Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Good

Me costó escuchar un álbum tan largo. Hubiese preferido que sean dos álbums separados como pensaron publicar en un inicio. Pero aparte de la dificil experiencia de escucha por la duración, puedo decir que es un muy buen álbum. Me gustó mucho más la segunda parte "A Love Below" perteneciente a Andre 3000. El primer álbum está bien, tiene buenos momentos, pero tiene un enfoque más tradicional de rap y sampleo, clásico de Outkast. "A Love Below" se siente mucho más ecléctico, experimental, divertido. Cuando empezó esta segunda parte sentí que la escucha se hizo mucho menos pesada a pesar de la duración, porque los temas sorprenden en su variedad y calidad. Tiene momentos de humor, de romance y meditación de un tema a otro, mezcla jazz, r&b, rap, soul, funk, rock, electrónica... Todo de una manera sublime. Si el álbum hubiese sido solo "A Love Below" lo huebiese considerado un gran álbum.

I have had this album in my collection since it's release, but hadn't listened to it in more than a decade. It was fun to revisit, and I really like "Speakerboxx"... "The Love Below" not so much, so overall, I think I will give the album four stars overall.

Finally an album I wasn't already familiar with. Decent, I'll need to listen to it a few more times to fully digest it.

There’s a lot here that’s fun. Great beats and inventive hooks, but like most double albums it winds up being a bit self-indulgent and in need of some paring down. The length here is the biggest problem.

Fist listen all the way through. Very good.

I feel like i am reviewing two separate albums. Well i suppose i am actually. After listening i couldn't help imagining the best tracks from both being combined and just having one incredible record. There are certainly some songs that could be done away with in my view. I preferred Speakerboxx. I would have taken that and interspersed it with the hits from The Love Below along with some of the more imaginative, jazzy stuff. I get why that wasn't possible though. I dont think Andre 3000's side is poor, just a little unbalanced and at times the experimentation was a bit excessive and forced. Really liked A Life in the Day of Benjamin when he returns to his rapping roots. Speakerboxx is what i expect and love from Outkast. Although it does get weaker as it goes on. I really do think that this could have been whittled down to one long incredible album. As it is there is too much filler to give it more than an 8/10. Favourite tracks - GhettoMusick and Roses.

An introduction into hip hop for me. I enjoyed the groovy beats and topical lyrics.

Speakerboxxx came out of the gate swinging. High energy, aggressive, and funky. Phenomenal instrumentations accompany many of these tracks (which also applies to Love Below). I was surprised how much I was enjoying this album. As for Love Below, it just didn't carry the same strength that Speakerboxxx had, in my opinion. That's not to say it's bad; Hey Ya! and Roses especially are outstanding songs on Love Below. I can also respect a good concept album, with this focusing on love. Maybe my opinion will change with another listen, but this is where my first impression with this double album as a whole sits.

This is #day375 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I have a little bit of bias creeping in with this one. This record, or rather "Hey Ya" (and "Ms. Jackson" from Stankonia, which I got on #day253), was part of my teenage years. But I'm not going to dig deep into that now. It's probably my first time listening to this album all the way through. I like the concept: releasing two solo records under the band's moniker is kind of fun. The two-plus hours of music pay off thanks to the variety of genres and styles: hip-hop, funk, jazz, electronics, psychedelia... Anyway, this is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day376.

Speakerboxxx is a solid, focused hip hop record by Big Boi that gets better in its second half. After The Way You Move, my favorite tracks are Knowing, Flip Flop Rock, Reset and Last Call. Meanwhile, Andre 3000's goal seems to have been to make anything but a rap album. Which is insane to make a record without your best instrument, but it's an insane accomplishment. Apparently, Hey Ya was the product of Andre's first attempt at learning guitar. Though, not everything worked for me on The Love Below. But songs that did are Happy Valentine's Day, Behold a Lady, Pink and Blue, Love In War, and A Life in the Day of Benjamin Andre.

Highly enjoyable, no idea how I haven’t heard this before. A few skippers, but at least 5 certified classics and a lot of other heaters. Liked the adventurous jazzy stuff and the rap/rnb double album thing.

I always have said I just don't like Outkast. The album grew on me for sure. It was way too long but as soon as "my favorite thing" got in I was like I GET IT NOW

One of their biggest hits and most divisive albums but a solid one

Was so happy to get this album! Hey Ya one of my favorite songs ever!

This is my favorite OutKast album. I know that's not kosher to say in the hip-hop world, but the concept is so creative and so well executed that I can't help it. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx is a more chart-ready evolution of the group's past work with hooks galore and great production. On the other hand, André 3000's The Love Below sees the artist go all out in every direction, indulging in all his psychedelic Prince fantasies. It may be more uneven than Speakerboxxx, but it's highs are way higher. So much to love here. Key tracks: GhettoMusick The Way You Move Prototype Hey Ya! Roses

Really good for me Fav song: Church (Speakerboxxx) / She Lives in My Lap or Hey Ya (The Love Below)

Stranger lyrics and themes than I thought, tight beats and impeccable vibes

Cool

This album for it being 2 hours and 15 minutes is actually pretty good. It can get repetitive and boring at times but still has some bangers considering this is an Outkast album so I expect no less from them. I think it format is really unique as both discs act as separate albums by Big Boi and Andre 3000 so I say it wins on the unique scale. But the music is also pretty good as well Favorite Tracks: GhettoMusik, The Way You Move, Bust, War, Church, Flip Flop Rock, She Lives in My Lap, Hey Ya! Rating: 4/5

Superb album. A little disjointed at times and wish this had more collaborations instead two solo albums

This is what happens when you let two of the greatest hip-hop artists of the 2000s go absolutely hog wild. Not all of it works for me, and I do prefer Andre 3000's contributions, but I can see why it deserves the nod.

Весьма оригинальный альбом. Но Speakerboxxx всё равно лучше, чем у Андрэ 3000

Beautiful chaos. I love OutKast, and while I may not fully understand the genius of this project, I recognize just how important OutKast is to hip hop and music in general.

Really good! Takes me back

I’m not a fan of this genre, but I listened to this album and it was good. 4

Two powerhouses making a masterpiece 4 stars cause OutKast is amazing but does not deserve multiple albums on this list

Surprising that I liked Speakerboxxx more than The Love Below but still holds onto the 4

Damn that's a long album!! Really enjoyable though

Can feel a bit long but overall did not seem like a bad album. Low 4/5.

Yeah, this is a good album, but in all honesty with 2+ hours of music is there much of a chance that a good group can't put out a good album? Double hip hop albums should be outlawed. 4/5

Very fun album. Interesting shift of genre in the last few songs

A truly excellent and ground-breaking album, but it's definitely got a bit of bloat on it. If a couple of tracks were cut from each album it'd be a very easy five, as it stands, it's somewhere a touch below that.

Rejudged this after years of absence. Really solid. A high 4.

This was my first listen to the whole double album. It’s really fun, for a while — but it’s a bit long and starts to drag about 1/2 way through the second side. Production & creativity are top notch. The flows are spotless and varied — influences from Jazz R&B psychedelia— super funny! I’ll listen again But this double album gets to be overindulgent at points. After awhile the fixation on gIrls and relationships gets boring. And, though it’s funny, sometimes they’re trying too hard for the laugh line. It’s a little forced. The time investment means I wouldn’t spin it all the way through immediately after playing it. It’s a 4.

1. Intro - N/A The intros and interludes will not be ranked on this album for obvious reasons. 2. GhettoMusick - 8 Fun song the change from soft to slow at first felt very out of place for me but by the time you listen through to the whole track it makes sense. The rap is very solid as is the chorus which you will unconsciously find yourself belting out at times. 3. Unhappy - 10 Beautiful vocals on the chorus. The verses are exactly the style of rap we've come to love with Outkast over the years. The only reason the song isn't a 10 is because the instruments are a smidge too loud in parts and can overpower the vocals. Instrumentally the bass is excellent and the track is just absolutely a wonderful listen. 4. Bowtie (feat. Sleepy Brown & Jazze Pha) - 9 Another very fun song. A wonderfully balanced mix between singing and rapping, chorus and voice. Beat is amazing and the rhythm is incredibly smooth. Best song out of the opening three. 5. The Way You Move (feat. Sleepy Brown) - 10 I love the way this song moves. This is just an amazing song that encompasses where the genre was going around that era. 90s rap had some harder stuff in it, but a lot of it was born out of pop-style tracks which themselves still had that 80s disco flair to them. This was more what defined R&B in the 00s. You got a sound that's like the vocals of Boys 2 Men while getting that classic rap verse that defined groups/duos like Ill Al Skratch. Just fantastic. A track to put on repeat. 6. The Rooster - 8 Another great track. Just classic Outkast. The flow and the beat are excellent and really help the song change between the fast flowing raps and the melodic bridges & chorus really well. 7. Bust (feat. Killer Mike) - 7 A pass over track. Signing is good, rap is good, beat is great, instrumentals are solid but there's nothing out of this world about the track. 8. War - 9 First minute is excellent and left on an island once the song actually moves into the actual rap but that rap is exquisite. Phenomenal short tack. 9. Church - 10 Rap is amazing but the beat and the chorus, particularly and especially the chorus on this track are unreal. Incredibly well written song. 10. Bamboo (Interlude) - N/A 11. Tomb of the Boom (feat. Konkrete, Big Gipp & Ludacris) - 6 Rap is a different tone than the rest of the album and it doesn't work well here. Beat is alright but change of rappers and tones makes the track feel consistently off the mark. Too many cooks on this track. 12. E-Mac (Interlude) - N/A 13. Knowing - 8 Dirty beat on this but a solid track overall. Signing is quality, rap is very good, and the intermingling of voices is done so well to make the track an enjoyable sound overall. 14. Flip Flop Rock (feat. Killer Mike & JAY-Z) - 9 Strong from Outkast. The rap is quick and great with a beat that's absolutely fantastic sounding. I was a little bit hesitant about Jay-Z's part but he adds exactly the kind of supporting vocals that add a great volume to the track. Solid stuff. 15. Interlude - N/A 16. Reset (feat. Khujo Goodie & Cee-Lo) - 8 Good flow to the song with very good raps in it but overall the beat and rhythm are what carry this song to excellence. 17. D-Boi (Interlude) - N/A 18. Last Call (feat. Slimm Calhoun, Lil' Jon, The EastSide Boyz & Mello) - 6 The chorus is solid on the track but the verses don't sound great at all and that really leaves you with a sense of disappointment. 19. Bowtie (Postlude) - N/A 20. The Love Below (Intro) - N/A 21. Love Hater - 4 An extremely out of place track. Vocals are absolutely overpowered by instruments that sound like they are being played without a clear direction. Overall, the track is not really sounding like it should be on the album at all. 22. God (Interlude) - N/A 23. Happy Valentine's Day - 6 The rap in the second half of the song is fantastic but the opening is incredibly weak. Still, overall it's not a bad song. 24. Spread - 6 Pass over track. Not much to it and I'm not one that really cares for the imagery of the track. The change in tone of what The Love Below entails to what was on Speakerboxxx is not one I enjoy. 25. Where Are My Panties - N/A Speaking track so no rating. 26. Prototype - 7 Better song. Singing on the track is nice as is the beat and overall sound. 27. She Lives in My Lap (feat. Rosario Dawson) - 3 It's just a non-sense of a track overall. Signing isn't impressive on it, instrumentals are bang on average, and it's a track I could do without listening to again. 28. Hey Ya! - 10 This is just a great track. Instrumentally it's absolutely genius and vocally it's just as good. Amazing track to dance to that will easily be stuck in your head. 29. Roses - 6 The chorus is atrocious but the verses are very good. Instrumentally the song is good as well but I can't get past the horrendous lyrics in the chorus. 30. Good Day, Good Sir (Interlude) - N/A 31. Behold a Lady - 9 The bass on this is really enjoyable and the lyrics are just as fun. The verses are really really great too creating a magnificent track. 32. Pink & Blue - 8 Solid song with an AMAZING chorus on it. Just a great smooth track with absolutely enjoyable lyrics. 33. Love In War - 9 Vocals are amazing overtop of a solid beat and really overall enjoyable structure to the song. 34. She's Alive - 5 The monologues are a bit annoying as is the change in octave on the vocals at the very end of the track. Beat is good but the rest of the song is too poor for me to enjoy it. 35. Dracula's Wedding (feat. Kelis) - 9 Lighter song but it works so well. Vocals are almost therapeutic on this track and overall which you could easily overlook it, it's a solid piece of music. 36. The Letter - N/A 37. My Favourite Things - 1 I hate Christmas. 38. Take Off Your Cool (feat. Norah Jones) - 8 Lovely song with some soothing vocals. Bit of a standalone as it's more just acoustic guitar with the vocals but it works well as a wind down track on what has been a long double album. 39. Vibrate - 6 It's not a bad song. The beat is okay and I like the idea of it. It's just a little too repetitive and long. 40. A Life In The Day of Benjamin Andre (Incomplete) - 7 The rap in this is great but instrumentally it's a bit lost. The clapping in it is good but I have no idea what the point of the background sounds are for. Average Rating: 7.31 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 3.65 Round-Up: 4 Stars

