Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Awesome album. It carries real nostalgia with me and the better parts of school days.

Difficult to review this "double album" in a summary as the style of each one is very contrasting. Speakerbox is typical southern Hip Hop and despite its age now being 25 years old (wow!) still sounds fresh with many stand out's. - The Way You Move" an absolute classic hip hop tune with a real sweet jazzy chorus. Meanwhile The Love Below "part" of the album oozes funky vibes and of course "Hey Ya" going on to massive commercial success - now listen to Take of Your Cool featuring Nora Jones- big shift in style, "Prototype" released as a single is an excellent song, yet strangely flopped. Happy Valentines Day is absolutely riddled with funk! Both Big Boi and Andre 3000 excellent artists in their own individual rights. Just be wary of playing The Love Below at a dinner party with folk you might not be familiar with, could be awkward when tracks 22, & 25 come on!

While this record is very long, the diversity between Big Boi and Andre 3k's sides of the record keep it from dragging or getting stale. This is a stellar album.

9/10

This was a tough one to decide on, but I’ve settled on rating this album five stars with an asterisk. The asterisk being this album is too long. The strongest songs on here are so good and so plentiful. It’s bonkers. Is Hey Ya the greatest song released in the 21st century so far?

Listened to this hundred of times in high school and college. Still just as good as it was then.

Very surprised how much I liked it. Went in thinking I wouldn’t like it cause of the genre, but it was very good. And I’ve heard “Hey Ya!” in the past, but never knew the song name and artist.

Rap’s White Album, arguably. Sprawling, silly, sly—an incredible listen.

kind of brain-altering! speakerboxxx in particular is almost more impressive because despite hewing so much closer to the then-current popular vision of hiphop but still sneaking in all these wild structural ideas and cool production...really meaty glitzy wonderful stuff. still i wont pretend i dont understand why love below tends to be most people's big takeaway...the prince comparisons are more then earned across all the deeply felt eclecticism , certainly proves andre beyond being an all-time rapper is just an overall Artistic Visionary. kind of crazy to pair these records up not just for their differences but for how dense and rich they both are...kind of impossible to take all at once lol but clearly loaded with treasure, and honestly even the overwhelmed feeling of Drowning in the tracklist is its own interesting experience

Amazing

Love this album though it is incredibly long. Funny, hardcore at times, groovy, gentle. Incredibly creative with amazing guests. God is probably my favorite track.

erm... where's the flutes????/? 40 track long testament to the talent of outkast. each member can stand on their own and make captivating hour+ long albums. This album is such a feat and its fucking crazy to listen too. I don't love every songs but its still and impressive body of work nonetheless. Speakerboxxx is super good, feels like standard outkast album. The love below is so fucking crazy, i wish andre 3000 would make another experimental soul funk album its so damn good. Hey Ya still gives me chills to this day, 11/10 song. saw a review on here that says "very bad, black music lost its way a long time ago" fucking crazy. i feel like ppl are really harsh on rap album on this site tbh. the reviews on this album in general are strange when comparing them to rym. ig these are just regular music listener takes rather than chronically online music snobs. either way THIS being the fall of black music is a crazy take. that guy would disintegrate if he ever heard a hi-c song (not that hi-c is fall of black music fucking love hi-c, praying High the Lon35tarr gets added to the 1001 albums in the next edition).

Modern classic!

Double albums need to be good for this list because the time commitment can be hard, but this was well worth the time. I've only heard a couple of these songs, specifically Hey Ya and The Way You Move, but there was so much here I liked. It's funky, musically adventerous, and the raps are fast and furious. Also a ton of guest appearances. I liked Speakerboxx more than The Love Below, with my favorite track being The Rooster, it's just such an addictive backing track. Also, Outkast might be one of the best hook writers out there, so many great ones.

## In-Depth Review of *Speakerboxxx/The Love Below* by OutKast *Speakerboxxx/The Love Below*, released in 2003, is a landmark double album by the hip-hop duo OutKast, consisting of two distinct solo projects: Big Boi's *Speakerboxxx* and André 3000's *The Love Below*. This ambitious work showcases their individual artistic visions while maintaining the innovative spirit that has defined their career. The album not only achieved commercial success but also left a lasting impact on music, influencing countless artists across genres. This review delves into the lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence of the album, alongside its pros and cons. ### Lyrics ****Big Boi's *Speakerboxxx*** Big Boi's lyrics in *Speakerboxxx* are characterized by their sharp wit and social commentary. He explores themes such as: - **Social Issues**: Tracks like "GhettoMusick" address urban life and struggle, reflecting on the realities faced by those in disadvantaged communities. - **Personal Experiences**: Songs such as "Unhappy" delve into personal struggles and relationships, showcasing vulnerability alongside bravado. - **Philosophical Undertones**: Big Boi often infuses his verses with philosophical musings, particularly evident in tracks like "War," where he contemplates societal conflicts. ****André 3000's *The Love Below*** Conversely, André 3000's *The Love Below* presents a more introspective and experimental lyrical approach. Key themes include: - **Love and Relationships**: The album is replete with explorations of love's complexities, as seen in tracks like "Hey Ya!" and "Prototype," where he navigates both romantic highs and lows. - **Self-Reflection**: André's lyrics often reflect on his identity and personal growth, particularly in songs like "Love Hater," where he grapples with fame and self-worth. - **Humor and Quirkiness**: His unique style incorporates humor and whimsy, making tracks like "Happy Valentine's Day" memorable for their playful yet poignant observations. ### Music ****Musical Styles**** *Speakerboxxx* is rooted in Southern hip-hop with influences from funk and soul. Big Boi’s side features: - **Heavy Bass Lines**: Tracks like "GhettoMusick" exemplify the bass-heavy production typical of Southern rap. - **Funky Horn Arrangements**: Songs such as "Bowtie" incorporate vibrant horn sections that add depth to the sound. In contrast, *The Love Below* ventures into diverse genres: - **Eclectic Fusion**: André blends elements of jazz, funk, pop, and rock. For example, "Hey Ya!" combines a catchy pop sensibility with funk grooves. - **Experimental Soundscapes**: The production features unconventional sounds and arrangements, particularly in tracks like "Take Off Your Cool," which showcases a smooth jazz influence. ### Production ****Production Techniques**** Both albums exhibit high production quality but differ significantly in style: - **Big Boi’s Production on *Speakerboxxx***: Big Boi collaborated with multiple producers (including Mr. DJ) to create a cohesive sound that emphasizes rhythm and lyrical delivery. The production is characterized by its energetic beats and melodic hooks. - **André 3000’s Production on *The Love Below***: André took full creative control over his disc, crafting a sound that is more experimental. He employs a wide range of instruments and effects, creating lush soundscapes that complement his lyrical themes. ### Themes ****Exploration of Duality**** The overarching theme of *Speakerboxxx/The Love Below* is duality—reflecting the contrasting styles and perspectives of Big Boi and André 3000. This duality manifests in several ways: - **Artistic Expression**: The album serves as a showcase for both artists’ unique talents—Big Boi’s grounded approach versus André’s avant-garde tendencies. - **Cultural Commentary**: Both discs comment on different aspects of life—Big Boi focuses on societal issues while André delves into personal relationships. ### Influence *Speakerboxxx/The Love Below* has had a profound influence on music since its release: - **Genre-Blending**: The album’s success paved the way for future artists to experiment across genres. It has been cited as an influence on works by artists such as Frank Ocean, Tyler, The Creator, and Childish Gambino. - **Mainstream Acceptance of Experimental Hip-Hop**: By achieving commercial success while pushing musical boundaries, OutKast challenged the norms of hip-hop at the time, encouraging other artists to explore their creativity without fear of commercial backlash. ### Pros and Cons ****Pros**** - **Innovative Sound**: The album breaks new ground by blending various genres, making it accessible to a wider audience while retaining artistic integrity. - **Lyrical Depth**: Both Big Boi and André 3000 deliver thought-provoking lyrics that resonate with listeners on multiple levels. - **Cultural Impact**: The album redefined expectations for hip-hop albums and influenced a generation of musicians across genres. ****Cons**** - **Divergent Styles May Alienate Some Fans**: While the duality is a strength for many listeners, some fans may prefer one artist's style over the other, leading to mixed feelings about the overall cohesion of the album. - **Lengthy Runtime**: At 135 minutes with 40 tracks (including interludes), some listeners may find the album overwhelming or feel that it could have benefited from tighter editing. ### Conclusion In summary, *Speakerboxxx/The Love Below* stands as a monumental achievement in hip-hop history. Its innovative approach to music production, lyrical depth, thematic exploration of love and society, and significant cultural impact solidify its status as a classic. While it may not be universally appealing due to its length and divergent styles, its influence on subsequent generations of artists cannot be overstated. OutKast’s willingness to push boundaries has left an indelible mark on music that continues to inspire creativity today.

