The New Classics #45: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Outkast

Title: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Artist: Outkast
Year: 2003
Label: Arista

Pioneering artists often aren't recognized for the greatest works. Sgt. Pepper's made the Beatles the biggest band in the history of bands, but I think most listeners today can point to a decent of handful of the Fab Four's records that they enjoy more than the bloated studio pomp of that 1967 landmark album. For the Atlanta-based rap duo Outkast, their Grammy-award winning, chart-topping, world-conquering double album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, may well be their Sgt. Pepper's. Released following the genuinely visionary works Aquemini (1998) and Stankonia (2000), this double album arrived on a wave of critical acclaim and surging popularity. The ambitious concept of two full-length CDs, each a solo project for Outkast members Big Boi and Andre 3000, was one of the boldest pop experiments in recent memory. The awards came flying from every direction, with their victory at the Grammys being a crowning achievement for not just Outkast, but also rap in general and fans of truly left-field music. Outkast had done the impossible and brought the alternative firmly within the fold of the mainstream.

However, lost in all the hubbub and awards and alien costumes was the actual music on the actual records. Looking back at the two albums, it's undeniable that much of the music has not aged well. The biggest culprit is the first album, Speakerboxxx, featuring Big Boi's semi-traditional take on southern hip hop. "GhettoMusick," released as a single from this disc, sounds like a weak imitation of Outkast's previous hit "B.O.B.," with its frenetic synth jabs and unpredictable structure. Big Boi had always represented the harder, thuggier side of Outkast's music and Speakerboxxx is the disc more likely to appeal to classic hip hop fans. But aside from the irresistible single "The Way You Move," the songs on the album are generally forgettable. Big Boi's delivery verges on goofy more often than not and even prominent guest appearances from Jay-Z, Ludacris and Cee-Lo can't breath much life into these tracks. Critics generally ignored Speakerboxxx upon the double album's initial release and it no surprise why. While it's a serviceable slice of semi-retro hip hop, Speakerboxxx is eclipsed creatively by The Love Below.

Not that The Love Below is perfect, but it certainly takes a hell of a lot of chances. After building a cult of personality around himself as Outkast's maverick artistic spirit, Andre 3000 delivered a sprawling collection of songs and sketches that can rarely be defined as hip hop. Tapping into the spirit of Prince and other genre-bending pioneers, Andre plays fast and loose with musical styles, jumping from the jazzy "Love Hater" to the stomping funk of "Happy Valentine's Day" with ease. The groovy "Roses" isn't actually that far removed from Steely Dan, for crying out loud. Throughout is a fun, playful, cartoon version of the standard rap persona, with tracks like "Spread" all but mocking the "bootylicious" songs you'd find on the radio. Mind you, much of The Love Below is still about sex and love, but it's presented in a gentle, comically romantic way, celebrating monogamy and the search for "the one."

Of course, The Love Below also features "Hey Ya!," an era-defining song if there ever was one. Catchy as all hell and blessed with an unforgettable video, "Hey Ya!" was a major cultural touchstone from the moment it was released. As a pop song, it's quite bizarre, with an unusual time signature and undefinable genre, but these were things we expected from Outkast. With "Hey Ya!" leading the way, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below finally awakened the rest of the world to the magical genius of the group. Sadly, however, it captured the duo at a moment of creative flux that has yet to be truly resolved. Since it's release, Outkast have only released 2006's underwhelming Idlewild and rumors of a permanent split are always swirling. While these two albums served as an impressive breakthrough for Big Boi and Andre 3000, splitting their two personalities onto seperate albums ultimately weakened both sets of songs. Speakerboxxx lacks spark and imagination, while The Love Below needs some serious grounding. However, their collective ambition and pioneering spirit should not be ignored. Outkast deserve whole chapters in the musical history of the 2000s, but they earned that place with other albums than this inspiring-but-messy double CD.

Next up on The New Classics: Fever To Tell, Yeah Yeah Yeahs