This really does sound like two albums, and I think the strongest songs on each of them are the ones that sound like they belong on the other one/manage to combine the two sounds more cohesively. I think this would have been 5 stars if they had found a way to make the whole album flow together more. I like the Andre 3000 side slightly more than the Big Boi side, but both made for fun listens.

Speakerboxxx : Overall a great hip hop album, made me want to dance but also spoke up against political and social issues (racism, war in iraq). Great features (Jay-Z, Killer Mike). The Love Below : ABSOLUTELY IMMACULATE ??? definitely a 5 star album, should’ve been released solo and it would’ve gained my heart. even the interludes are incredible, the transitions are goated. overall it’s a great album, with a lot of artistic and innovative tracks, but it’s way too long for me to give it 5 stars. if they were two separate albums, the love below would’ve definitely be one of my fav albums ever.

Monumental release! Would have been good albums by themselves. But put out together these to lps complement each other well. Super fluid hip hop record followed by a super creative funk, jazz, soul album referencing each other is fun to listen too. Banger singles on both discs. Hey ya, the way you move, roses - damn! But also many of the lesser know tracks are great. I enjoy e.g. unhappy, the rooster and happy valentine's day. These two hours never drag. Really respect this achievement!

I fully expected to like the André 3000 half more, but that turned out not to be the case. There’s a lot of good material here, but it’s a bit too long, especially “The Love Below” half.

Not my taste in Music, but a lot of pleasant songs

Was dreading the 2hr length, but honestly this album is an absolute feat and includes a wide variety of styles, sounds, tempos, vocals, and instruments that hold up very well 22 years later. Incredibly ahead of its time. I can see how it probably inspired the likes of Doechii and Thundercat that we see as big names today. 4 for musicality, performance, and originality.

I'm a little surprised that this album makes the cut: the hits are huge and were inescapable, but I'd never actually listened to the album. An album that's two fucking hours long. Well, Speakerboxx actually bangs. A lot of energy without wearing out its welcome by changing its sound and form. Sounds of its time but not really dated? Really good stuff! Good features to keep it moving, feels like An Album. The Love Below has even MORE shit going on, where not all of it sticks, but also feels like An Album. Shockingly, the "experimentation" for lack of a better word feels more dated here than it does on Big Boi's half, which is weird cuz I always felt like Andre was the outre one. Anyway, good stuff, but this shoulda been two separate albums - too much playing on the Outkast name and too little thinking about how different these two pieces are. Two fucking hours, man.

Was worried when I saw it was a 2 hour double album but it didn't drag too much which is a plus straight off. Never been into outcast enough to know too much about them so didn't realise this era was two solo albums stitched together. I think Bigbois was nearly exactly what I've wanted from outcast, more focus on rapping but with still slightly quirky and interesting. I approve of two features from Killer Mike too. Andres was a bit too experimental for me and given this was released in 2003 it isn't that shocking he's making jazz flute albums now. That said, Hey Ya and Roses are brilliant and nobody else could make them. I think a single album contributed with 80% BB would have been the best, id give bigbois a 4.5. and Andres a 3 so we'll say 4.

2 albums hey..... Interesting approach. I didn't realise it was 2 solo albums until after I'd listened but I definitely preferred Big Bois speakerboxxx to the love below. The love below felt a bit disjointed and harder to follow, but maybe I was just fatigued after already listening for an hour! They being said, I think Andre 3000 is a better rapper than big boi and the two singles from the love below are better then anything on speakerboxxx. I think Roses is almost as good as hey ya, certainly heard it less. 2 hours is too long though!

It's hard to call this a perfect album due to how long it is, but it still kinda feels perfect to me. Its so ambitious in a way I can't really explain. It's almost like a hip hop version of "The Wall" (eh maybe not, idk). Like many, I definitely prefer "The Love Below" over "Speakerboxxx" though Big Boi's stuff is still really great even as a stand alone album. But yea, Andre is the real star of the show. "Hey Ya" is a generational pop song, easily one of the greatest of the decade. "Roses" is my personal favorite Outkast song and "Happy Valentine's Day" is also fantastic. Now that I've listened to the full album again I can say for sure that I think "Stankonia" is their best album but this is still an incredible record that is deserving of all of the praise its received. Forget Idlewild. This was Outkast's final album. Favorite track: Roses

OutKast production is definitely on show on many of these songs. I like also the "grandness" of it which is missed in modern hip hop, the interludes add more of a thematic feeling. Surprisingly I like Speakerboxx more than The Love Below, I think there's more soulful productions with catch choruses. But overall way too long

I didn't know what to expect as I'm not a big fan of rap. Nevertheless, I have quite liked this album, it's been a really nice surprise.

Now I gotta make a sub list of all albums where each guy does a thing

Nice one, funky, groovy

An old favorite!

This was a solid hip hop album! A little on the long side but it was more like two albums in one which was kind of cool. Obviously Hey Ya! Is the biggest track on here but there were some other bangers in there too. The hip hop/jazz version of My Favorite Things was a highlight for me. Highly recommend!

Favorite Track: My Favorite Things

I'm very conflicted in this. I'm not sure if such a thing exists as too many good songs on one album, but if anything is suffering from that dilemma, it's this. If this was just an hour long of the best songs this would be an easy 10/10 for me, as it's got a collection of many of the best songs from the group, but like I said, it just takes a while to get through, and the album really starts to feel its length, not because the music is bad, but because it is a commitment to sit down and listen to it in one go. Great album, two really amazing albums on their own, but smushed together they kind of lose a bit of what makes each CD so unique, and kind of suffers from its own success in the end

Definetly OutKasts best album. They are undeniably the best rap duo in history, their chemistry is so perfect. Some of my favorite rap out there and I'll be coming back to this album again

Blast from the past! I had (might even still have) this on CD! Fun! Cracking album. So many tunes … and many choons

4.4

The kids love this album. Kinda in the rap vein. The last half of the album was done by Andre 3000

This is a mammoth undertaking to listen to in one sitting. I am a big OutKast fan but I can confidently say this is their weakest. I think Speakerboxxx probably more consistent, the Love Below has some high highs and some bits that weren’t fantastic. Definitely an interesting and worthy album still, but by their standards this is a 4.

In 2003, I thought this album was the peak of hiphop creativity and wondered if anything would ever be as creative. I may have been mostly correct.

2000s hip hop. Double album. First disk Southern hop hop, second psychedelic, pop, funk, electro, and jazz. Very varied and creative, tons of different influences. Long. Very playful.

ooh my first repeat artist, album 26 overall. this is pretty much two albums just stapled together but it's certainly an important part of the Outkast discography. Speakerboxxx is a good enough pop rap album, but ofc i'm team The Love Below deserves to be one of the 1001? eh i can't make that strong of a case but it has Hey Ya and that counts for something i think

white boys hip hop

That's a bit much, but I liked it okay.

4.5 I mean, any double album is a bit overstuffed, but this is a bit easier to get through since there's the clean delineation and it's basically just two solo albums back to back. Man, OutKast was just the coolest. The biggest band in the world at this moment in time. This album contains probably 3 of my most listened to songs of all time. Overall, Big Boi's album is probably more consistent. Just a super fun, catchy. funky Southern rap album with awesome features. And Andre's half is more experimental and navel-gazey, but has really high highs. Like, there's inexplicably an electronic jazz cover of "My Favorite Things" with no vocals, and it absolutely slaps. One of my favorite songs from his half! It's OutKast! This album has Hey Ya! on it!

yeah yeah yeah I know. It is still Too Long when viewed as presented.

