Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

It's very exciting to find out my favorite jazz flautist and that one guy from Janelle Monae's Tightrope video have a side project doing rap. It's pretty good! This is the album I say if someone asks me what the best album of all time is. And of course, that's highly subjective. But what is not subjective is you could go into a CD store and buy for the price of an album and a half two entire incredible albums. That's value. The White Album can't say that. This album has is all. And if you think your favorite album has it all it better have a novelty Halloween song about Dracula's pre-wedding jitters. Because this one does. Being a double album and being a rap album is a huge disadvantage on this site. This album pulling a 3.5 despite that is great testament to its quality.

Classic

I’ve heard this before and I own it. It’s been a long time since I listened to this so it’s nice to pull this up again. This works really well as a double album even though it’s really considered 2 separate solo albums, especially if you start off with Speakerboxx and follow up with The Love Below. Speakerboxxx has more of the crazy hip hop from Stankonia and expands on it pushing it into even weirder new territory and then the Love Below moves away from hip hop and goes into multiple different genres that all have that OutKast weirdness to them that’s played completely straight, even though there’s definitely some winking at the listener. For whatever reason I like weird music better when it comes across serious rather than ironic. Fantastic achievement all around.

Biggest issue is that this album is way, way, way too long. There's not enough consistent high quality tunes here for an album that has 40 tracks and is over 2 hours long. The disparity in quality between songs is a bit too glaring, and the separation of this into, essentially, two separate solo albums doesn't help the record taken as a whole. Every hip hop album is killed by interludes/skits/jokes, just shoot them into the sun, constantly wrecking the flow of albums, are funny once at best and annoying on repeat listens. Speakerboxxx is the pick of the two sides here to be honest and it's not close. Hey Ya! might be one of the few genuinely global, gigantic smash hits of it's era but there's a lot of absolute rubbish on The Love Below. OutKast have better albums but can see why this opus would be included on the list. 5/10

The Love Below is way more interesting than Speakerboxxx, but this album drags along for quite some time. It's a 2/5 and a 4/5.

Finally, 2 properly noteworthy great albums in a row, and this one makes it technically 3! First time I've heard this in full, and possibly first time I've ever heard anything off Speakerboxxx. Love the concept literally just being 2 separate solo albums from a duo on the verge of breaking up anyway. Makes me wonder how much value there is in reviewing them at the same time. They are packaged together but what else do they really have in common? Length doesn’t intimidate me too much because of this - though it is a lot for one day I can kind of treat them separately. Speakerboxxx was great, loads of features, earliest instances of Killer Mike, Lil Jon and Cee Lo I’ve ever heard. I'd probs give it a strong 4 on first listen, I'll be back though. That said I instantly prefer Love Below and am happy to give it 5, so refreshing after Speakerboxxx to hear more melodically catchy stuff, lots of guitar and funkeh bass, along with songs like Hey Ya and Roses which are obviously really familiar. There's not much of personal note I feel like I can say about Hey Ya without just parroting the opinions millions have had (which I really consciously try not to do for this project as a whole!) but what I will say is that I think it's a strong contender for the catchiest, most easy to like song ever, overplayed though it rightfully is. I thought My Favourite Things was an absolutely crazy composition to be slapped in here with its relative complexity, but then looking it up it’s essentially a Coltrane sample with a sick beat slapped on top so not quite as crazy as I thought

Jeg orkede ikke at høre det hele. Det var virkelig ikke godt. Der gemmer sig sandsynligvis et par gode numre imellem, men det kan være lige meget, når man pakker det ind i halvanden times fyld.

This is essentially two albums where both members of Outkast attempt to forge on ahead with their own sound. Big Boi sticks closest to the group's sound, turning their southern hip hop into party rap. It's easily the more enjoyable side, with big dirty beats on songs like "GhettoMusick." The rapping takes a back seat to the beats, but it's still a great time. Andre's side is a clear attempt to try something new, and it stumbles more often than succeeds. Funk songs like "Prototype" are boring and limp, there's too much unsexy sex talk ("Vibrate" is the nadir of this), and some songs, like the drum n bass "My Favorite Things" cover, make no sense. "Hey Ya" is great obviously, but it doesn't make up for the rest. Overall there's just too much music here, the sides don't mesh, and too little of it really hits.