Oh hells yeah!

Yes every time

Shockingly good. Weird formatting choices aside, each very different album is worth your time. It won’t be hard to guess which album is by the guy who only does flute material these days.

Surprisingly very nice with its different types of songs. Really good.

This whole thing is a 5. I’ve always been a little scared to tackle this album; obviously, Hey Ya is the monster hit, but even past that, these are basically just two albums thrown together like a Sonic & Garfield pack for the Sega Genesis. They’re entirely unrelated, and they’re clearly put together just to keep the “OutKast” brand name alive. I wrote down two individual reviews for both Speakerboxx & The Love Below as I was listening; I’ll just copy/paste them both here, and then give a sort of epilogue to the whole thing. For Speakerboxx, that half easily gets a 5. Big Boi is flowing on this half of the record – this could’ve easily stood on its own without being attached to The Love Below, I think. Fantastic production across the board, great verses from everyone involved, and a really fun mix of like, Funkadelic-esque production stylizations with a bit of Outkast flair, naturally evolved from Stankonia, and still feeling extremely modern for 2003. A lot of these beats still go hard as hell in 2024, and any modern rapper could probably flow on a lot of them. I’ve always liked Big Boi’s verses just a little more than Andre’s, and so far, this part of the album is confirming my bias – he is on fire on a lot of these tracks, with his faster flow just more attuned to the upbeat tempo and nature of this part of the album. A lot of these are really fun tracks in terms of subject matter. Of course, there’s not a lot of “serious” moments here, but he does know when to reel it in when the time comes. I’ll say this; it’s a tough fucking act to follow. Andre’s got a lot to beat here – I think this perfectly lined up with my tastes. That’s a stellar album in its own right; I do wish it sort of landed its “ending” a little better, but this is a double package, so hopefully the last track on The Love Below satiates my thirst. When it comes to Speakerboxx, that’s a 5 by itself. I’ve got high, high hopes for Andre, and I hope he doesn’t let me down. For The Love Below, I’m at a 4.5. It’s oh so very close to being a 5 for me, but I just think this album doesn’t do quite enough to hit a fully authentic vibe that he’s trying to capture – he succeeds at hitting the vibe, but there’s a few tracks that go a bit long, a few tracks with some weird production choices, and honestly, just not enough features. If you’re gonna do this sort of Prince throwback style, or try to evoke old Bootsy Collins / Funkadelic type of production at times, bring in some of the people that made it work. With that said, I loved it when he stepped out of that box and did some super unique stuff – there are production tricks on this album that I don’t think mainstream rap & hip-hop really caught up to for at least another 5 or 6 years, unless I’m just deeply ignorant to the early 2000s (and I probably am). Those tracks easily stood out the most to me. Maybe I’m just a little salty because I wanted to hear Andre rap more, but his presence as a rapper is seriously underutilized on this album. That’s not to say his singing is bad; I think his voice contortions are really good, and he's pretty well trained. Sometimes the production covers up any perceived “flaws”, but if there are any, I barely caught them. I think this is a good front to back album, and it certainly has more of a plotline and a sort of A to Z structure than Speakerboxx did. I do think I enjoyed Speakerboxx more, just because Big Boi was flowing and it felt more fun, but this also could have stood on its own as a solo album. It’s a nice high 4.5. So, what does that mean for the entire package? Well, obviously, it’s a 4.75 if you average those out, but it’s an easy, easy roundup to a 5. I don’t think that part was ever in question – what I’m most surprised by, in terms of this double album, is how oddly cohesive it feels even with the blatant split. They complement each other well, and they both bring an individual vibe; the usual ATL bounce from Speakerboxx, and the more thoughtful and introspective stuff from The Love Below. Those vibes together do evoke OutKast to me. In a way, this feels better as a double album under the OutKast branding, if only because I think they would’ve been pigeonholed into these styles if these were released as solo albums. As a whole package though, it does feel like it’s OutKast, and a more individual showcase of the best of their own work. I do wish there was a bit more overlap between Andre and Big Boi across both albums, to keep that cohesion a bit more intact, but I’m just sort of nitpicking at this point. These are two very good solo albums; one gets a 5, the other gets a 4.5, but as a whole package, it’s very easily a 5. Ghettomusick > Hey Ya!, by the way. Fight me.

I kept going back and forth about whether I should do a 4 or 5 star, so I think I would give it 4.5 (rounding up to 5 bc who cares). I really didn't like the first half of The Love Below side, but the songs after the phenomenal Hey Ya were quite good. If I listened to lyrics in music, I probably would have enjoyed it even more.

At times I felt this should be a 6, but 2h 15m is a long time and not all moments hit the same high for me.

Very nice

I am an Outcast fan. Love it

Double albums with related but still relatively distinct overarching themes is a rarity these days and is an incredible hip hop album

Mega surprise, HipHop avantgarde bien fun

best album so far, incredible production incredible lyricism incredible messages 10/10

One of my favourite albums EVER!!!!

Classic, first listen- long but good lyrics and stories

This thing is insane in the best ways. The vibes of both albums are totally different, but they both manage to explore a lot of sonic territory while keeping a unique vibe. I'm here for it.

A Modern Masterpiece. There is depth, breadth, and complexity here that is rarely captured in any genre...and this album has genres in abundance.

This is always a vibe

Big nostalgia on this one

Not every song is an absolute banger, but 95% are. This was the soundtrack to my college years.

Amazing!

Double so incredibly long. But each with its own unique flavor.

Great vibes

Look, I am 39 of god’s own years old. This album is Quadrophenia for people in my cohort and we aren’t allowed to give it less than 5 stars. Still, I feel vindicated in this relisten in thinking as a contrarian 18 year old that Speakerboxxx is the much better half as I listened to it on computer speakers in Foobar2000.

It’s too long. If you were to listen to Speakerboxxx/The Love Below as one full album, as I did, then it’s length is the main problem. I started at about five o’clock after getting off work, and finished at about the time I was ready to get tea ready. But that’s the double album experience isn’t it, and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below isn’t just a double album. As two solo albums from the two members of OutKast it’s a pretty fascinating experience, both with their own strengths and flaws, both with something to say, and both with a host of good songs. I can see the arguments for both discs being the superior one, and as such I do think that it’s best experienced as two sides of a whole. But then you get into the problem of length again. Yet as much as I harp on about the flaws, it cannot be denied that Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is one of the most remarkable pieces of art produced in the early 2000’s, brilliant not despite it’s messy, overblown, and contradictory nature, but because of it. And because of that, it deserves the full five stars

Speakerboxxx wins again.

I love this album

Unreal album, I'm not sure how to describe this album tbh but it has everything.

I must admit, when I saw an Outkast double album clocking in at over 2 hours I wasn't overly optimistic. So glad to be proven wrong. This is probably best taken in as 2 separate albums like I did. Banger after banger after banger. Liked The Love Below slightly more mostly for the best version of My Favourite Things I've ever heard.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

This is basically a four star album and a six star album back to back, and which is which changes every time I listen to it. This time Speakerboxxx was the six star.

One of my favorite albums of all time, great songs and genre bending in a way that brings a lot of cool sounds to the masses, masquerading as a popular Hip Hop Album. Even the interludes are top-notch compared to others released around this time. More albums like this, less crappy boring British pop rock and punk. Would give more than 5 stars if possible.

Double your pleasure with the finest output imaginable from the legendary duo.

Two albums for the price of one, and both feel fresh, innovative and funky.

In 2002 there was no escaping OutCast, nor did you want to. They took rap/hip-hop to a new level by incorporating New Orleans Jazz, techno, rap, and every other genre until it all spilled out the Speakerboxxx! A personal favorite is Bow Tie for the jazz roots. There are some great collabs here too: Tomb of the Boom with Ludacris, Big Gripp and Konkrete; Reset with Cee-Lo; She Lives in My Lap, which is kinda’ weird thinking about Ahsoka’s Miss Dawson that way (…so I am told from a friend, I would never…); and Take Off You Cool with chanteuse Norah Jones. …and that one with Jay-Z. Overall this album delivers and through its multifaceted approach feels just as relevant today as it did two decades ago.

Amazing top to bottom

8/2/24. This isn't my top OutKast album but still consider this a classic. Never gets old, amazing production, and loved the idea of each member highlighting their individuality as a double album.

Better than I expected, I really enjoyed the lyricism of the songs and the storytelling in the album

Arrancamos nueva semana con disco nuevo para mis oídos. Recuerdo las canciones más hiteras de Outkast de cuando era niño pero jamás escuché éste trabajo completo. Disco súper arriba, lleno de cancionazas. Tremendísima forma de empezar un lunes.

This album is excellent! Since it's a double album, each one of the albums is easily 5. Speakerboxxx has a distinct sound and is full of lyrical inventiveness, while The Lover Below contains artistic freedom and sounds Jazzy. OutKast were perfect!