This album has GOT THE FUNK!!!!

I think around the time I started to actively listen to more rap (Houston scene/Chopped n Screwed) I think a lot more Atlanta rap started to bleed into the mix without me realizing it. I never took the time to listen to this album in its entirety and I don't think >75% of people who've heard Hey Ya have either. A lot of the rap and hiphop that followed this era is apparent in this one and I would like to listen to it again soon - although considering its length (the main detractor) I may eat it in more individual chunks.

long ass album and I am embarrassed to admit I was playing the snake game the entire time I was listening. really enjoyed the album. I have been in a super duper folksy indie phase so it was nice to switch things up with this. I also totally see where the flute album came from, the instrument parts of this were enjoyable. also André 3000's bday was 2 days ago. happy bday André!

Still don’t understand why aquemini isn’t on this list. This album is good, but it doesn’t make sense to have this in over aquemini

Overall: 8/10 For anyone who doesn't know, this is a double album where esch half focuses on one member of the duo. The first half is Big Boi's time to shine, with the music being pure hip hop in the style of Outkast's previous work. The Big Boi half is pretty great in my opinion. It's a really solid hip hop album and I love all of the different guest spots (especially Killer Mike). Big Boi has always sort of been in Andre's shadow, but he's just as important to the success of Outkast in my opinion. If I was just rating Speakerboxxx then this would likely get a 9/10 from me. Criminally underrated. The Love Below is Andre 3000 deciding he doesn't want to be a rapper anymore, and it's more R&B/Rock/Soul oriented. Very eclectic and lots of variety. It's experimental for Outkast and it's self indulgent and overbloated with ideas. I enjoy most of what's going on and I appreciate that Andre wanted to do something different, but I enjoy Speakerboxxx more. Overall, I think this messy double album is probably in the middle of my Outkast album rankings. They have better stuff and they have worse stuff. I would never recommend it as the first Outkast album anybody listens to but it's something I think any fan of the duo would enjoy. It's interesting to see what both members bring to the table. Fav Song (Speakerboxxx): Church Least Fav Song(Speakerboxxx): Knowing Fav Song: (The Love Below): Happy Valentine's Day Least Fav Song: (The Love Below): Prototype

For an album to actively captivate me for the entire 2hr 15min, this album must mean… something. I didn’t even mind it being double length. Great samples, great drums, the rap flowed so well. Great product

So long, and that was the main problem with the album. However, what a bloody good album, just so polished with great hits (who doesn't love Hey Ya!) and great interlude tracks. Mad respect to OutKast.

I loved this! It was really fun to listen to. I’ll admit I was flagging a bit towards the end because it is longgg but overall I had a really good time with this one.

More thorough revisit to come.

Speakerboxxx is fine, but Love Below is great. Balances out to a 4

Surprised me 4,

There are double albums, and then there’s “Speakerboxx/The Love Below,” which is actually a 2-for-1 album. It was a sneaky way for Big Boi and André 3000 to make solo albums without their upsetting fans. They basically each did their own thing but billed the album as an Outkast double feature. Album #1 is Big Boi’s “Speakerboxxx,” an excellent rap album. I love Big Boi’s bouncy, rubber ball flow. It’s a great fit for these funk-infused, southern rap beats. “The Way You Move” is a classic. “Bust,” featuring Killer Mike, is an awesome hard rap banger. And “Last Call” is an anthem that I totally forgot about but is so good. That song deserves classic status. I feel like not enough people know about it. Album #2 is André 3000’s “The Love Below,” a weirdo, jazz-funk fantasia that is so insistent on not taking itself seriously that it nearly becomes a comedy album at times. The music is beautifully produced, but the tone is mostly pretty goofy. It’s definitely a good time, but I do find myself shaking my head and rolling my eyes as often as I laugh, particularly during the silly interludes. The song where this style really gels together for me is “Roses.” It’s a ‘fuck you’ anthem with a funky beat, an irresistible hook, and a singalong chorus that features the words ‘poo-poo.’ It’s as ridiculous as it is ridiculously catchy. Oh, and this album has “Hey Ya!” If you told me that “Hey Ya!” was the One Song You Need to Hear Before You Die, I’d say, “Yeah that’s a good choice.” Like everyone else on planet Earth when this song came out, I was absolutely rocked by this song, and I still am every time I hear it. It’s one of those magic pop songs that unites generations. The style is a little bit retro, a little bit hip-hop, polished enough for pop radio, but still eccentric enough to be an Outkast song. A few years ago, I was at a wedding, and the DJ insanely played “Hey Ya!” just as the salad course was being served. I looked at my wife and said, “No way can ‘Hey Ya!’ play to an empty dance floor.” It felt sacrilegious. So I pushed my salad aside, stood up, and my wife and I danced to the entire song while everyone else at the wedding watched. We were the only ones out there. But I knew we were doing the right thing. Everyone else was wrong for sitting. If you hear this song, you have to move. There’s just no other option. Both albums are a 4.5 in my book.

OutKast is a universal band; their sound is so welcoming and approachable and yet still immensely cool. This is a concept that I think about often as I feel like most musicians can be bundled into one of those categories- approachable, or cool. It's hard to be both, and OutKast does it. I had a revelation when I saw the classic video of Obadiah Parker covering "Hey Ya" from this album, with an acoustic guitar-driven arrangement in what appeared to be a small open mic performance. Hearing that version really opened up my mind to the depth of OutKast's music... yes, they can write silly tracks like "Roses", with one of the silliest chorus lyrics you'll ever hear on a radio, but when they want to they will make a song like "Hey Ya" and it will hit you in all the feels. In my personal favorite songs of all time list, "Hey Ya" might come in the top ~25. It's beautiful, contemplative, and sad, and it is wrapped in such a wonderfully melancholic chord progression that fills the song nicely with these back-and-forth major/minor switches. Contrasting that, there's the kick-clap uptempo drumbeat that makes you feel like dancing and grooving in a song about relationship struggles. How cool is that? On the surface, a silly song to dance to, but underneath it covers relationship struggles like separation, staying together for the sake of tradition, and the dynamic of happiness in a long term relationship. There are definitely some weaker songs on this album that keep it from being a 5/5 for me. "Tomb of the Boom" feels particularly like a low effort song- same with "Flip Flop Rock". They both sound like they were some kind of favor in order to feature other artists on the album, and don't really have that larger-than-life sound that you come to expect from OutKast. This is a strong 4/5 for me and is enjoyable throughout.

While it lacks the cohesion necessary to really solidify it as a 5, the sheer amount of bangers on this double album make it impossible to ignore.

wow a very long album! (i have learnt it is actually two albums) wow they were horny too! also loved the trap sound of music remix

L'album est très bon pour la moitié que j'ai écoutée. J'aurais aimé écouter plus mais IL FALLAIT APPRENDRE LE COURS D'ALEXEI. Vous savez dans la vie y a pas de bonne ou de mauvaise situation. Enfin si y a devoir préparer le partiel de brassard. Il va nous enc**er

Je suis rentré direct dans l'album mais je me suis très vite ressorti, et puis après l'interlude bambou je suis rerentré (le feat avec Jay-Z palala). Par contre un double album c'est trop long j'ai pas écouté le deuxième.

Oh man what a classic album! I remember when this first came out and how popular hey ya and roses was! All the album and the fact that it was a double album was pretty awesome and I remember thinking how cool it was they split it up the way they did!

Two for the price of one. Only had time to listen to it once but I listened to it before. Way better than I remember. Each song is a bop and the interludes really build the mood. I loved watching class of 3000 growing up so connecting with Andre through music with more mature themes is awesome. If I had a fraction of the drip this album exudes I’d probably be drowning in it.

Should have been two brilliant separate albums instead of a single release.

too long but interesting

Yeah I have this CD, lot of content, some great. The end of OutKast? It’s really 2 separate albums. Always interesting.

Based on very little, I went into this expecting to not care at all for Speakerboxxx and really enjoy The Love Below. But Speakerboxxx is great - fun, funky, catchy. I really loved Bowtie and The Rooster. The Love Below is all together weirder than Speakerboxxx, maybe with higher highs, just inconsistent. A single Outkast album culled from the best bits of both (taking out all the interludes for a start) would have been an improvement I think, but I recognise that this was hugely influential exactly how it is. Enjoyed far, far more than I expected. 4/5

Good but too long

This isn’t an album, it’s an experience. A long experience, but an experience nonetheless. Andre 3000 and Big Boi are true artists. So many features and so many different styles. Great storytelling on the tracks, picking out all of the samples other artists have used was a lot of fun, and even the skits aren’t that bad. And then you have the three massive radio hits from this album. Hey Ya might be one of the best and is one of the biggest songs of the decade (also check out Obadiah Parker’s cover for a folk-pop take on it, so good). I Like The Way You Move is such a jam and Big Boi’s first verse is a treasure. I have distinct memories of listening to Roses on the radio on the way to an 8th grade Rec League baseball game and spending my night on the bench trying remember if roses really do smell like poo-poo-ooh. Metaphors weren’t my thing. The only thing keeping this at a four is the length, but I also don’t think you can cut anything out.

If I was a kid buying CD's with their pocket change, this would be the deal of a lifetime. As someone who's reviewing one album a day for 4-years, I could use a little less content. This listen was the opposite of what I thought it would for me. I thought I might like one or two songs of Big Boi's, and the overall vibe of Andre 3000's. Turns out it was the opposite. I really got into Speakerboxx. For someone who doesn't like rap, it was really approachable, and all of the features in 2003 were a lot of fun. On the other hand, The Love Below really lost me. Every song was super repetitive and not in a good way. That being said, "Roses" is fun, and "Hey Ya!" is one of the greatest songs of all time. Overall I liked it, but what a weird way to packaged these albums together. It's like one of those combo movie DVD's you would find in a bin at the grocery store.

I now understand why this isn’t seen as a “true” OutKast albums and instead two solo albums. Interesting sounds on both, but the magic of the group wasn’t there like on other projects.

Really enjoyed getting to hear their distinctive voices as artists.

talent and swag

A true hip hop classic, real artists at work ✌️

More two albums than a double album, a lot of very good songs on each, but separate they don’t reach to heights of together. Still enjoyable but not their best.