Genius... And I don't even like hip-hop.

I still remember OutKast’s big hits and André 3000’s distinctive voice very well. However, the double album “Speakerboxxx” & “The Love Below” has one major drawback: Big Boi took up the first 50% of the album... In fact, OutKast is at its strongest when P-Funk, soul, and hip-hop influences come together organically in a single song. Unfortunately, they only manage to pull that off occasionally. It probably would have been wiser to simply compile the best songs from these two solo albums into a standard-length album. Hey, we’ve seen something like this before - albeit at a higher level - with “The Beatles.” Apparently, music really is communication and thrives on compromise...

Two hours and fifteen minutes. One hundred and thirty-five minutes of boring, saccharine, overproduced, inoffensive, self-indulgent, yet still label-pleasing, cheesy, corny, soft, emotionless, sanitized, OVERRATED radio dance music masquerading as a rap record. The quality of rhymes here is so subpar, I can't even believe that Andre 3000 is talked about in the conversation of greatest ever. It's horrible. It's nothing but poop bars and juvenile musings on relationships. Musically, the second record is sort of better than the first (which is completely valueless) but not enough to drag any of this out of the gutter. Insufferable in every way. Call me an "Outkast" as I'm probably the only white 30-something that doesn't count this as their favourite rap outfit. Horrible music mistakenly deigned brilliant, by people who mistakenly deign themselves brilliant. 0 HIGHLIGHTS: You ever really watch a clock? The gears, the repetition. What craftsmanship!

It has its moments, but it’s too long by far. I don’t know why they gave themselves each a whole album, or why they think that they have to fill the cd, so every half baked idea goes in. When it’s good it’s great but there’s about 35-40 minutes of great. The perfect length for an album.

I initially thought I had downloaded a special anniversary release after seeing the 2hr plus runtime. Nope! Ok cool, 2hrs of OutKast today, this is fine. You know what? It was fine, for a double album it wasn’t the slog I was expecting. That being said, I don’t ever, ever need to hear your toddler on an album, it ain’t cute, it’s annoying. The pantie skit could’ve been cut too. I just hate skits for the most part, Good Day, Good Sir was actually kinda entertaining but just one time, what’s the replay value on these skits?! I will forever and always criticize skits on albums. OutKast tracks do have great production value and this album is jam packed with jams and clever lines. It doesn’t feel as bloated as I expected but there’s still some bloat, there’s a 4 star in here but I gotta give this 3 stars

Yes!!!!

Giving this another listen makes me understand that when I say 'I like Outkast', I mean 'I like Andre 3000' Speakerboxxx is okay. It has a ton of nods to Parliament which, to be honest it seems worse off for. I could never stand "The Way you Move". "Last Call" is an absolute banger. The Love Below is brilliant, start to finish. Would be an easy 5/5 if this was the entire album.

Classic

my name is cupid valentino 🫦🏹the modern day cupid ... 💘👼

ghosts and goblins run amuck in the caverns of rhyme..... holy fuck this album is good. once again i feel like an absolute dipshit for somehow having never listened to this before. like, i knew "hey ya" was an all timer, that much is more or less just universally accepted fact at this point, but in the context of this album? that track is just average! that outkast maintained that level of quality throughout a double album over 2 hours in length is seriously fucking impressive. im in awe. idk if its even worth it to list the best tracks for this one, cos its like, two thirds of the album at least. but the tracks standing tallest to me are "unhappy", "the way you move", "the rooster", "bust", "knowing", "happy valentine's day", "she lives in my lap", "roses", "my favorite things" and "a life in the day of benjamin andre (incomplete)". oh, and "hey ya" of course. if i went thru praising each track one by one i'd be writing pages so i'll settle for just saying that the lyrics are very clever throughout and that the beats are fuckin great, especially in the second half where they get a little more experimental, resulting in a lot of it feeling very ahead of its time. oh and the skits are great too. one of the easiest 5 stars we've had so far. you really just gotta listen to this one. i literally love music so much......