Usually I rate based on the quality of the entire album. An album this plentiful, however, despite having it's downs, has some insane ups. There exists a kind of substance that a "five star album" lacks, even. Outkast will always be on my list.

2 for 1 and both great albums, what more could you want?

I was excited to get this album as I already like Hey Ya and The Way You Move. This album is interesting as it is basically two in one so I'll review each one separately. Speakerboxxx is the first album and it's great. This is the Big Boi side and it's style is more traditional Outkast. The balance of Big Boi's deep voice while rapping with the great backing and usually higher voice of the chorus work really well together. Every song is pretty good and all work together. Favorite songs: Bowtie, The Way You Move, Church, Knowing, Flip Flop Rock Now for Andre 3000's side, The Love Below. Immediately you notice the difference from the first half. Every song is different taking from a bunch of genres creating a cool eclectic listening experience. It especially works considering Speakerboxxx tends to not switch it up like this half does in terms of musical styles. I mean there's an instrumental version of My Favourite Things which is crazy. Lyrically it is also impressive showing the different views of love both positive and negative. Favorite songs: Love Hater, Happy Valentine's Day, Prototype, She Lives In My Lap, Hey Ya, Roses, Dracula's Wedding, My Favorite Things, Take Off Your Cool Overall these albums are amazing musically and lyrically. Combined it is a legendary listening experience which is easily a 5/5.

I'm listening to this album 3 months after I was supposed to, so I am going to keep my listening notes brief. This album is too long and I hand out a lot of negative reviews for that crime. However... this time.... I'm going to let it go. This album is nothing but bars the entire way through. Amazing features and beats. I put it on and two hours flew by. My neck started hurting from two consecutive hours of head bopping. You're supposed to see a doctor after four right? So good, I saved the entire album. 9/10

My pick for Outkast’s best album. An insane amount of range given that it’s over two hours. One of the only, if not, the only album I can think of that long where the length is justified. Production feels new and original. Lyrics and flow are substantial and unique. My only suggestion would have been that it may have worked better as two separate albums rather than two stitched together, but it doesn’t feel forced. They complement each other well. Love it. 5/5

This is a double album, and it was absolutely worth the 2 hour and 15 minute runtime. Speakerboxx is primarily conscious rap, and The Love Below can best be described as a beautiful mix of soul, pop, funk, and hip-hop. Speakerboxx was strong, but this entire record truly starts to shine with The Love Below, in my opinion. On The Love Below, Outkast transcends hip-hop, or any other genre invoked, and they simply become “musical,” so to speak. The best artists do this. Speakerboxx/The Love Below ultimately merits a 5/5.

Hell yeah

I mean...it's just such an absolute beast of an album from both rappers. Full circle type projects.

Personal all time favourite of mine! Fond memories of listening to it in the car with my dad when it came out.

5 stars! Fond memories of listening to this in the car with Will's Dad

All Bangers all the time.

Fantastic. Diverse, groovy, interesting, etc. Absolutely banger album.

Honestly, this was a crazy cool experience. Big Boi and Andre 3000 have such unique approaches to art, and the fact that they pieced together this behemoth of a double album which so distinctly captures each of their styles is crazy. It took me several days to fully experience this thing, but it is certainly deserving of a spot on this list. 4.5/5 -> 5/5.

Absolutely excellent! Like progressive hip hop

Steeped in the history of space funk and psychedelic soul but ahead of their time in terms of beat making and their pop / hip hop sensibility this album is an eclectic epic full of hits and hooks, catchy as hell, raunchy, funny, and perfectly executed. It's It's too long, but it's the pinnacle of their career: great features, distinctive voices, signature production style.

The album as a whole contrasts its self in an interesting way. Part one is a solid hip-hop album while part two is an experimental mix of hip-hop, RnB and several other genre influences mixed in. Part two really does the heavy lifting of this album for me, both thematically and in execution. André 3000’s unique artistic vision combines with strange romantic-ish songs and messages that are different than a lot of what comes out of hip-hop, especially modern hip-hop, and are much needed from music as a whole.

Two albums. Same old flow Speakerboxxx: Holy FUCK this is one of the best hip hop albums I've ever heard. Oozing with style, filled to the brim with not just incredible wordplay and flow, but also SUPER catchy choruses. The features are all great too, and I love the beats The Love Below: And yet somehow, André 3000 tops Speakerboxxx with a concept album detailing every single aspect of romantic love. So diverse, long, yet every song is incredible and an experience of its own. The fact that these 2 albums were sold together is astounding, because they both hold their own easily. But together, it's the greatest deal on Earth

Here's one I own and love, and I went into this listen with the prejudicial bias that it was a 4 before I even started listening. It's brilliant, and chock full of good tunes, but it's incredibly long and I considered that would be a detraction. But, god damn, it's just really good from start to finish. For us CD lovers, the album is packaged as two discs, but more than that, as two distinct albums. It's not so much a double album as two simultaneous releases. And that makes a ton of sense, given the material within, and doing it differently would have been detrimental to either release. So I am fully on board. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx is pretty frenetic, but I love the eclectic sounds and vibe that he produces. At the end of the day, it isn't even super rap-heavy, or at least rap is one of the many elements that make the album what it is. Great production. Excellent album. And, while it's been a little while since I listened to this (loved that I had to grab the CD out of Sylvia's car because he was borrowing it), I'll admit that, with each listen, I wonder if Andre 3000's schtick is going to start feeling tired. But, man, it's not a schtick. Dude is ice cold, and I can't think of another album that makes me want to dance and groove and then makes me laugh out loud as I'm doing it. I love his sense of humor and style, and his album is killer. The song Roses has always tread on being a little sillier than necessary, but damned if that wasn't the song running through my head all morning after having heard it yesterday. It's a big ask to get through this whole thing in one sitting — it took me a day and a half to do it — and I typically listen to this one album at a time. But it's an extraordinary work, and for that, what else can you rate it?

Cooler and better than I remember

Never heard an 808 work so hard. Sublime.

Was never a huge hip-hop listener growing up, but this album was the one exception. Specifically, The Love Below pulled me in and I have always held it in super high regard. Over the years, though, I've come to realize that I actually like Speakerboxxx better. The Love Below has higher highs, but Speakerboxxx is more consistently awesome. In the end, collectively, it holds up as one of my all time favorites.

I only knew the hits and I really HATE Roses but the whole album is very good!

A classic concept album, where Andre 3000 asks the question, "what if you were in a relationship but still horny for other people" and Big Boi asks "what if you were a cool dude." Somehow when I was 17 years old I remember thinking this shit was soft. 20 years later it sounds incredible. I wonder what that means.

💬

This is a pretty amazing record. I spent a good bit of time listening to it when it came out, and the overall quality is very high. Melodic in a way that makes it feel fresh.

Love these beats. Love the bars. So much to like here. So many fusions of styles that always work together. Super influential album.

I love this record! I love the hip hop from Speakerboxxx. The mix of sounds, instrumentation and genres is super unique, I also like the political / social nature of the songs. The Love Below is more interesting to me. The lyrics are lighter and even silly at some points, but I like the R&B, Soul, Rock influences and how they merge with Hip Hop. I'm also just stoked that they went for it and made a freakin 40 song, 2 hour long record. Its pretty bold. I'd like to spend more time with this entire record, but when will I have time??

I never listened to this album all the way through before and based off the hits, it’s not what I expected in the best way possible. The stark contrast in the content between the two, even the production and overall mood of the two disc don’t feel the same. I think they did an incredible job of showcasing 3 stacks and Big Bois differences as artists. The music just sounds good to me. Classic album (The hits sound better in the flow of the project)!!

This is actually 9 stars: 4 for Speakerboxxx, 5 for The Love Below. And yes, I added the ratings and not average them, because the two sides and personalities complement each other.

Such a classic! Favorite track: Hey Ya

It’s sticky and sweet and I love this album

Hell to the yeah.

Two Outkast albums in one week is nice. Although this album signaled that Outkast were starting to prefer being solo artists, they still combined to make a classic. Big Boi brings it on the first half with multiple rap classics and Andre takes it home on the back half with soulful and jazzy tracks. "The Way You Move" and "Hey Ya" are the clear standouts and still classics 20 years later, but the whole album is great.

Spectacular album. Hard to say if it’s OutKast’s best. But it’s nearly perfect as far as I’m concerned.

You wouldn’t think the two halves would work together. But I totally think they do! Just a great collection of songs that range in complexity and danceability. 5/5

Perhaps the best hip hop double album of all time. Speakeboxx beginning is awesome. It’s dripping in P Funk at the beginning and Bow tie is particularly great. Love Below has some classic tunes but is less consistent.