Much better than I imagined. New this album and some of the songs, but never gave it a shot. Had preconceived notions. Hardly skipped any songs, even given the length of over 2 hours. Close to calling it a 5, as it has a lot of replay value. Production top notch 4.5

This is a GREAT album. Rock and pop/rap combined. This is so fun. So many highlights. It's LONG for sure (40 songs; 2 hours and 15 minutes) , but it doesn't feel long and it doesn't get boring. Great job. The hooks are soooooo catchy. The back half of CD2 doesn't have my favorite songs, but it's still entertaining. "My Favorite Things" cover is GREAT and "Hey Ya!" is a classic. Liked Songs: "GhettoMusik" ,"Bowtie" , "The Way You Move" , "The Rooster" , "Tomb of the Boom" , "Knowing" , "Last Call" , "The Love Below (Intro)" , "Love Hater" , "Happy Valentine's Day" , "Hey Ya!" , "Roses" , "My Favorite Things" , "Take Off Your Cool"

Always loved the Andre 3000 part more. Although GhettoMusick on Big Bois album is defintely the best track. 4/5

I remember being like 9 years old playing indoor soccer at Soccer Heaven and hearing Hey Ya! on the speakers. Damn that was a cool song to play to. Even now, I think the acoustic guitar sounds cool with rap -- and tons of folks have copied that down the line (looking at you Shwayze). You gotta hand it to Andre and Big Boi. They went all out for this - 40 song double album with a great amount of range and fusion. I think we can agree that some of this isn't worth keeping on (a handful of the first disc e.g. Bust, GhettoMusick, a bit less on the second). But hey, they featured everybody (Norah fucking Jones) and everything here and most of it worked, so thats cool. In my head, this becomes a perfect album if they cut this down to the best 20 songs and make a deluxe version of the album for superfans. 2 hours is too damn long and rarely ever works. The hits here are truly timeless and the deeper cuts are interesting enough to keep on/warrant spinning the entire album (I liked War, The Love Below). I always dug that Outkast wasn't afraid to go super high tempo

First things first: too long. Give 45 mins to each of these guys and I’d be happy. That said, gotta give props to the creativity and production on this record. To my surprise I liked Big Boi’s entry more than Andre’s… fully expected it to be the other way around. Not my favorite album from the duo but still worthy of a round up. 3.5/5

Already listened ❤️ Love below > but speakerboxxx still solid Bangers

Should’ve been just one OutKast album, minus all the skits and unnecessary fat … but whatever. Still a classic.

Good

Really long but an enjoyable album. Honestly the second half is better than the first

If it were not for the diversity of this album, it would have been very boring

Whew! Long as hell but some real catchy songs. Love Below was better.

3.5

The Big Boi disc is much much better. The two singles on Andre's are the best songs here and absolute classics, but outside of those his half is pretty patchy and overlong. Big Boi 4.5 Andre 3.

Balala

Pretty good! I like the different sounds and beats from old school to modern.

This was a strange listen. Going into it I had positive thoughts about the singles from these albums, but listening to it, I must have had access to these albums at some point. Maybe ripped from someone at work in the 00s? I knew all the dumb interludes and most of the songs, but I have no memory of choosing to listen to this in the past. As for actual review, I likes this. It was too long, exacerbated by the interludes, but it was a fun listen. I think I preferred any given Andre 3000 song over any gven Big Boi song just because I respect how weird they are, but overall I think I liked the Big Boi album better, it was more consistent and less wearing. All that said, holy crap that was long, I almost skipped this today just because of the length.

This is a long album which usually puts me off, but I like this one quite a bit. I think as an album I like Speakerboxx a touch better than The Love Below, it’s a bit more cohesive, but the hits on TLB are probably a little more listenable. I own this one which seems to boost my ratings on most of these, I’m going to give this a 3.5+ and round up to 4 stars.

Really good, one of the best and most interesting hip hop albums I've listened to

This is one of those albums that just keeps getting better the deeper you go — and honestly, some of the best tracks never even hit the radio. Everyone remembers “Hey Ya!” and “The Way You Move,” but it's the deeper cuts that really show how ahead of their time Outkast was. The guest features are stacked: Jay-Z, Lil Jon, Ludacris — the early 2000s rap dream team — and each brings a different kind of energy that makes this double album feel like two unique worlds that somehow still work perfectly together. It even edges out Stankonia for me. Favorite song: Church

It’s basically two solo albums put together, but even so they are both pretty great. Speakerboxxx is consistent and soulful. The Love Below is jazzy and really creative. Who would have expected a breakbeat version of My Favorite Things. I don’t think this is quite as good as Stankonia. Favorites were GhettoMusick, Bow tie, The Way You Move, Bust, Church, Last Call, Hey Ya!, Roses, and Dracula’s Wedding.

BANGS

Big album Diverse in numbers

I had a great time with album today - some very fun, silly and pretty horny lyrics (which is exactly how I like my hiphop!) Its a bit too long (I tend to get a bit grumpy with anything over 1 hour on this list) and it was a little hit and miss particularly in The Love Below, but I enjoyed the move away from the ganster style rap that has mostly been represented on this list so far. Hey Ya! and Roses are classics! I'm, just bein honest - uh-oh!

I enjoyed the majority of this in spite of its feature film length. God into spread into where are my panties gave me a real chuckle

OuKast is an undeniable Atlanta hip-hop power duo. A double solo album to follow up easy 5⭐️ Stankonia is a weird decision but one that paid off. Both Speakerboxxx and The Love Below are stuffed with bangers and clearly demonstrate what each member brings to the mix to make OutKast so damn good. More than 20 years later and still in high rotation! 4⭐️

I don't know if this is how the story went but here's what I always imagined happening. Big Boi and 3k had just been together too long. They decided to give the other creative control for their half of the album. Speakerboxxx is half hearted and boring minus the way you move. The love below goes off, Andre 3000 has finally gotten in his spaceship and been given the flexibility to fly away. The first half of the album is a 3 star at best and the back half is 5 star with a bullet. It's a four overall.

Two completely different albums in one, funny idea and certainly one way to do an album as a duo. Speakerboxxx is a pretty nice listen but feels a bit like a worse Stankonia to me. The Love Below is where the real magic happens, lots of inspiration being taken from Jazz, R&B, Funk etc. Incredibly varied and interesting to listen to, even if there are some wacky lyrics and skits throughout.

While I don't listen to them as often now, Outkast is really one of the most important groups in my life - in fact, they were the first "Band" that I was ever fully obsessed with. They had such a colorful discography, and while at first, I avoided this album with the impression that it was some bloated mess (sort of still is lol), I've grown to realize over the years that it's a key piece of the Outkast constellation. When I zoom out and look at Outkast's discography and why it's so incredible, eclectic, and unique, this album's importance makes itself evident, despite it usually ranking below other classics like 'ATliens', 'Aquemini', and 'Stankonia' for me. With this album, you're just getting two very solid discs that so effectively spotlight both artists' strengths in these semi-vacuums, but also some of their weaknesses. First is Big Boi. While often overshadowed, I've always found him to be so incredibly smooth and genuinely quite unconventional with his flow at times. And I enjoy a good chunk of his solo work post-Outkast as well, especially his 2010 debut 'Sir Lucious Left Foot'. His disc here is sort of a precursor to that album - it has some of the best bling-era and early 2000s rap songs of all time, packed with a lot of that southern Atlanta flare. 'The Way You Move' is relentlessly catchy and smooth, 'GhettoMusick' is such a kickass opener with such an earworm chorus, 'Flip Flop Rock' has one of my favorite Outkast beats with those sour guitar tones (+ a JayZ verse at this time!). 'War', while a common subject matter in 2003, is such an effective commentary on the precarious situation of the time (incredible beat switch too). Also, no one talks about 'Unhappy' but that song in particular got me through some difficult times back in the day - so blissful. So yeah 'Speakerboxxx' is just your perfect hip-hop music of the 2000s - not experimental for the time or anything, but just doing the sounds of this time more than justice. It's also very easy to fill up a playlist with these songs. Then there is Andre's side, which I was more indifferent towards at first, but I've grown to love it a bit more recently. I mean Andre's obsession with love and his affinity for eccentric and oddball, over-the-top theatric artists like Prince is very clear with the music and writing here, you even get a Prince cover with 'She Lives in My Lap' - a great cover honestly with one of his best vocal performances. The whole thing plays out like a Broadway musical to me, 'Love Hater' being a perfect intro for this. 'Happy Valentine's Day' is one of the few songs that has Andre rapping on here, but even with that aside it's one of the strongest songs on the disc - I love the arpeggiated synth and the refrain that send the song off. The two standouts are in the middle with 'Hey Ya!', (which doesn't need to be talked about - it's just classic), and 'Roses' which is a perfect display of Andre's sense of humor, and yeah it's also super catchy. The next run of songs, while fun at times (say for maybe 'Pink & Blue' which I really don't like), are mostly forgettable. Luckily the disc closes off strong with a duet with Norah Jones on 'Take Off Your Cool' and one of Andre's best rapping performances on 'A Life In The Day of Benjamin Andre', displaying the rapper's knack for storytelling once more, though in a more mature manner. At one point I would've said that I can only appreciate this album from a distance, picking out a select few songs to put on repeat. Nowadays, I can say that Big Boi's side has certainly grown on me a lot more, and Andre's side is far less self-indulgent than I had initially made it out to be. I think more than anything, I now see it more for the double-album masterpiece it is. It really is insane that an album like this exists in the midst of the very repetitive and, at times, bland early bling-era hip-hop scene. I just can't, at my current age, hate on an album that's oozing with this much character and life. Music like that just doesn't come around that often.

Speakerboxx - great album Standout songs: Bust Church Flip Flop Rock The Love - not as good, but still liked it Standout songs: Happy Valentines Day Prototype Vibrate

That was a lot of music. Fortunately, it was a lot of good music!

Tough one to rate for me. If I could make it about an hour or so, it's easily a 4* album. But there's a lot of filler and some less good songs. 3.5* and I think I'm rounding up because of Hey Ya! It's just fun and I always enjoy listening to it.

Listened to the whole thing while painting our hallway. It is very long. Some top tier music on here. Some filler. So much creativity on display that it remains undeniable.

This album made my day. So many great beats, funny, touching moments and surprises throughout

Much better than I expected. It was a true journey through different musical genres, all mixed into a high-quality hip hop epic! The album has its low points, but it's worth listening to! And also... it has the 2000s classic "Hey Ya!" 4 stars.

