Since any of us can remember, Big Boi has never managed to step out of the shadow of his Outkast partner-in-crime Andre 3000. Representing the under appreciated portion of the Southern supergroup Outkast, Big Boi has always had something to prove. While we have received little solo material from Outkast’s Andre 3000 (unless you consider The Love Below portion of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below to be a solo work), Big Boi has always received minimal recognition despite his release of multiple full-length studio albums. However, his collaboration with Phantogram, composed of singer Sarah Barthel and producer Josh Carter, on the new album Big Grams continues to establish him as the most versatile member of Outkast as well as the most relevant.
Phantogram and Big Boi collaborate to create a concise 7-track LP that breaks genre stereotypes like no other. Sarah Barthel and Big Boi accompany each other on every track on top of Josh Carter’s magnificent production in a back and forth conversational execution. The blend of Big Boi’s gritty bars and Sarah Barthel’s haunting vocals leaves listeners with a sense of awe no matter their critique of the music’s quality. Big Grams may not suit the tastes of every listener who comes across it, however, the quality of the album is undeniably pristine.
Recommended If You Like: Outkast, Phantogram
Recommended Tracks: 2 (Lights On), 3 (Fell In The Sun)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Sam Kulikov on 11/23/15