Speakerboxxx is a 5 star album. This is what I expect from Outkast and it holds the test of time. I can listen to this album all day, and I don't think it's their best work. The Love Below has some great tracks on it, but it's more experimental, and misses on a lot of tracks. It even takes about 6 tracks to find itself.

it's no flute album, but this sends me back home to Atlanta.

awesome i loved it

classic album, with a lot of guests and well known songs

My biggest issues with these albums are the length of some of the songs, and the amount of interludes. Idk what it is with hip hop and copious interludes, but they’re so unnecessary and 99% of the time they take away from the flow of the album. That being said, these are fantastic albums. Speakerboxxx is the tighter album, but The Love Below has the better songs. “Roses” is probably the absolute standout, but there are so many great songs. The albums compliment and contrast each other well. Not perfect, but some of the best hip hop albums of the 2000.

Crazy given the ubiquity of Hey Ya, Andre’s disc is pretty weak. Has way too many interstitial skits, doesn’t really hit a good song for a while and overall goes on for too long. Big Bois is incredible though. Overall still an essential album

A literal album of two halves. The Love below is amazing, weird, intricate, silly and catchy at different moments. The Speakerboxxx is a bit more traditional plodding hip hop of the time. Five stars for Andre 3000, 2 stars for Big Boi. But I'm going to ignore spreakerboxx for the rating.

9/10 Speakerboxxx was fantastic, and The Love Below was legendary such a great rap album

Noice

predobar album. i rijeci i beat

always so gooooood

One of my all time favorite hip hop albums. Great beats, fun skits, some good lyrics, some great guests. What's not to like? Highlights - Unhappy, Bowtie, The Way You Move, Church, Knowing, Last Call, Love Hater, Happy Valentine's Day, Hey Ya, Roses, Behold a Lady

I went in hating this album. 2 hours! Are they insane?? It is too much! But hey, I loved Stankonia back in the day and I like Outkast in general, so I kept on going. I am glad I did. The first disc dragged me right in, but near the end I was wondering how far I'd get on the second disc. Well, let me tell you, dear reader, I did not stop nodding my head the entirety of disc 2. Engrossed, is the word. So yeah, long ass album but worth it to me. Which is a rarity.

A classic

Holy crap! 20 years?? I will always remember driving down the freeway listening to alternative radio when Hey Ya came on. My booty started bouncing in the seat all by itself. Hey Ya could be one of the biggest bangers of all time. Used to listen to this all the way through all the time. Big Boi and Andre3000 had mostly gotten into their separate projects at this point and the two discs on the double album are pretty much totally separate. Big Boi’s Speakerboxx is the southern rap is the first disc and Andre3000 sexy disc is full of all kinds of influences from funk to jazz and classical. Perhaps not as groundbreaking or party friendly as the earlier albums Stankonia and ATLiens but it is still my favorite OutKast

absolute fuckin heater album cannot go wrong with outkast almost every track got me BUMPIN big boi's disk is just fire all the way through, some heater features including my goat killer mike, produced AMAZINGLY and honestly a 4.8/5 album then you go into andre 3000's disk and its just this absolutely amazing jazzy type beat and it just works. gets better as it progresses and its just stunning 4.6/5

The album that had everyone shaking like a Polaroid picture. I was thinking about Fonzworth Bentley earlier today, when is that style going to make a comeback?! This isn't really an Outkast album, it's a Big Boi album and an Andre 3000 album, but I'll still take it because I love these dudes. Are Stankonia or Aquemini on the list? I haven't listened to this in years outside of the singles - excited to revisit this over 20 years later. Close to Spectacular! Speakerboxxx is a damn good album, cool experimental beats, great flow, cool features from some big names. It sounds like an Outkast album minus Andre rapping on most songs. Very good - I was especially feeling Bowtie today. The Love Below is a damn good album too! It's a lot longer and stranger than Speakerboxxx, with funny interludes and just strange moments like a drum and bass cover of Favorite Things?! It brings in a lot of Prince and pop influences, whereas Big Boi was digging into southern hip hop and funkadelic energy (plus some second line horns). You can hear a lot of influence from The Love Below in newer artists, who have embraced weird R&B. I like when folks get weird with it! And Outkast always get weird with it!

One of the top 10 hip hop albums of all time.

4.5

I mean, this is two five star albums, so I'm giving it 10 🌟

Great!

Originals! Great album. I love how it's split down middle big boi and then Andre. So good not my favorite album but still a five!

OutKast were huge in Atlanta and the rest of the dirty south for almost a decade but this was when the rest of the world really got to know them. The Dungeon Family heavily represented-appearances from CeeLo and Killer Mike. Here you can really start to see the creative differences between the two. Amazing album lots of hits. Two creative geniuses doing their thing. Love OutKast but I’m heavily biased due to my Georgia ties

Outstanding!

Chances of me finishing this album today are low so I’ll say some stuff now since I have heard this one so many times. It’s only flaw is it’s length in my opinion, the beats all over both parts are so fucking FUN. OutKast has always prioritized their vision above all else and it yields the truest versions of themselves which allows the music to be consistently entertaining, even more than some music releasing today. Being someone whose main exposure to rap has always been northeast coast and west coast, I’ve always been a firm believer that the south makes the best version of it and the longevity of this album proves that for me. 4.8/5

Growing up is realising that 3 Stacks fucking carries this project.

Here’s me, a slightly chubby, nerdy 14 year old kid, having only recently discovered a wider world of music outside of CCM, knowing absolutely nothing about hip hop other than it must’ve been terrible because I wasn’t allowed to listen to it and “all they ever talked about was guns and sex.” I hear Hey Ya on the radio, and decide to explore that more. I borrow a friend’s copy of the CD to listen to on my Walkman on the bus because I will be thrown out of my house if I get caught with it. What follows is an expansive double album that covers virtually every base of important music styles I would go on to discover and love over the next two decades of my life. This album informed so much of my taste in music, it’s really astonishing. And while I don’t think it’s the best hip hop album of all time (hell, Love Below is hardly hip hop), I think it’s one of the best double albums ever, and certainly in the top 10 of greatest 21st century records.

OutKast split it down the middle so you can see both the visions; the resulting divine dichotomy's the closest I'll ever get to religion.

Speakerboxxx: An absolute slapper. If you aren't a fan or rap or interludes, this won't be for you. If you do like rap, this is a must listen to. Big Boi and Andre 3000 helped put Atlanta on the rap map and started a shift away from New York and LA as the rap centrals. The Way You Move is an all time rap song. Bowtie was another song that really stood out to me. The Love Below: This feels like Andre 3000's project more than Big Boi's. Hey Ya is probably one of the best songs of the the 21st century and Roses is another high point of this portion. I liked Spearkerboxxx more than The Love Below overall. I thought The Love Below had the higher highs but the lower lows. Overall an incredible album, a bit long at times but it can easily be split. I would probably give Speakerboxxx a 5 and The Love Below a 4 if I rated them separately.

Really Interesting! all the big recognizable hits were from The Love Below, but listening to it all the way through, I really liked the Speakerboxxx side a lot more

Damn every song is great damn And theres 2 hours of it? Damn

I don't think the gimmick was conducive to a good cohesive project, but if it forced people to respect that both parts of the duo were integral to how amazing they were then I am cool with it. Great album track by track for the most part, overall not quite there but still awesome and spawned some crazy big hits, could listen to Roses and The Way You Move every day and love it

Really love this double album

Sensacional, mas sou mais The Love Bellow que Speakerboxxx Dito isso "The Way you move" é sensacional, e não entendo como não fez mais sucesso. Flip flop rock foi uma surpresa agradável na primeira metade. Mas como álbum tem o problema de ser muito grande, muitas músicas "baixas" até chegar nos grandes hits De qualquer forma toma 5

Im not the biggest rap fan in the entire world but wow this album is a masterpiece. How Andre 3000 manages to turn this into a jazz album is beyond me

Revolutionary

One of the greatest albums of all time. Big Boi's side is peak mid 00s hip hop, with everyone on board, amazing beats and incisive rhymes (from him at least. Some of the smaller names and Jay Z deliver a couple of stinkers). Then 3000s side is essentially a concept album about a relationship happening, falling apart, then the growth that comes after. But with Hey Ya, vampires and a jazz/breaks version of The Sound of Music. If it hadn't been for the jazz flute album a few months ago, you'd say it was the most out there thing he'd ever done. I can't see how anyone could hear this and give it less than full marks.

Not perfect and it is essentially 2 different albums fused together but this is still a singular achievement over 20 years on. Can remember LOVING this when it came out, still stands up now - so creative.

Hey ya alone gives this 5 stars. A dance song you can’t dance to - it’s in 22/8. A happy melody about a relationship breakdown. One of the greatest songs and singles of the 21st century. In 2003. Will it be matched over the following 97 years? 21 years later there’s not a lot of competition. * The rest of the double album swerves from great to middling. Without hey ya it’d be a solid 3.5. With Hey Ya it’s a 5. *This isn’t a ‘music these days!’ comment. Hey Ya is that good. .