Rambunctious and bold, if uneven. 3.8

4/5 damn this is long

Roses really smell like poo poo poo

Classic album. OutKast are legends & I wish I could slide this a 4.5 Unfortunately, some songs didn’t age great for me and I just couldn’t find myself liking as much as I used to (very few still) so this is not a 5 star but still an absolute classic anyone wanting to get into music or hip hop should give a listen. Perhaps the greatest double album ever

Banger, maar 4 sterren voor mn tijd

There must be one selection of every genre in this album. It's much weirder than the famous singles would lead you to believe. I had fun with it overall. Good listening

Just amazing. A shuffle of music from soul to hip hop. Powerful. 4/5

Basically two albums in one, but great mix of styles. It could have been one very good album with a bit less ego and a bit more ruthless editing from the lads. Nonetheless it's an enjoyable record, if you treat it as two individual albums

Fun upbeat album

Greatness. So many amazing tracks I forgot about.

En partant, j'adore Outkast. Grands pionniers du son "atlanta" du hip hop. Cet album ce n'est pas leurs meilleur, je peux déjà dire qu'Aquamini, Stankonia et ATLiens sont supérieurs.. Le concept de faire un album centré sur chacun des deux membres est intéressant sur papier mais résultat est un peu gonflé, c'est long, comme bien des albums doubles. C'est quand même un album très généreux que tu peux très bien écouté en deux parties. La partie Speakerboxx sonne comme un album de hip hop traditionnel, The Love Below d'Andre 3000 est plus intéressant, il y a aussi les hits Roses suivi de Hey Ya!. Il n'y a pas vraiment d'équivalents sur Speakerboxx. J'écouterais surment cet album plus souvent si c'étais une expérience plus concise mais j'apprécie tout de monde l'effort. Je ne peux donner 5 étoiles parce que comme dit plus haut, il y a des 5 dans la discographie de Outkast mais ce n'est pas celui-ci

This album just sounds so good. The production, the mixing, all of it, immaculate. One of my favorite moments is when the (can you feel that b.a.s.s.) bass comes in on The Way You Move. I've never listened to this in full before but always loved the hits and I think Hey Ya! is one of the greatest songs of the last 20 - wait how is this album over 20 years old already, what the hell? Okay, one of the greatest songs of the last 25 years, then. Or of all time. I need more time with it before deciding if it's a 5. When I have more time I'll listen through again, but it's a high 4 for now.

Don't love all of Speakerbox, but LB is solid.

Good album

yes yes yes

Hey Ya! ITs a fun album. Lots of songs. Vots of assorted hip hop styles. Great album

not all the way through but first side is some cool stuff, mostly mid, second side is super cool, I like spread the most. Really like the often vulgar and inappropriate feeling lyrics over smooth tracks, its a cool juxtaposition

Not their best but still good

Great blend of hip hop, funk, jazz, electro-pop and more. This is a very interesting and listenable album. I can see why it's rated so high.

Good lord, this is a long album - but I like Outkast and particularly how they incorporate horns/swing sounds into their music. I also like that Andre 3000 is one of the only rappers I can recognize by their voice!

Really good. I think The Love Below has the top individual songs (“Roses,” “Hey Ya!”) but Speakerboxxx is more consistently enjoyable for me. Distill these two down into a single album with their best ~50 minutes and it’d be 5 stars.

Phenomenal! 2 completely different sides. One is hiphop energy and the other is slow groove. Well done.

Before going in I thought I'd enjoy The Love Below more but it is in fact the opposite!

I wasn't totally sold on this initially, but it grew on me. I like The Love Below more than Speakerboxxx but both halves are really good. I can't give this a higher rating because it's so long, but it is very good. 3.75/5

An aughts classic

so hype so fun

The production on this album is absolutely stellar. Blends different genres and sounds. Some of my fave tracks: DISC 1 - GhettoMusick - The Way You Move - Bust with Killer Mike's amazing verse - War - Church (mostly for the instrumentals) - Knowing - Flip Flop Rock (love the way Andre goes off) - Reset DISC 2 - The Love Below (Intro) (what a fucking fantastic intro onggggg) - Love Hater - Happy Valentine's Day (the bridge is immaculate) - Prototype - She Lives In My Lap - Roses (banger) - Pink & Blue (holy shit) - Love In War - Dracula's Wedding The features are also sublime; it elevates the features to be on this record rather than them elevating the record... if that makes sense.

First disc - liked 6 songs. GhettoMusick is a banger. Second disc - liked 6 songs but wasn't paying attention in the middle section.

Long ass album, 40 songs jesus christ. Not 2pac-nas level but damn was impressive

Muy sorprendido. Pensé que escuchando casi dos horas y media de rap iba a hacer que me quisiera matar, pero nada de eso. Lo disfruté muchísimo y trae unos arreglazos espectaculares.

if you like speakerboxxx check out big boi's first proper solo album.

Hip hop so good even white people can bop to it

Very enjoyable album, or really two albums because the two discs are completely different. The length is tricky but not too tedious because the second disc is so different than the first. I heard this album once many years ago and I didn't remember that Andre's part (The Love Below) isn't even a rap album, like at all. Speakerboxxx is a good solid rap record but I really enjoyed the variety and creativity on Love Below, and of course it has the biggest highlight in Hey Ya! Favorites: Bowtie, Hey Ya!, Roses, Love in War

É um classico porem acho bem cansativo e muito longo

Great album. I loved the disc 2 better than the 1st disc though.

Pretty amazing

Really fun, great vibes, will listen again!

Despite having owned this on CD when it released in 2003, I never listened to the whole double album in its entirety. I’ll say right off the bat that albums like this make me wish I had more time to listen. This one is large enough and interesting enough that it could definitely benefit from multiple listens. There’s a lot to digest here. There are quite a few musically and lyrically interesting ideas to parse, and I’d love to spend some more time with it. This is definitely outside the realm of my usual favorites, but there was a lot that I enjoyed. Very progressive and jazzy, blending elements of numerous genres in a unique and groundbreaking way.

You can follow, or lead like Commander Picard etc. I loved the love below, would listen again.

High Quality

Just try not to vibe to it

In addition to the bangers, I loved all the songs I hadn’t heard before. Lots of hard work and genius in this group. Love the unique flow style, especially the frenetic energy.

Make sure you listen to this as two albums. It’s over two hours long if you go back to back and you WILL wear yourself out. Treating it on that criteria though I would say Speakerboxxx is the stronger album of the two, my personal favourite track being ‘Church’. Seemingly a funkier side with a more upbeat groove. The Love below I enjoyed less, and I found it’s interludes less amusing and more grating. This has the BIG Outkast hits that everyone had heard and it obviously gets points for that, but as an album it is the weaker of the two.

Speakerbox is unironically a 10 but the love below falls off. Still a great album overall 8/10

Favorite Track: Roses

album duplo de big boi e andre 3000 hey ya faz parte do album album de hiphop mais vendido dos eua nao eh muito meu estilo de musica mas gostei bastante 4/5

still kicks ass.. too long tho. from the era of lots of rap "skits"

should be a 5 but there are swings and misses and things that pull you out of it could i write poetry to this? y

Another otherwise great (mostly) Hip-Hop album dragged down by skits. Clocking in at over two hours, this is a serious time commitment. Some judicious editing would keep the listener from feeling that the time wasn't wasted on pointless interludes. Otherwise, it's pretty awesome.

Right in the nostalgia. So much creativity across this thing. Only gripes are the numerous interludes and overall length could have used some trimming. Still, some great tracks throughout.

downloaded 3,4,5,7,8,11,16,18&19.

I didn't listen the whole album XD it ain't my style, but I think it's pretty good,

Cool instrumentals and food for thought messages. Liked second half more

God is a woman, Andre3000 said it himself. This being essentially 2 albums, one by Big Boi and one by Andre3000 was really interesting. The first half is very much of the more traditional Hip Hop whereas the second half is a little bit more experimental but thats just how their styles were. The songs were great, the interludes were fun, and of course the two huge songs off of this album are classics. But it did leave me with a question (that I did zero research to find the answer) how did they do this album live? did they do it in its entirety? was their portion of their concerts over 2 hours long? many questions

Classic

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is longer than most films these days. Each disc could be its own independent album--and in fact, I treated this as such because each had their distinct styles. I was concerned because, well, can Outkast have an original, unrepetitive 2 hours and 15 minutes? I'm happy to report that Speakerboxxx and The Love Below are varied despite their long length. And damn so many of these songs SLAP 21 years later! I think what makes this album so different is the variety of genres. It's hip hop, but it's soul and jazz and a hell of a lot of fun. Also, I noticed a lot of Prince inspiration, and that should mean a lot coming from a Prince aficionado. At times André 3000 used a very Prince-esque voice, and I knew it had to be intentional.

7/10

Pretty good. Lots of hits but hate the dumb skits.

i wonder if interlude #6167475 will make this album more interesting

When I first got this album, I listened to The Love Below far more than Speakerboxxx-it feels more coherent and has a better arc as a (stand alone) album. It was nice to do a deeper dive into Speakerboxxx. Both albums have a lot of great stuff on them, but also filler that could be trimmed-I feel like it’s a good example of why these two work so well together (and not as well as stand alone artists). Still, the tracks that are good are really really good, and the filler has good stuff in it.

I had forgotten how fun and ultimately weird this album is. Kinda like the White Album, I’m conflicted about how it should be shorter or if it’s just right. I do think it could be shorter but I also wouldn’t cut anything. Pretty great.

Hey Ya is a masterpiece. I remember the first time I heard the song (on the radio in my mother’s van with her and my sister). I remember how huge it was. It was a topic of conversation for at least a couple of weeks while it was growing in popularity. I remember a friend of mine not knowing what it was, going out to his car to listen in a restaurant parking lot (ah, the good ol’ days), and liking it. OutKast is a great group. Andre has always seemed like the most interesting one. With his flute playing? I listened to that album. It was pretty good. I actually think, overall, Speakerboxxx is the stronger album here. Who knew! I was tempted to knock this down a star for being two hours long, but I think an overall 4 is fair. There’s some filler I could do without, but a ton of great stuff.

