Boi and his OutKast counterpart André 3000 released the double disc Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Big Boi is finally back with another disc of his own material. With OutKast's most recent release, Idlewild, falling to less than ideal reviews and Big Boi himself often playing second fiddle to André 3000's less inventive, but more radio-friendly style, many listeners don't realize just how talented Antwan "Big Boi" Patton truly is. Unfortunately for Big Boi, neither does his former label, Jive Records.

Work on Sir Lucious Left Foot originally began a year after OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was released with an original release date set for 2007. At the time, André 3000 was very much a part of the project, recording many songs along with Big Boi. With various singles making their way to the internet, Jive began to feel the remaining material wouldn't sell the numbers they were looking for. After battling back, Big Boi was released from his contract with Jive but as a result, much of the material originally intended for this record is now absent, as is André 3000 who appears as nothing more than a co-producer.

Following a brief intro, the album leads off with "Daddy Fat Sax," which is equally inventive and addictive. The smooth groove of "Turns Me On" chases "Daddy Fat Sax" with further proof Big Boi has no problem coming up with hits of his own. Showing off a plethora of influences from seemingly every genre of music including classical and country across fifteen tracks, Sir Lucious Left Foot takes the listener on an incredible journey that Def Jam Records was willing to provide. Although not every song is going to make the waves his OutKast hit "The Way You Move" did in 2003, Big Boi is easily one of the more underrated rappers today. Instead of falling back on Auto-tune or leaning on the vocals of countless guests, Big Boi forges his own masterpiece and it is absolutely one to remember.

Similar Artists: OutKast, 8Ball

Track Suggestion: "Turns Me On"