Love this album. You can listen from start to finish, absolutely brilliant.

cmon son that's a classic joint. only problem is it's a little too poppy. 4.5 stars. definitely listen to their earlier work for perfect works of art and music!

Absolutely fantastic

Church my favorite track. Was amazed by how much I liked this album.

Wow what a lush tapestry of sounds. I loved the diversity of the tracks. This is a masterpiece.

Brilliant

Classic

I was ready to call this album a 5+ but I will agree with the other critics who said that The Love Below does take some odd turns. It's a double album so its bound to have some filler but do we really need a free jazz/breakcore version of a song from The Sound of Music? I know I don't. That inclusion of that track and some of the other clunkers knock this down to a solid five.

I have been a big fan of The XX since first hearing them. Love the mellow vibe of this album.

Already listened to this album but I am so excited to start my year off with it! A wonderful blast from the past, can't wait to get started on this journey

Love this. Speakerboxxx 💯

loved it

#1

I don't know if this is a masterpiece or two masterpieces. Maybe three masterpieces if I consider the combo "Hey Ya!"+"Roses" are a third masterpiece by themselves.

Fuck yeah

Two classics in a row???? This album was one of the first I ever bought, and on eBay so I didn't have to worry about a check out person asking for my ID since it was parental advisory. I found out many years later that they do not check ID with PA albums so there's some irony there. If I remember right, I had bought Now 16 which had Hey Ya on it, and of course it was on the radio too, but I wanted to get the whole album. And once I did, I played that thing out on my CD player. I loaded this album up on Xbox too and had these songs playing while we played Tony Hawks Underground. This is an easy 5 for me in the same way the last one was, filled with memories of youth and sneaking listens whenever the parents weren't around. Not every song is perfect, but with so many hits on here, and at over 2 hours, this is how you did a long form album. And this puts any of Drakes long albums to shame. Now that I think of it, this might have been the first rap album I ever had. Major Keepers: GhettoMusick, The Way You Move, Knowing, Happy Valentine's Day, Prototype, Hey Ya!, Roses, Dracula's Wedding, My Favorite Things And if I'm picking, I'm giving the edge to The Love Below

Good lord, talk about a one-two punch, thankfully we got a weekend to breathe between Hendrix and OutKast. We went from a five-star album that reminded Alex of me to a five-star album that reminds me of him. I wasn't sure if this would be five stars, not an instant one in the sense Jimi was. But listening through it, which I haven't done in years, it's hard to deny. I know way more tracks than I thought, and it's frustrating because I swear Stankonia is my favorite OutKast album, but then ATLiens and Aquemini and Speakerboxxx/Love Below beat my ass. These dudes are really just that good. A double album, two hours plus but a TRUE double album in the sense that Speakerboxxx is Big Boi's showcase album, and the Love Below is Andre 3000's. Three Stacks is inarguably one of the greatest rappers ever (now a solid ambient artist), but it's funny to think that paired with just about any other rapper, Big Boi would be the better rapper in the duo. It's like the "bad cop bad cop" joke in the Other Guys, "I saw how hard you came in and thought 'I gotta go higher than that??'" Alex and I listened to this many a time as kids, well before I really understood what hip hop was. So many tracks take me right back to those days, especially "Bamboo Interlude" which I almost forgot about, and the "Panties" skit that still gives me PTSD, worrying mom or dad might walk in the room while I'm listening. Big Boi made the "hip hop" album here, and it rips, and Andre 3000 made a more experimental/R&B fusion kind of album, but it also rips. Just unfair how good these two are individually and together. Side note: there's definitely a connection between Hendrix and Andre 3000: sure the guitar-playing influence is there, but Andre also played Jimi in a movie. Anyway, five stars, could talk for much longer about this album but just go listen again. Favorite tracks: Unhappy, Ghetto Musick, Bowtie, The Way You Move, The Rooster, Bust, Bamboo Interlude, Knowing, Reset, Bowtie (Postlude), Happy Valentine's Day, Prototype, Hey Ya, Roses, Behold a Lady, Dracula's Wedding, Take Off Your Cool, A Life in the Day of Benjamin Andre. Album art: Perfect representation of the split nature of this project, and how cool do both of these guys look? I'll say it here because I forgot to above: this was one of the few albums by non-white artists to win AOTY at the Grammys over the last two decades and damn did it deserve it. 5/5

Fantastic album! Even the lesser known tracks are total jams. This was one of the first hip hop albums I loved.

just great. these two have unlimited ideas. they play characters and sing songs that seem like they’ve been around forever. probably cliche to say but the variety is like the white album.

LOVED.

Incredible album. Half of it is weird, experimental, psychedelic, electro-funk, genre expanding, hip hop. Then Andre 3000's half starts and shit gets REALLY crazy.

Stankonia was good but. couldn't quite get past the misogyny. I cannot ignore the collective genius that is this album. The best combination of clever lyrics, imppecable flow and masterful production to ever grace this Earth, OutKast is everlasting.

Some great songs. High energy. Energy dips a bit toward the end—it’s a lot of songs.

If someone asks me what R&B is, I will tell them to listen this album.

Outkast really are in a league (and on a planet) of their own. Dragging old school into the far off future, this is a long ass album that deserves every second to be heard and savoured. In my opinion this is their magnum opus, an incredible feat considering the quality of their previous records.

Great!

Phenomenal. This is a long album, but it is incredible from start to finish. I wouldn't change a single thing.

great hip hop album, exemplifying the best of the genre and covering so many great topics too.

What an amazing dual album.

Top notch

Good tunes!

Great album. Still like Love Below more, butSpeakerboxxx is so solid

So many surprising moments and depth.

The cup of raw creativity runneth over – way f-ing over. There is enough for three or four great albums here, and this seemed to open up new possibilities for and epxand the horizons of hip-hop. Sprawling and sublime, the combination of ambition and anything-goes works fabulously well, almost too well as it's borderline too much multiple times. Some of the filigree may get close to filler but the quantity of quality and variety of originality make this a landmark and it holds up well. Beyond “The Way You Move” and “Hey Ya,” “Church,””Flip Flop Rock,” “Prototype” “Take Off Your Cool," “My Favorite Things” and "Vibrate" are among the many other highlights. The jokes mostly land or at least at a higher rate than most hip-hop records (not that this is one, only). The guest appearances are mostly additive but one wonders just how much would be lost if they weren't here. Fusing multiple styles beyond hip-hop, one hears elements of many of the best musical maximalists – Prince, George Clinton, Coltrane, Rick James, Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis – an alt history of black music, basically. OutKast possess as much raw fireeower as those acts, as well as a boldness and relentlessness in making it new.

Classic album, solid gold

First of all, very funny that this is another Hip-Hop album with a “god is a woman?!” moment on it. That having been said, blown away by this listen. I wasn’t stoked about a 40-track album where I only knew 4 of them prior, but this is a real fun listen. Speakerboxxx is banger after banger with some great features (those Killer Mike tracks go hard), and The Love Below is an eclectic experimental trip that really shows why André 3000 had a blank check to do whatever for the next decade. I’m not a fan of most of the interludes, and of course every track isn’t a hit (The Love Below certainly being the more inconsistent half), but I can’t say the overall enjoyment was affected a ton by that for me. It still stands up for me as a weird, wild, wholly realized artistic expression. This is twice as long as Layla and that record had me tuning out and skipping around after a bit, while I was genuinely engaged the whole way through here. Great stuff.

Wow! This is what a double album should be, 2 albums! Andre isn’t as consistent as big boi’s side, but you can definitely get something out of it. Weird, experimental, groovy! GREAT!

One of my faves, smooth AF

My childhood memories

This is the pinnacle of the Drrty South sound and goddamn does it feature everyone - Killer Mike, Cee-Lo Green, Lil Jon, Ludacris. Hell, even JAY-Z had to get in on the action. It’s an opus magnum dei. I loved this album when it came out and bought it the first week. I am down with the crunk.

Some absolute classics in this album. OutKast were at their peak when this came out. Was very unique to have two separate albums in each, but goes to show that the duo were likely looking for different things from the music by that point.

I miss rap like this. It's got good flow. I feel like a lot of hip hop nowadays is just "a guy talking" (I'm looking at you Jay Z). On top of that, side two is fresh, what with the jazz / lounge infusion. And on side one we have "The Way You Move", an awesome recreation of something Earth, Wind, and Fire might do (and which they wound up covering). I wish there were more hip hop like this.

Love this sh!t

The most Double of Albums, since it is literally two Albums that were smashed together. I think that it is missing some of what I enjoy about OutKast, but Andre really makes up for it in The Love Below.

A COMPLEX hip hop album. It needs another listen to fully grasp.