Solid listen, many interesting tracks with samples, or jazz melodies. I don’t like his voice too much actually now that I think of it, but hey it’s only a 2 hour 15 min long album. 3.5

Love Below is creativity pushed to the max, and Speakerboxx is a fun time

Wow that was long

De Basül hets ahgseit: 2 Stunde album - big boss. Und wills so lang gange isch bini ned konstant vom Ahfang bis am Schluss konzentriert drah blibe. Aber das woni ghört han het mer richtig guet gfalle und han das Album schomal zwüsche-glaageret zums mal nomal fürezhole und nomal inezlose. Für Jede Advent gits en puento rapido Schöne J.C. Geburi eu allne <3

uiuiui jetzt packeds eifach d'hip hop perlene us eis vo de wenige outkast albe woni noni glost han… intressants konzept mit de kombi vo 2 soloalbe, en wildi und fast chli langi achterbahn wo eim zwüscheziitlich fast chli trümmlig wird (wüki nume fast) aber ah vereinzelte kurve trifft mer en bekannte banger ah, judihui da hebi gern d'händ id luft de big boi hed mi usnahmswiis mal meh überzügt als de andré 3k, bravo grosse bueb und bravo andré drüütusig für s'lustigste interlude woni jemals ghört ha (good day, good sir) chund minere meinig allerdings nöd ah "ATLiens", "Aquemini" und "Stankonia" ane (alli 5*) und bechund daher nur vier gschüttleti polaroids über aber cha mer öpper glich chli zucker uslehne?

Somehow this album doesn’t really get boring over its 2+ hour runtime. Part of that is the fact it’s actually 2 albums combined, but also it’s just insanely inventive and unique. Speakerboxxx is a really solid hip hop album with some amazing instrumentation. The Love Below is hard to define and kinda fucking weird, but enjoyable. Definitely the less consistent of the 2 but has the best single tracks. Hey Ya is probably up there with my all time fave songs.

First and foremost, this album is too long. But it is really good. I think i like Speakerboxx more than The Love Below. That southern hip hop style from big boy is so good. And Andres jazzy side is good too, just a different mood to listen to

Playing this from CD is so superior to streaming on sonos. Super funky - slightly lyrically dubious and not to be played in front of the kids.

Amazing in many parts but really two albums, not one. There is one five star album in here and two 3.75 albums.

Five stars for Speakerboxx, which is a dang near perfect piece of art. Two and a half stars for The Love Below, which is a tedious slog with a couple of gems on it. Rounding up to four stars because it's Outkast, and their classic Stankonia (an easy five star album) isn't on this list.

this was interesting. two solo albums smashed together under the outkast brand. both were enjoyable but the format really detracted here. the transition between big boi's album and andre's album was jarring even though i knew to expect it. it was also incredibly long, coming in at just under 2 hours 15 minutes.

I know you like to think your shit done stink and this doesn’t

Hey Ya! Listen to this!

I know it's long but more of a good thing is a good thing.

“Skimming” the album to solidify my opinions took 30 min and there in lies the key issue keeping this album from the top. It’s really long. Is that a deal breaker? No, but the lengthier the album, the higher the level must be raised to keep a higher rating. I have rated a 3+ hour album (Ella Fitzgerald’s The Gershwin Songbook) five stars. But the level for that length has to be consistently elite. 40 songs are a bunch and not enough are elite. I like every song on this double album at least. That’s an accomplishment right there. Big Boi and Andre 3000 are both very talented. I think there are more excellent songs than just Hey Ya! and The Way You Move. Compared against hip hop, this album is as precedent setting as any other. It deserves to be held high.

Closest to a 5 star album I’ve listened to so far on this list.

I liked the music, no dull moments. It is long though.

A revolutionary concept for an album at its time, and could only be pulled off by this eclectic duo known as Outkast. Before this record, we knew Outkast as a funky, smooth southern Hip Hop feel, but this release allowed them to showcase their individuality while retaining their harmony as a duo. The sounds are, to this day, distinct and sets itself apart. The cadence of both Big Boi and Andre will never be replicated and they know how to keep the attention of the listener. This record is an absolute classic in the timeline of Hip Hop and it's no surprise that it has stood the test of time after two decades.

Great groupd and great album. This came out when I was 15 and I still remember a lot of the music videos on MTV. Multiple songs are on my playlists to this day. Seeing it as todays album make me smile widely and listen through it yet again.

01) Intro - / 02) GhettoMusick - 8,0 03) Unhappy - 9,0 04) Bowtie - 8,0 05) The Way You Move - 10,0 06) The Rooster - 8,5 07) Bust - 8,0 08) War - 7,5 09) Church - 8,0 10) Bamboo (Interlude) - / 11) Tomb of the Boom - 7,5 12) E-Mac (Interlude) - / 13) Knowing - 7,5 14) Flip Flop Rock - 8,0 15) Interlude - / 16) Reset - 8,5 17) D-Boi (Interlude) - / 18) Last Call - 8,0 19) Bowtie (Postlude) - / 20) The Love Below (Intro) - / 21) Love Hater - 7,5 22) God (Interlude) - / 23) Happy Valentine's Day - 7,0 24) Spread - 7,0 25) Where Are My Panties? (Interlude) - / 26) Prototype - 8,5 27) She Lives in My Lap - 8,0 28) Hey Ya! - 10,0 29) Roses - 10,0 30) Good Day, Good Sir (Interlude) - / 31) Behold a Lady - 7,5 32) Pink & Blue - 7,0 33) Love in War - 7,5 34) She's Alive - 7,0 35) Dracula's Wedding - 7,5 36) The Letter - / 37) My Favorite Things - 6,5 38) Take Off Your Cool - 7,0 39) Vibrate - 7,5 40) A Life in the Day of Benjamin André (Incomplete) - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,91 (79/100) Current ranking: 139/368 Although "The Love Below" has two of my favorite songs on this double album, I ended up liking "Speakerboxxx" a lot more. For me, "Roses" is definitely the best out of the 40 songs on the album(s). Even though I hate double albums, knowing that these are essentially two solo albums justifies that fact. Although it was not easy to listen to OutKast for 135 minutes, this is a solid four stars.

Tough one to rate. It's a double album and it's LONG (2 hours 15 minutes). I think consolidating some of the filler down and just having one album would've been a great idea. There are some awesome songs on here (including maybe the best song of the 2000s in Hey Ya!) but there are 40 to choose from. 7/10 (3.5/5)

A very funny first album (along with busted) for a 9 year old who thought every track would be like hey ya to have. But it is very solid, Speakerboxxx is better but TLB has the better tracks.

Surprisingly well produced and some funny skits. I feel like rap album skits are of a bygone era.

Speakerboxxx: absolutely slaps. So many bangers, love the brass, the trap drums, the features. It's a bouncing, bopping, fun, and unapologetically Southern rap album. Best Track: Flip Flop Rock Worst Track: Reset The Love Below: I think a great example of when 'concept' takes precedence over 'album', and when trying to make an album into a narrative can actually harm the flow of it as a musical artefact. There are some banger tunes on this, but it's a shame that it doesn't come together all that well. Hey Ya is a miracle of a song, truly earth-shattering - the rest of the album, not so much. Best Track: Hey Ya! Worst Track: Where Are My Panties?

Best Song: Hey Ya! Worst Song: Am I allowed to say every single interlude on The Love Below half

Quite a bit of filler tracks, but the good ones are truly great

Real groovy, I like. It was pretty long but didn't get bored

It’s a project that’s a little too long for my liking, but it doesn’t disappoint. Both records are pretty solid and I had an equal enjoyment for both of them. Speakerboxxx - Favorite track: The Way You Move || The Love Below - Favorite track: Hey Ya

Nice but bit weird. Some bangers, some flops

Great rap album, Quite long but had great variety, definately had some lowlights but the highs make up for it

This is low key just two full albums that are more or less unrelated. This is the 5th of 6 OutKast albums, and clearly they were going separate ways at this point. It sounds like they wanted to release separate solo albums, but their management wanted to capitalize on their recent Grammy win so they did this instead. Fine, but it's two solo albums (with a few songs on each that the other is involved in). As such, it's super long (2 hours 15 minutes total). The first album is Big Boi's Speakerboxxx. This is the more traditional rap album of the two, and it's generally very consistent and enjoyable. I'm into the Southern hip hop things, it's a bit more fun while still hitting on fairly serious themes throughout. "The Way You Move" is the standout for sure, but overall it's really consistent top-to-bottom. The second album is Andre 3000's The Love Below. After hearing the intro song on here I expected to like it much better, but it's a lot more inconsistent. It has two of the most iconic songs of the time period ("Hey Ya!", and "Roses"), but it has some pretty mediocre songs too. The musical style is a bit of a mix of funk, jazz, pop, etc. and it's enjoyable on the whole. It's thematically mostly a love song album, and definitely a bit graphic at times (looking at you "Spread"). Anyway, the back half has the better singles, but the Speakerboxxx half is definitely more of a consistent piece of work. I honestly think I'd give them both 3.5-4 rating, so easy enough. The three iconic songs on here (plus "Take Off Your Cool" which is new to me but great) are enough to round up. This thing sounds pretty "modern" at least compared to other '90s and early '00s rap, but one trap it still falls into is the interludes. I really don't quite get why this was such a big thing, it just basically never does anything for me. Both albums here have it, meh. I also really didn't like the choice of song to end The Love Below, it felt like a bit of a harsh sound to end what was otherwise a pretty fun album. Favorite song: Hey Ya! Other: Unhappy, Bowtie, The Way You Move, The Rooster, Church, Flip Flop Rock, Reset, Last Call, The Love Below (Intro), Love Hater, Prototype, She Lives in My Lap, Roses, Pink & Blue, Dracula's Wedding, Take Off Your Cool, Vibrate 10/30/24

Reminds me of high school

++*: Spread, A Life in the Day of Benjamin André (Incomplete) ++: Intro, GhettoMusick, Unhappy, Bowtie, The Rooster, Church, Flip Flop Rock, Bowtie, The Love Below, Love Hater, God, Happy Valentine's Day, Where Are My Panties, Prototype, She Lives in My Lap, Pink & Blue, She's Alive, Dracula's Wedding, The Letter, My Favorite Things, Take Off Your Cool +: The Way You Move, Bamboo, Tomb of the Boom, Knowing, Reset, D-Boi, Last Call, Roses, Love in War, Vibrate +-: Bust, War, E-Mac, Interlude, Hey Ya!, Behold a Lady -: Good Day, Good Sir 8,2/10

DOPE

fun and wild journey with a lot of charm

Almost all killer, very little filler. But there's enough skips for it to be a 4 for me. I just get annoyed by how many interludes and preludes and outros and skits older hip hop records have, and this is over two hours long so there's a lottt of that. I prefer The Love Below to Speakerboxxx it's way weirder and it's a more cohesive record. If it was just The Love Below I'd rate this a 5, but I still just really like both.