Big musical variety with several known hits (hey ya, the way you move) - enjoyable, long album

overplayed

Both albums are amazing. I think Speakerboxxx is the better composed of the two but The Love Below is more successfully experimental. I've probably heard this whole album at least 25 times and, given reasonable breaks between listens, it just holds up so well for being 23 years old.

few songs are good, thats about it

I DIDN'T KNOW PROTOTYPE WAS A COVER,!!! holy shit I love the cover done by Woom it's a totally different vibe. this was a fun album, I think I like the second half of it more. it was super long. some of the sketches were kinda funny I guess and some weird just not funny lol. I chuckled at Good Day Good Sir tho. Too many songs to pick from but I liked the obvious hits, reset, and prototype.

Yuhhhhh this is just some real creative and fun music. A lot of collabs here I had no idea about like Norah Jones and Ashoka herself??? I guess this was kinda a blind spot for me. Going to embark on their other records soon. Favs: unhappy, war, Reset, prototype (that fucking bassss), (obviously) hey ya!, roses, my favorite things, take off your cool,

Favorite track(s): Speakerboxxx: GhettoMusick, Unhappy, Bowtie, Tomb of the Boom, Flip Flop Rock, Reset The Love Below: Happy Valentine's Day, Spread, Prototype, She Lives in My Lap, Hey Ya!, Roses, Vibrate

OutKast's White Album. Some of the most interesting, visionary hip hop ever made is on this album. Evenly split between Andre and Big Boi's side. Two of the best songs of all time (any genre, any era, just straight up generational pantheon classics) are on this album. Both on Andre's side. Some of the most grating, cringey bullshit I've ever sat through is on this album. Pretty much exclusively on Andre's side. I'm so glad it exists, I will cherish about seven or eight songs on here for the rest of my life, and will likely never endure a full listen again.

A beautifully put together double album from one of the greatest hip-hop duos to date. Knowing that this was originally supposed to be separate independent projects makes this album hit in an interesting way. I was able to see the dynamic between OutKast through a lens of similarities in style and differences in scope. Amazing production, wonderful performance, loved this one all around.

4.5/5

Bambooooo!!! Also Hey Ya! Too long but FUN

Nope, could have skipped this one before I died and been just fine. This music isn't for me. At all.

awesome. superb. fun, interesting, danceable, thoughtful. love it. Brings back a million memories.

Nah. It's just not my vibe. The hits are more memes than actual tracks.

#496/1001. Two albums for the price of one? I suppose I should rate them separately as well. Speakerboxx is more or less dynamite, Love Below a weird soft jazz muzak which should otherwise be forgotten, but it did give us Hey Ya, one of the best party songs ever. Somehow both of the two albums are overlength, and as a combination it suffers even more. But South still had something to say, the Swampy, funky grooves make me wanna meet your momma.

No necesito terminar de escucharlo para saber que es un 5. Ahí seguirán sonando mientras hago aseo.

It is very clear thr division in the album -- also very clear I prefer Andre 3000. The first half I didn't really care much for then the switch and the songs were way more enjoyable to me. 3 because jamming two seperate albums into one was way too much.

Exactly how I remember it, which is to say exhausting, but with some real high points. Big Boi's side is a solid if depressingly conventional rap album where he's probably heard on less than half of it in favor of guest appearances and overlong Sleepy Brown choruses. Andre has all the best songs but runs out of steam in the second half (minus his own zippy take on the jazz standard "My Favorite Things" and the closer "A Life In The Day Of Benjamin Andre (Incomplete)" where he raps almost as much as Big Boi does on his entire output. This is really two albums crammed into one. There's no unity between the projects and despite all the Big Boi protestations on here of "no, no, we're fine, really" it's clear that these two visions don't have a place to meet. Rating them separately, I'd give Big Boi a high 3 and Andre a 4, but the best stuff is so good I'm content to round up.