Prototype is favorite track

🐐🐐

I knew some of the latest songs of this group but the album was so fresh, so clean ;D

long ass album

Solid

Album starts very strong with some great energy in the opening tracks and then get's lost for a bit in generic hip hop sounds and tropes. Andre's eclectic sounds and inventive lyrics keeps the album flowing in between the well known, timeless songs that even your grandparents could enjoy. Killer Mike provides a solid, aggressive contrast in a few spots.

Absolutely delightful. What a fun double album. Very cool to essentially see two solo albums considered one collective band album. Definitely a must-listen.

I absolutely adore this album. Every single song (with the exception of Behold A Lady) was a solid 4.5/5. Shoutout to Andre 3000 and Big Boi for making one of the best hip-hop albums ever. It's fucking fantastic.

This one is a five star classic, these guys never missed!

When I was a teenager the local record store sold packs of random used CDs for pretty cheap - I used to love buying them because you'd find all kinds of weird shit in them, and also some all time classics. One of them had just The Love Below and not Speakerboxxx, which ended up being my first foray into Outkast - a group I love dearly. That's all a roundabout way of saying that, despite my love of all things Outkast, I've for some reason never listened to Speakerboxxx until today. What a mistake; I think I prefer it to The Love Below. I wish they'd get back together, but what an incredible album to leave on (shhh, Idlewild doesn't count)

"Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo OutKast. It is a double album with a solo album from each member, Big Boi and Andre 3000. Big Boi's "Speakerboxxx" is southern hip hop with a P-Funk influence. It has themes of family, philosophy, religion and politics. Andre 3000's "The Love Below" is pyschedelic, pop, funk, electro and jazz with themes of basically love. The album had widespread critical acclaim and was a commercial success spending seven weeks in the US at #1. It also won Grammy's for Best Album and Best Rap Album. "Intro" opens "Speakerboxxx" with weird noises, a Gong and goes straight into "Ghetto Musick." This is fast and hard. We're kind of in EDM and industrial territory. It slows down with a sample of Patti Labelle's "Live, Need and Want You." Goes back fast. Big Boi using the vocoder. OutKast has one of the seven times when a song of theirs replaces another song of theirs at #1. And that's what "The Way You Move" did to "Hey Ya." Guest vocals by Sleepy Brown. The beat starts. Horns. Great R&B groove and overall song. Killer Mike brings it on "Bust." This is a little more hardcore rap. Big Boi still adds weird noises. Oh, those are throughout this album. Another great groove song is "Knowing." Big Boi going falsetto. "Last Call" has a host of rappers. Catchy chorus. Yes, they are talking about drinking. Right away you know, it's a different album with "The Love Below (Intro)." Strings. Piano. More majestic. Andre 3000 crooning. "Happy Valentine's Day" is funky with a great beat. Very Prince. A catchy female backing vocal chorus. "Prototype" is slower, acoustic guitar. Andre can go falsetto too. He's in love....again. "1,2,3, uh" and we're off with "Hey Ya!" Extremely catchy chorus. That bassline. I think Andre's background vocal sounds are a highlight. "Roses" is more in the R&B vein. Very interesting lyrics "Roses really smell like poo-poo-ooh." One of the few songs with actual rapping. I thought I was back listening to New Order in "Love in War." An 80's synth/key melody. Alright, I'm in. Acoustic guitar and Norah Jones in "Take Off Your Cool." I was just thinking what's needed here is a folk-rock-pop song and got my wish. Wow! This is a lot of music. No denying the creativity and substance of both. "Speakerboxx" is more rap and hip hop but the weird noises and everything else make this unique for that genre. I don't even know if I would consider "The Live Below" hip hop. It's jazzy, poppy, danceable, folk, EDM and probably more. Both of these albums are worth a listen. Give yourself some time.

This is the epitome of "Cry because it's over, smile because it happened" RIP Outkast, you changed the game and put ATL on the hip-hop map

Used to always love the love below and never really listened to speakerbodxxx but big boy is very very good

Classic yet underrated

Love it

Classic

Won’t be my first time, excited to relisten!!!! Speakerbox- Fav: bowtie & flip flop rock Least fav: Bust “Feeling good feeling great Feeling great feeling good how are you?” I thought I liked the love below better But this unexpectedly amazing The love below- Fav: Hey Ya & Pink and Blue Least fav: she’s alive The love below is more memorable to me I love this album as a concept, two different albums in one record.

4.5 stars Creative hip hop double album that spans different sounds . First Speakerboxxx by Big Boi and lots of guest artists is just solid track after track and sounds a little more like traditional hip-hop. Then The Love Below by Andre 3000 is more poppy, jazz/funky and longer and drawn out with more filler and doesn't have the same bass-driven oomph as the former. There's absolute hits that are timeless led by "Hey Ya!," "The Way You Move," and "Roses." This record is expansive and showed what hip hop could be. Half star deduction for The Love Below not being on quite the same level as Speakerboxxx.

This really blew my 13/14 year old mind, and probably remains my favourite hip-hop album(s) to this day. I listened to The Love Below in particular on repeat on my CD Walkman, and it kept me company during some dark times. Andre 3000 lead me on a funky, sexy musical odyssey that could also be supremely pretty (those strings at the end of Pink & Blue…) or kind of cold and eerie (most of the second half of the disc). He always sounded effortlessly cool, no matter how goofy the rhymes or how strange the music. I neglected Speakerboxxx a bit at the time, which is both a shame and quite baffling, as it’s a 5 star album in its own right. It’s closer to a typical hip-hop sound, but in its way it’s just as packed with fun ideas as TLB, and pound for pound arguably contains more bangers.

Hell Ya

This really is two solo albums in one. Big Boi and André 3000 is such a power duo and both Speakerboxxx and The Love Below have an exceptional quality to them. It's hard to do a follow up to a killer album like Stankonia but somehow they manage to succeed even though it's in a different direction. Speakerboxxx is more of a traditional hip-hop album and The Love Below is more experimental with jazzy influences. As it is two albums it's very demanding for the listener if you want to listen to it in one session.

So many stars. It's long, but I love every minute of it. Two different styles, each one adding to this great double album. Andre 3000's used to be my favourite, but I think Big Boi's has maybe stood the test of time more... or maybe I just like the party vibes more now that I'm not an emotional teenager!

Two solid albums in different styles. I enjoyed both but like the Love Below better. Great production and performances throughout. Appreciate all the other rappers and singers keeping it really interesting throughout.

A tale of two halves to make once complete album. ‘Speakerboxxx’ provides an excellent album of old school hip-hip whereas ‘The Love Below’ tells the story of André 3000’s unfortunate attempts to find “a Layydayy” using funk and jazz. All in all, one excellent album even if both halves are listened to consecutively or separately.

You go into this album expecting to get the epitome of 2000s hip hop, and come out with a full anthology showing how talented both of these artists are, individually and together. I'll forever maintain that Big Boi is the most underrated figure in hip hop. The best tracks on each are obvious, so the best of the non-obvious tracks: Speakerboxxx: Flip Flop Rock The Love Below: Love in War

❤️

I remember really liking Outkast around the time that this album came out, and yet I don’t think I actually listened to the album in full. Well it’s better late than never, so let’s listen! Songs I already knew: Hey Ya, Roses Favourites: Hey Ya, Roses, Bowtie Generally, if I’m generated a long listen to album to, I start off slightly miffed. But not today! I was excited to listen to an album with a run time of over 2 hours, which says a lot for me. The music is very catchy from front to back (I personally prefer The Love Below but both discs are genuinely excellent). The lyrics are very smart, but rarely overly intricate so it isn’t too alienating. Overall, a fantastic record demonstrating a great mix of hip hop and pop.

Great album

Yooooo Amazing album! I will contend that this contains one of the best recorded versions of My Favourite Things in the history of mankind What more can we wish for

GUHHH GHH GUHHHHH HGHHHH KYAHHHHHH

Roses is a fuckin banger

This album is on a whole other level, I cannot speak highly enough of it! Such an incredible split album for both Andre and Big Boi! The differences between Speakerboxx and The Love Below are so apparent but they mesh so well in this double album, two albums with the same flow. Big Boi starts it out with that classic souther-style hip hop and then Andre comes in and makes everything so funky and shows love and heartbreak is great pictures. All around such a good album, too many good songs to count and even tho it’s 2 hours long I could just keep listening to it. Absolutely incredible album.

have listened so many times...

This album’s kinda cheating because it’s really two albums in one, but hot DAMN are they some slammin’ albums! Truly a shame that OutKast disbanded when they did, though this album shows how explicitly different Big Boi and André 3000’s artistic directions were heading. At least we got two definitive artistic statements from each they brought down from the height of their partnership.