So much here, so much content. There’s a mood for this I’d have coming back to it.

The dichotomy Splits a pair on two art arcs A near last hurrah

4.5

More love for OutKast. This album is a crazy mess of talent, momentum and vanity, but its highlights (for me, mostly in the middle of the second half) are high enough that I’ll keep going back, albeit for curated listens. I’d do 3.5 but momentum takes them to a 4

An overflowing, beautiful, messy album created by two artists at their peak. Not everything is gold but overall it is an album I keep returning to as it has aged very well.

This is a fun, fun album.

Really good follow up to their debut masterpiece. Its awesome as its very varied and they can deliver diferent styles and tinings and rythyms. These guys way above the curve at this stage and you can tell Andre 3000 is a musical genius. Too long but the jazz and instrumental interludes and songs give you a rest and makes it very pleasing. I was gonna rate it a 3 but tje strong finish took me to the 4

7.5/10. Hip hop is not my cup of tea. This album is over two hours long. Yet, somehow, I did not grow tired of this album while listening to it. It managed to stay fresh throughout its two-hour time-span. I need to give it credit for that. However, I will give it four stars instead of five stars, since I didn't enjoy it the same way I enjoyed the albums that I gave 5 stars. :)

I've heard a lot of Outkast but not this whole album(s). Speakerboxxx was ok but Love Below knocks out our of the park. 4 stars.

What a throwback! There were some big hits on this album that I'd not heard in so long I enjoyed it overall, but it was way too long. I wasn't a massive fan of the interludes either 4 ⭐️

So many great cameos and interesting songs. Didn't realize it was 2 hours but I enjoyed it all! If you don't like this album your heart is cold. How cold? Ice cold.

While not my style, it's obvious that both Big Boi and Andre 3000 are incredibly talented and able to bridge that gap between Southern Rap and mainstream music effortlessly.

4/5

This was a really good end-to-end album that blended a lot of tradition with some really interesting beats and elements. A lot of fun to listen to.

J'avoue, quand j'ai vu le nom d'Outkast apparaître sur la liste, j'ai eu un rictus. Moi, le type qui a usé ses Docs dans les fosses de concerts post-punk, qui considère que la joie de vivre a été inventée par des publicitaires sous cocaïne et dont la discothèque ressemble à un manuel de la dépression nerveuse mis en musique, me voilà face à un monument du hip-hop. Un double album, qui plus est. Remettons-nous dans le contexte. En 2003, le hip-hop, pour un mec comme moi, c'était le grand cirque du bling-bling. C'était 50 Cent, les chaînes en or qui pèsent le poids d'un âne mort, les clips avec des piscines remplies de créatures siliconées et des paroles qui, pour la plupart, tournaient autour de trois thèmes : je suis riche, je suis le meilleur, et je vais te buter. Passionnant. Je connaissais déjà Outkast, ces extraterrestres d'Atlanta qui avec "Stankonia", avaient prouvé qu'on pouvait venir du Sud et avoir un cerveau qui fonctionne à autre chose qu'au bourbon et au barbecue. Mais là, avec ce "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below", ils n'ont pas juste sorti un disque. Ils ont balancé un putain de pavé dans la mare stagnante du rap game. Le concept, si on peut appeler ça un concept, est aussi simple que génialement suicidaire. C'est un album schizophrène avec deux disques solo réunis sous une seule bannière. D'un côté, Big Boi, le pilier, le roc, le gardien du temple du son sudiste. De l'autre, André 3000, le dandy cosmique, l'elfe sous acide, le type qui a dû naître sur une autre planète et qui s'est réincarné en Prince après une indigestion de champignons hallucinogènes. Commençons par le plus simple, le disque de Big Boi : "Speakerboxxx". Lui, c'est du lourd, du solide, du hip-hop qui sent la gomme chaude des Cadillacs, le funk poisseux et la soul moite d'Atlanta. C'est un disque qui ne cherche pas à réinventer la roue, mais à la faire tourner plus vite et avec plus de style que n'importe qui. Big Boi, c'est le maître de cérémonie parfait. Son flow est impeccable, technique et puissant. Il rappe sur la vie, les femmes, les voitures, la fête, avec une assurance déconcertante. C'est un disque calibré pour les clubs, pour les autoroutes, pour faire trembler les murs. Des morceaux comme "The Way You Move" sont des machines de guerre, des hymnes hédonistes qui vous rentrent dans le crâne pour ne plus en sortir. C'est brillant, terriblement efficace, et ça rassure. On se dit : "Ok, je suis en terrain connu, c'est du rap de très haute volée, mais ça reste du rap". C'est la base solide, l'ancre qui empêche le navire de partir complètement à la dérive. Et dieu sait qu'il en a besoin, car la suite est un aller simple pour la folie pure. Et puis, il y a "The Love Below". Et là, on quitte le hip-hop, on quitte tout. On entre dans la tête d'André 3000, et c'est un endroit aussi fascinant que déroutant. Ce n'est pas un album de rap, c'est une comédie musicale barrée, un opéra funk, un disque de pop psychédélique. André 3000 chante plus qu'il ne rappe, il croone, il hurle, il minaude. On pense à Prince, évidemment, pour cette liberté totale, ce mélange des genres sans aucune inhibition. On pense à Sly Stone, à George Clinton. C'est un album conceptuel sur l'amour, mais un amour vu par un type qui a visiblement le cerveau câblé à l'envers. Ça part dans tous les sens, on a des interludes jazzy, des ballades au piano qui vous fendent le coeur, des explosions de funk débridé. Et puis, il y a "Hey Ya!". Ce morceau, en 2003, il était impossible d'y échapper, c'était l'hymne planétaire. Même ma grand-tante qui pensait que le rap était une maladie de peau connaissait "Hey Ya!". Une tornade de pop sixties joyeuse et frénétique, une chanson tellement parfaite qu'elle en devient presque suspecte. Le genre de tube qui, normalement, me ferait gerber par sa gaieté forcée. Sauf que, comme toujours avec André 3000, les paroles sont loin d'être aussi simples et joyeuses que la musique le laisse penser. "Pourquoi l'amour ne dure-t-il pas ?" demande-t-il, avant de nous secouer comme des Polaroïds. Et c'est ça, la force de The "Love Below", c'est un disque qui cache sa complexité et sa mélancolie sous des dehors exubérants. Des morceaux comme "Roses" sont des bijoux de funk acerbe, des critiques assassines de la superficialité cachées sous un groove irrésistible. C'est drôle, c'est touchant, c'est parfois complètement con, mais c'est toujours génial. Alors, que penser de cet objet à deux têtes ? C'est là que réside le coup de génie. Pris séparément, "Speakerboxxx" est un excellent album de rap sudiste et "The Love Below" est un ovni pop-funk-jazz expérimental. Mais ensemble, ils forment une oeuvre monumentale, ils se complètent, se répondent. C'est le ying et le yang du hip-hop, le corps et l'esprit, la Terre et l'espace. Big Boi nous ancre dans la réalité, dans la tradition, dans la puissance brute du son. André 3000 nous emmène dans les étoiles, dans l'expérimentation, dans la vulnérabilité de l'émotion. Pour le vieux con de l'indie rock que je suis, cet album a été une claque. Pas seulement parce qu'il est bon, mais parce qu'il est courageux. À une époque où le hip-hop se complaisait dans des formules toutes faites, Outkast a dynamité les codes. Ils ont prouvé qu'on pouvait être populaire – et Dieu sait qu'ils l'ont été – tout en étant radicalement créatif et personnel. Ils ont fait un disque de plus de deux heures qui ne ressemble à rien d'autre. C'est un disque qui a redéfini les limites du hip-hop, qui a ouvert des portes pour des artistes comme Kanye West ou Childish Gambino. C'est un classique, un vrai. Pas seulement un classique du rap, mais un classique de la musique tout court. Verdict : Un gros 4 sur 5. Pourquoi pas 5 ? Parce que c'est parfois trop, trop long, trop dispersé, trop ambitieux. Mais c'est précisément ce qui en fait un disque si fascinant. Pour la folie, pour l'audace, pour "Hey Ya!", pour avoir fait danser la planète entière sur une chanson triste, et pour avoir prouvé à un vieux rocker cynique qu'il pouvait encore être surpris. Un album essentiel, même s'il faut prévoir une après-midi entière pour l'écouter. Et croyez-moi, ça en vaut la peine.

sweetie

I wish I could rate Speakerboxxx and The Love Below separately. In my mind, these are basically two separate albums put together simply because Big Boi and Andre3k were both halves of Outkast. Speakerboxxx is basically a Big Boi album while The Love Below is an Andre3k album. Speakerboxxx is full of bumpin ATL bangers, but doesn't have much substance. It's a fine .album on it's own, but doesn't stick strongly with me. 3/5 Best Songs: GhettoMusick, The Rooster, The Way You Move, Worst Songs: Last Call The Love Below is basically a concept album telling a full blown love/hate story. I'm shocked I haven't heard the whole thing before this. It has some revolutionary production, which obviously inspired Tyler the Creator and Thundercat. 4/5 Best Songs: Happy Valentine's Day, Prototype, Hey Ya!, Roses Worst Songs: She Lives in My Lap

I own this album but I found it a bit disappointing. Which is unfair because it's very solid. But I was expecting it to be epic. I always thought that Andre 3000 had the better album of the double album, even though Big Boi had the best song in I Like the Way You Move (so smooth). The Love Below has more musical variety and has some real slick, fun tracks - Hey Ya (obviously, it was a smash hit for a reason), Happy Valentine's Day, Roses, and Behold a Lady. It pays some homage to Prince and Funkadelic but it is really up and down, and more down than up. Speakerboxx is more straight ahead rap/R&B and not as fun or grandiose, even though it is more lyrically complex or deep. On retrospect I found it more consistent and the better album, and I quite enjoyed several additional tracks - Bowtie, The Rooster, Bust (Killer Mike is awesome), War, Tomb of the Boom, and Last Call. All in all, this is a very ambitious double album but with some holes.

i’ve heard a few songs on this album before but i don’t think i realised just how long it is. it actually has my favourite outkast song on it, roses. i wouldn’t say i’m not a fan of hip hop as i’m kind of a fan of a bit of everything, but i did find myself worried listening to intro that i wouldn’t enjoy this album that much, but honestly by ghettomusik i was confident i actually would enjoy it a lot more. outkast, and this album, just has such a unique sound that mixed with their fast style rapping and vocal layering makes everything that should make you feel overwhelmed, feel calm. it’s one of those albums you don’t have to listen to the lyrics to like, you can just feel the music and enjoy it, and i love that.