OutKast reclaims their title as one of the best hip hop duos with this 2-hour double album packed with hits. Albums don't have a write to be this long and engaging, not with 40 tracks, most of which over 3 minutes. These tracks are full of lush instrumentation, crisp production style, and full of engaging effects that keep you on your feet. It's organized pretty well, with hits dispersed evenly, starting out with a stream of disco-oriented tracks to pull in mainstream audiences. Speakerboxxx then moves in a more standard hip hop style approach based on the works of Dr Dre and other acts influenced strongly by P-funk. There are a couple tracks I didn't care for, but it's all good, and I loved most of it. Andre 3000 moves us into a more eclectic artsy direction on The Love Below with influences from jazz, electronic, funk, rock, and psychedelia. Even though both sides are genius, The Love Below fits with my music interests of crazy avant-garde melodies, strange samples, and eery atmospheric synths and other instrumentals. It blows my mind how a song like "Hey Ya" could exist and define the era but yet no one could even attempt to imitate it. There's an insanely strong string of tracks from "Prototype" to "Pink & Blue" that demonstrate the craziest strengths of this side, but the rest of the album is just as incredible.

Struggling to decide between 4 and 5 stars. Although the double album spanning 2 hours is quite the ballsy move, I think it works and loved the whole thing. Most of the OutKast songs that got really big are the more André 3000 type songs, probably since they’ve got a unique sound. But with that said, I think I enjoyed Big Boi’s half even more. I guess if something tops Hey Ya, then it must deserve 5 stars.

Loved it! Reminded me of Uni days

Not the best Outkast album but still so much better than the rest

10/10

Classic hip hop album

Un tres bon album, la 2eme partie est pleine de classique et exp. J’ai bien aime mon ecoute mais c’est difficle les double album. Quand meme je recommande grandment pour kes fans du genre . 5

Excellent one of my favourites

hey

Bangers only

Saweeeet! Listen to this many more times.

Great lyrics and music.

This album has everything you could want from an outkast album. It’s extremely long but extremely worth it

(Dec 4) Speakerboxx HL: “GhettoMusick”, “Unhappy”, “The Way You Move”, “The Rooster”, “Bust”, “Flip Flop Rock” (Dec 5) The Love Below HL: “Spread”, “Hey Ya”, “Roses”, “Love in War”, ”My Favorite Things”, “Take Off Your Cool” Once again, I hear a double album that I’m not sure I’d give 5 stars to each individual disc, but I would to them combined (Mellon Collie, Songs in the Key of Life). Can’t say how this project compares to “real” OutKast albums, since this is the only full-length one I’ve heard so far, but it’s a great introduction to both member’s talents & musical influences.

One of the few albums my partner owned that I didn't when we moved in together, which is pretty surprising, since I am the hip hop head out of the two of us! A great album, which is possibly too long, but I can't say what (except the weird instrumental version of 'my favourite things') could be cut. Two "solo" albums, released as a double, could be a way forward for bands on the verge of breaking up! Big boi's album is straight up ATL hip hop, and brilliant, but it's Andre 3000's convincing impressions of Prince, but southern, that really stands out. Wonderful, weird, interesting and engaging, I loved it!!

Such an ambitious, awesome, and FUN album

Really long but great. I definitely liked The Love Below more. Lots of variation and genre blending. The jazz stuff was really cool and unexpected.

Speakerboxxx is the more consistently great half of the two but there's still a lot to love about The Love Below.

This is just an absolute joy. Happy memories from nearly 20 (fuck!) years ago and shaking it like a Polaroid picture. Two albums full of bangers, corkers and crackers, including one of the best songs of the century in Hey Ya

flawless. non-stop bops. long, and some real gems get lost between the bangers. obvs the singles are iconic, but some of the interim tracks are just as excellent.

so good it’s criminal

A friend of mine had this album when it came out, and I’d hear a lot of it when hanging around his place, but hadn’t ever listened to it attentively from beginning to end. I don’t know that I was really aware that this was a two album set being each more or less a solo album. I love both “The Way You Move” (such a cool vibe) and “Hey Ya” (so much fun). It was a little surprising that The Way You Move is on the higher-energy disc and Hey Ya is on the smoother one. It is easy to see why this album is on this list. There’s a lot going on here and more to get my head around that I can in the 24 hours I have to check this out. Still, I walked away from the listen feeling like it would be worth the effort to explore this more. My initial impression is very positive. I love the variety. I very much enjoyed this ride!

incredible stuff, the singles on here changed my life back in the day

I'm a white, boomer male. I've found hip-hop and modern R'n'B to be boring, with R'n'B also being insipid. So a two hour album should be a chore. Not a chance! This sprawling epic is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Big Boi sticks to his genre but the addition of all these collaborators adds variety to what are superior songs. Then we get Andre who starts with jazz! Just as it starts getting a bit too much he throws in that stupendous version of My Favourite Things (huge nod to John Coltrane) and a very cool guest appearance by Norah Jones. Outstanding!

This is an absolute classic for a reason. Front to back bangers so unique for a double album. Features some of the decades most iconic and replayable tracks.

This album is absolutely fantastic, and definitely one of the best so far. So many great songs, including legendary tracks like "Roses" and "Hey Ya". It was really impressive to see a double album generate so many hits. I personally was a bigger fan of Andre's "The Love below" but both albums are fantastic.

2 hrs and so solid throughout. The range. Loved it

Holy crap, I remember buying this album just for "Roses" and "Hey Ya!" but good lord, this album really opened my eyes, at a time where in my life where I thought all mainstream music was filled with 'posers & sell-outs' this felt like a breath of fresh air. (Also looking back, this album is totally inappropriate for a 12-13yo child to listen through multiple times, in particular The Love Below's half of the album). I also forgot that this was a DOUBLE album with a full 20 songs on each disc, with a total runtime of over 2 HOURS, it sill absolutely SLAPS. (Although 'Speakerboxx' is, in my opinion, the stronger of the two halves.) Basically this is two entire albums that OutKast just made their own solo albums, completed in distinct styles, however, complement each other well, and with the multitude of feats on both records, all the accolades are well deserved. Best: GhettoMusick; The Way You Move; Happy Valentine's Day; Hey Ya!; Roses Worst: Unhappy; Bamboo (Interlude); Where Are My Panties? (Interlude)

Classic. Two albums in one. So much creativity. So many genres. So different to everything else that came before. Stand out tracks: The Way You Move, GhettoMusick, Roses, Hey Ya!

OutKast is always a pleasure. They have a stand-out sound that sets them apart from other artists. I've never been through the whole album, so this was a great recommendation.

Incredible album I’ve listened to for years. Lives up to the reputation after all this time. High points are incredibly high. Outside of interludes, hard to find a song I wouldn’t describe as at least good to great (albeit sometimes weird).

This was released a year after J5’s power in numbers. This album!!!! Should have given Power in Numbers 4 stars, because this album—this album is 5 stars. Lyrics, dance, culture, pushing boundaries… it’s got it all.

So good.

It was fun to actually listen to the album that hey ya and roses came from. Both of the albums manage to perfectly compliment each other despite being wildly different in multiple ways and offer great showcases of big boi and Andre 3000. Speakerboxx is a solid, straightforward hip hop album while the love below is a wildly creative and eclectic album of psychedelic and jazz and a million other influences. Overall, it’s a classic for more than just hey ya and although I wouldn’t relisten to the whole thing very often it’s still got enough memorable songs like the way you move and vibrate to be a 5

Joyful, funky and abundant, with a gazillion tracks. This gets 5 stars on the strength of Hey Ya! alone 😊

So good! Definitely one of my favorites so far, it was varied in topic and style, loads of different moods, excellent lyrics and so fun!

Amazing album. I heard all the singles long before I listened to the entire album

Most artists do not produce this quantity of quality music in their entire careers. To have it all packed into a double album single release is truly incredible. Hey Ya is one of the defining tracks of the 2000s, and it's not even the best track on here. I think my favorite thing may be the My Favorite Things jazz odyssey.

I like it

I was tempted to give this 5 stars as at an instant. I love this album, especially The Love Below. When listening, I realised I didn't know the middle/ending part of Speakerboxxx that well, because I usually turn it off around Bamboo. I do think Speakerboxxx has an amazing energy at the start, and I also like the last song. The Love Below is great from start to finish, and therefore, I usually put on that CD rather than the Speakerboxxx one. The second CD is great melodically, it's cool, makes you feel like a boss, and finally, it's also pretty funny! I remember my dad buying this album when I was a teenager and making a copy of both CDs (including the album covers) to play in my room with the bass turned to max. Especially Roses has such a great bass. Good memories. Overall I'd give this album a high 4.5 to 5 stars, because the Speakerboxxx album lacks a bit in the middle/end part. 5 stars it is, because overall both CDs combined just are an amazing experience!

What an album! I know a lot of people prefer the Speakerboxxx side, but to me the songs on there always start to sound like too much of the same towards the end. It does contain some great tracks as well, though. The Love Below is fucking weird, that's true, but it's exactly the kind of weird that I vibe with, and the songs are all absolute bops. I will admit to skipping some of the interludes on occasion, but as a concept album it is unrivalled. 5 stars!

Second Outkast album as prescribed by The List. Rated Stankonia as 4 stars, mainly because it was absolute overkill. This album is almost twice as long as they combined two separate albums into one.. but I always liked it much more. The song material is equally strong as Stankonia (and its predecessors) ..but the album has a much more relaxed sound, which makes it much more listenable.

This is an album that was a soundtrack of my youth, the love below is really a work of art

5

Tem duas partes, a primeira é very energetic com batidas animadas e leva mais para o lado do rap. A segunda é um pouco mais melódica, mas com synths bem marcantes.

This album takes me back! I always really liked this album. Many differences and yet a unified whole between the two parts of this album.

Mistura dub, funk, eletronic music, soul e rap. Muito bom! Um ótima surpresa ouvi-lo!

album a day

This shit don't stink.

When I was 14 I used to blast this on my Walkman religiously while playing Mario Kart Double Dash at all hours of the night. Anyways, super iconic album and both discs are fantastic. Could be the best double album in hip-hop history. Andre 3000 and Big Boi both deliver with the lyrics, great production, catchy hits and sweet features. An album for the ages that definitely deserved all of the success that it had.

Yeah man, this shit is thoroughly entertaining.

A+ music

Rating: 10/10 Best songs: all

A nostalgic album for me

Banger after banger

Bangers

Speakerboxxx is the highlight. The Love Below is fun but doesn't have as many bangers. Great all around album.

Creative masterpiece. Sometimes you don't know if you're lostening to an early Aughts hio hop/rap/pop/r&b album or a 70s Stevie Wonder Record.

Funny how at the time their whole schtick was considered so scandalous and controversial, while in hindsight it’s just kinda corny. Liked the album, it was fun, not great.

Probably my new favorite hip-hop album of all time. Love both discs.

Habe das Album komplett zwei Mal durchgehört. OK, war heute auch ein Umzugstag, da hatte ich viel Zeit, aber 78 Mal OutKast am Stück, wenn das nicht fünf Sterne sind. Oben jetzt groß reinzulesen: krasser Sound für die damalige Zeit, auch die Texte machen ordentlich was her und haben den Test der Zeit bestanden (ist bei Hip Hop ja manchmal schwierig). Der Mix auf dem Album hat mich echt beeindruckt und das es trotz des krassen OutKast Hypes in den frühen 2000ern heute nicht abgenudelt klingt sagt einfach alles. Ich würde auch 6 Sternen geben.

Classic OutKast, long album with lots of hits and catchy tracks

Shake it sh sh shake it

speakerboxxx 4/5, the love below 5/5. overall 5/5?

9/10. Stream of consciousness review below, but this was a really enjoyable album. Or two albums. Or whatever it was. Going to start keeping track of the weirdest alcoholic drink to be mentioned in an album, and this is winning so far with Butterscotch Schnapps (in Bowtie), which it sounded like was either being drunk straight, or combined with Bailey's. As someone with poor short term memory, it is really helpful they say Speakerboxxx every 10 minutes or so to remind me what I am listening to, it's like I'm watching Disney Channel. Rhyming "nasty hoes" with "pistachios" was a stroke of genius. Also had the most fun song about church that I have heard. It's weird to see a featured artist whose name I recognize, and weirder still that I only recognize the name because she is the live-action Ahsoka actress. Hey Ya is spectacular, of course, and it surprised me how much slower The Love Below feels in general compared to Speakerboxxx and Hey Ya. Repeating "age ain't nothin but a number" at the start of Pink and Blue got me thinking about that my great aunt flirting with one of my friends at my grad party, which distracted from the rest of the song. Dracula's Wedding is cool though. Would not have thought a 5 minute instrumental cover of My Favorite Things could be that enjoyable.

Outkast are great. Sorely missed. Great album

come on! love this!

Just fantastic so much good music in one album.

ya! and it has Norah on it. perfect.

a very cool album very interesting 🥸 enjoyed the second half

Great album

This album has it ALL. What a collection.

This really is 2 albums. I love speakerboxxx. One of my all time favourite hip hop albums. I find the love below a bit more challenging though. I think I have to give 5 stars for the strength of side A and the absolute banging singles from side B.

Loved it 03. Love it in 20’

Excellent album

<3

This has some really really excellent tracks on it but even though this is a double album it’s way too bloated I’m pretty sure this is the first physical album I ever bought myself, from a charity shop, at least 15 years ago. And this is the first time I’ve ever gotten through this start to finish. For a long time I wasn’t even aware that Hey ya was on this album. With most (all) of the interludes, and maybe a handful of tracks also, this could be an incredible album though. I still think I’d prefer aquemini, but this does have the higher highs of roses and hey ya on it. 4

There are some things in life that you want to last 2 plus hours and there are some things that you just don't, and to my surprise, apparently an Outlast album is something I'm okay with being over 2 hours.

A double rap type album didn't give me much optimism. I'm glad I gave it a go though. Yes it's too long, yes the little skits and stuff felt pointless, but I enjoyed this and may return to it because overall, it felt GOOD.

Potentially the most torn you can be on an album. Is Speakerboxxx anything special? No - it's a three at a push. A massive push. However, The Love Below may be one of the most fun, stupid but well put together hip hop albums I've heard in a very long time and It could easily push its way into a four. So where does that leave the double album? It leaves it at a high four, say I. Why? Because the fact that this thing can exist either as a fuck you to the label for not letting Outkast go solo, or even if it's done happily at the request of the label, I think it's a genius way to go solo. It's a bizarre album, fuck it, four stars. Why not. I almost went five stars in a sort of enamoured haze, but we know it ain't that.

Surprisingly, I preferred Speakerboxxx

Objectively fantastic album so big hitters that I already knew. Not my usual style but definitely enjoyed

It's kinda weird that a sweet and poppy tune like Hey Ya is hiding on this otherwise expansive and sprawling record. It started well and then got confusing but never boring. It was an experience and I dare say masterful. I don't know how I missed it, it's well worth a listen and left an impression.

"My son he can't talk, when I change him he's peeing, I think he's pissed" is one of the best lines ever penned. I listened to this album, or rather albums, separately, which I think is necessary, unless you have over two hours to kill. Though I love Big Boi, if only for being a Kate Bush fanboy, undoubtedly The Love Below is the superior record. There's a reason Andre 3000 was nominated for Album of the Year for a "flute album" after 17 years of no music. He knows how to play with different genres and meddle them together without making it awkward. I didn't even find the typical repulsive male rapper talking about how he wants a girl to "spread for me" off-putting because he then follows lines like that up with "Nature knows that I want you, but not unless you want me too" and name-dropping Shirley Chishom. "God (interlude)" where he plays into the trope and give me quite a giggle. "What? You say you, you say you found somebody? Is she cute? So when do I get to meet her? Ah, God, you're the greatest. Well, I guess I'll talk to you later. Amen. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry A-lady!"

4.5

Loads of variety. Great funk and some really nice melodies. A bit long but good album.

important but this is bare long 😭😭

Hugely entertaining album though 2 + hours is a lot all at once. I like The Love Below more because of its diversity across genres (even a jazz version of "My Favorite Things") and it's Prince homages. But Speakerboxxx is also a lot of fun. Both albums have their share of filler. But there's something to be said for throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Outkast's maximalist White Album. So much to enjoy here, Speakerboxxx is a concise and heavy hitting hip hop album that is as good as Aquemini or Stankonia imo. The Love Below loses me on a few tracks and keeps me from five stars, but that being said, it has maybe the best pop song of the century so far in Hey Ya, and Roses. Also do respect Andre 3000's Prince exploration.

Obviously, a lot of bangers on here. I doubt, however, whether it had to be so goddam long. Actually, I know the answer, and the answer is no.

Really catchy, really cool tunes, often hilarious and at times super sweet. What an interesting eclectic album.

This is one Ive listened to a few years ago for the first time and was really impressed, especially by The Love Below. It always bugged me how in 2019 Big Boi received a national "WHO IS THAT?!?" when he was announced on the SuperBowl Half Time lineup. While any hip hop fan could sing his praises, he really has fallen into the background while Andre 3000 has gained mythical status. This album obviously cemented the split between them and their styles but man.... Speakerboxxx is just unfortunately overshadowed when discussed today. (But Im also going to do the same) Ghetto Musick is so overwhelmingly fun. The Way You Move is amazing. Big Boi really has such an impressive flow on these songs. My real complaint is that the rap features don't feel like they bring a lot to the table - maybe Big Boi is just circling them so consistently? Love Below is so dense with the failings of maintaining relationships as an adult while reflecting on traumas and fears from childhood. Hey Ya! and Roses almost feel out of place sonically with how they come out of nowhere but that sort of reflects his panic. Def need to study the over arching narrative more. Its a 4/5 for me just because its lacking a deep grasp on my soul but this is some damn good music!