3.9 1x i listened to this dozens of time upon release back when driving for SteakOut delivery. Speakerboxxx is a 4.5 but the Love Below brings this down despite having a few good tracks. Older Outkast much better though.

I think I only knew two of these songs. But holy hell do they kick ass. This is two hours- and I don’t think it justifies its runtime, which is what gives it a 4 instead of 5- and there is a breadth of styles and they nail them all. Quite an impressive undertaking.

Prefer The Love Below to Speakerboxxx but both are solid. Pretty good mix of different influences and this works well for someone who’s not as big on rap. I can hear the Prince influence. The number of songs is wildly too many and the interludes are always unnecessary. Still some very good songs here. I don’t totally get why are they separating Big Boi’s and Andre 3000’s albums but it’s still in the same package. Highlights: “The Way You Move”, “Bust”, “Prototype”, “Hey Ya!”, “Roses” & “She’s Alive”. 3.5 stars.

Its essentially 2 long albums. 40 songs/2 discs/2+ hours. Speakerboxx was a 3, The Love Below was a 4. 3 certified bangers in Hey Ya, I like the Way and Roses.

A great album with inclusions of the dreaded rap album comedy skit.

Not my favorite OutKast album but this one still slaps after all of these years. Came out right before I graduated high school and I still love it!

mir gefällt es, eine bunte mischung von verschiedenen stilen und einflüssen. OK, ein doppelalbum ist mehr als genug lang, ich habe dann die zweite hälfte nur noch durchgeskipped. klassiker: Hey Ya!

great

Tour de force by one of the greatest hip hop duos of all time. Innovative idea, but it floods the album, the danger of a double lp. Clocking in at over 2 hours it's a bear to try to consume in one sitting. Each really gets to flex into their individual style that made Outkast great, but two sides to one lp may be been a superior "5."

sick as fuck but honestly just a bit too long for me. Speakerboxxx better than the second half.

Speakerboxxx > The Love Below. One of the first albums I listened to when I started getting into hip hop, but the double album nature can make this a slog to get through, especially after finishing Speakerboxxx. The Love Below just doesn’t catch me as much. 5/5 for Speakerboxxx 3/5 for The Love Below 4/5 total

If they cut out the skits, 1/3rd the songs, and 1 minute out of each song, it would be a masterpiece.

Way better than I gave it credit for back in the day. The second album is probably about 20% too long though.

I only had time to listen to the entire album once yesterday but it’s so much fun! Im definitely going to spend the weekend with it. For now, I’m giving it a 4/5 as it is incredibly long and at times does feel bloated but who knows maybe upon further listens it can grow to a 5. Also, except for a few songs, I think I much preferred Big Boi’s side for now.

I hadn't heard Speakerboxxx before, but The Love Below has been in my playlist for years and I love them all. The Speakerboxxx tracks were awesome as well. Four stars.

A hefty but fantastic hip-hop/pop/art jazz album. The classics still stand the test of time, and Andre 3000 is a musical genius.

Bloody long mate but good 😃

Enjoyed listening to this

8/10. Really two albums, both very good but stretch on a bit. Entertained throughout though.

Not bad at all! Maybe overall preferred Speakerboxxx except obviously Hey Ya!

you get a lot of music for your money. and most of it excellent

Soundtrack of my life

Really torn between 3 and 4. Some excellent tracks but I got frustrated by the total length of the album. Rounding up because Hey Ya is such a classic.

This is all pretty enjoyable. Andre 3000’s half is better than Big Boi, but The Way You Move is the standout track. I really dislike interludes. Available in 7/1 surround on Apple Music — quite cool. I might like Stankonia better. The Idlewild soundtrack album is a gem as well. The movie was decent.

Because it’s so long, I probably haven’t listened to this all the way through in 20 years. I have about nine favorites that I play occasionally, and I remember the rest being mediocre. Let’s see if this listen bears that out. I think it’s a soft 4. There’s a lot I love (Bowtie, A Life in the Day…, Take Off Your Cool, Prototype), plenty more I like, and then way too many interludes. But very little is ill-conceived (my favorite things) or boring. I’m going to weigh the stuff I like more than the rest and round up to 4.

Iconic album from my youth. Still feel pretty much the same as I did then: Speakerboxxx is a 3* - solid pop rap record, dating quickly as southern rap turned crunk (though album closer Last Call is in that vein.) The Love Below is a 5* - probably one of the greatest avant pop records ever made. Still sounds incredible and fresh, and paved the way for the alt soul of Frank Ocean, Steve Lacy, etc. Andre 3000’s sophisticated, poetic, and witty lyrics on love and sex were kind of revolutionary to this teenager! 4* overall, and a great nostalgia trip.

I do wish this was shorter. A lot of very good songs, could definitely be shortened to be an amazing album. Will I listen to again: 60%

Hey Ya is fun, I really enjoyed some of the hip hop rap that Outkast isn’t normally known for. But it is two albums so it’s fairly long. Almost two hours I think

Speakerboxxx is like a 3.5 and the love below is a 5, so im gonna have to give it a 4 overall

This was a beast to get through since it was technically 2 albums. 2 hours and 15 minutes! I think I owned this album but I've definitely listened to it before. Anyway, I went into this listen trying to decide which "album" was better, Big Boi's Speakerboxxx or Andre 3000's The Love Below. I have to give the nod to Andre 3000 only because I like his eclectic style, his overall weirdness and horniness. Big Boi's side is more party and I was surprised by all the guest rappers on that one. I didn't remember any of those big name collabs (Jay-Z, Killer Mike, Lil' Jon). Meanwhile, Andre 3000 hits so hard with probably one of the biggest song of the 2000s with "Hay Ya!" but I also like Happy Valentine's Day, Spread, Behold a Lady, and Roses. Even a throw away track like "Dracula's Wedding" is so weird and freaky it is still fun. Listening to these 2 albums now while still good, does bring a bit of melancholy realizing that Outkast had really broken up by the time this album came out and would not be releasing anymore real albums ever again (at least through 2024).

Fortuna che l'ho già ascoltato. Tra le due metà preferisco Speakerboxxx ma anche l'altro non è male

Um Welten besser als Stankonia…abwechslungsreich im Sound, In den Lyrics im Genre Mix

Hyvä albumi. Big Boin puolella enemmän omaan makuun, Andren puolella osa liian hapokasta itselle.

Classic album, didn’t like all the interludes but gotta love the hits on here

Good long album

sprawling album of 2 hrs with two distinct flavors from the two main artists. Favorite track: Hey ya other picks: Ghettomusik, the way you move, roses, my favorite things.

Some really great songs and an eclectic mix of sounds here. Speakerboxxx is a great rap album. The Love Below is a solid pop/weird soul funky kinda album. They each are enjoyable and solid on their own rights, but not sure the sum is better than the individuals here. Put together it’s a little too long with a bit of filler. But still a solid album with a bunch of top tier tracks.

This actually commits a lot of the crimes that I’ve marked other albums down for. It’s too long (2 albums mashed together), there’s some seriously annoying skits that ruin the experience of listening to the album as a whole, there are some overly horny moments and there’s a lot of filler. I still really rate this album though. There are some weird songs on speakerboxxx which I enjoyed but it does lose my attention towards the end. I actually believe the love below is a work of art, there are some incredibly strange pop songs on there, as well as some cool unique sounding hip hop that is blended with jazz and other genres. It is a work of art. It gets a hypocritical 4 from me.

interesting album, some of the lyrics were a bit crass, but good sounds!

alltof löng, mikið uppfyllingarefni. þó að hittararnir séu hjá andre er drengurinn mun betri.

I love this album. I don't listen to it enough just because I am not this huge rap/hip-hop enthusiast. But I do recognize classic/legendary albums

great combo album between big boy and andre 3000 long but quality throughout

A long listen. Speakerboxxx does more for me as an album but The Love Below has some highlights. Overall just a bit bogged down by being too big. 3.5

4.0

Speakerboxx got some bangers liked 90% of them. Love below got the popular Roses and Hey ya but apart from that most on that disc were misses for me.

I definitely enjoyed Speakerboxxx more. I kinda wish they'd been released separately.

listened to this a few times now and I kinda like it. Thought it would be too long for me but even some of the interludes were fun. Favourites were Reset and Prototype

Okay. I love some Outkast. I usually go for Stankonia because it's tight and ALIVE. This is, to be sure, two albums. 2 hours 15 minutes. A lot to listen to at once as a package. I preder Speakerboxxx, but The Love Below has some highs, and the better singles. The whole package of Speakerboxxx just works better for my tastes. Love the ambition, though. No one as big as Outkast can I think of has done something comparable, and they were always pushing the boundaries like that. Who's even close? Boris?

Stretching the boundaries of everything that hip hop can be (especially the Love Below section), and stretching the boundaries of patience with a two hour plus running time, Atlanta’s finest nonetheless come with thoughtful banger after thoughtful banger. A timepiece of expansion, before everything seemed to start to contract again.

Torn on this one. The high points some of the best songs of all-time, the low points aren't bad so much as forgettable. Turn it from a double LP to a single and it's basically perfect. As it stands, it's good enough for an 8/10 but it could be so much more

So fun and odd. I love OutKast for their ability to add so much joy to their music, while adding a good deal of funk and groove to every track. I could listen to this all day.

Speakerboxxx was really good. I hadn't heard the Big Boi part of this before and it was bangin. 5/5. I had heard The Love Below before, and while I love Andre's creativity and musicianship, there are too many skits and forays into weird areas, so it's more of a 3/5, so overall a 4/5.