Great album. Really experimental and fun. Love the 2 albums together, works really well.

Tää oli erikoinen levy. Tiesin hittibiisi ”Hey Ya!” ja joitain tuttuja melodioita oli joissain biiseissä. Tykkäsin rumpusoundeista (ei välttämättä ollut koneella tehty. Sämplejä ehkä).

Really suprised myself with this rating. I was not looking forward to 2 hours of hiphop but i was pleasantly suprised..there was a lot of really interesting things going on. Hey Ya is the one i knew already and is extremley catchy. Flip Flop Rock and Roses were others that grabbed my attention. A huge ammount going on and a lot to take in in first listen but a really positive experience.

OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) On Day 287, working through this massive 2-hour double album felt like a demanding endurance test that took multiple sittings to finish, ironically mirrored during a walk home just like my listen of Stankonia. Once you look past the 11 unnecessary interludes and occasional filler, the sheer technical skill and creative ambition leave you completely fed. Speakerboxxx (5/5): Easily the most immediate and consistent side. Big Boi puts on a lyrical masterclass, showcasing the full dynamic range of Southern hip-hop by blending soulful sampling, live gospel elements, and futuristic Atlanta bounce on standouts like "GhettoMusick," "Reset," and "Church." The technical flows, dynamic chemistry, and sharp guest spots from Ludacris, Killer Mike, and Jay-Z make it an airtight rap triumph. The Love Below (4/5): Wildly ambitious and overtly experimental. While definitely uneven compared to its counterpart, its willingness to take risks pays off in spades. Anchored by undeniable peaks like "Hey Ya!," the sultry psychedelic groove of "Prototype," the playful bounce of "Roses," the quiet beauty of "Take Off Your Cool," and the ambient, subterranean drift of "Vibrate," André's venture into swing jazz, funk, and acoustic pop laid massive groundwork for modern hip-hop.

Disc one slaps. Disc two is kinda dull

Wow that was long. I enjoyed bits of it but overall a bit of a slog to get through. Could have been edited into a very good single album. Could do without all the ‘interludes’ too.

Haven’t listened to this in full in awhile but wow it’s so good even if too long to really be one album. I’d say for an album this long there’s very little filler, although definitely still some. But the highs are so high that it kinda doesn’t matter. The interludes are so evocative and set such different tones for their respective discs. so many good songs from here!!! *Fav tracks: Unhappy; Bowtie; The Way You Move; Last Call; Love Hater; Happy Valentine’s Day; Prototype; Hey Ya!; Roses; Dracula’s Wedding; My Favorite Things*

I liked the second LP more.

I do like the album, but wish it was 2 single albums instead of over 2 hours, great band, Ms Jackson special favourite

I love this album so much, such a good rap and hip hop album with such good vibes, highly recommend.

Great album, double disc.

I love this format? A double album will sometimes (often) have me sighing in dismay. This time, I’m finding myself thinking about bands that maybe could have stayed together had they released a double album combining two solo albums with such different styles that still manage to work together. Who knows. (lol I’m reading this format was considered a harbinger of their demise and they did go on hiatus a few years later. Whatever I stand by it) vvvvvvvv good. LOVE the format that allows for Big Boi’s politics (“basically America you got fucked”) and Andre 3000’s genre fuckery. While both are so so fun and still had me grinning and giggling. Also. Realizing this came out just ahead of my freshman year of high school. Hearing about languishing in a post Bush v Gore world while I’m in Trumps America 2.0. Fucking hell. Also. There’s a great Key Change episode of song exploder about Hey Ya, so I was primed with an understanding of how groundbreaking this album was. I just had… zero context for Big Boi and I’m floored by his album. Admittedly not the biggest fan of Andre’s, though, so this is a bit tough to rate; but when it’s good it’s fucking GOOD.

The day has finally come, Outkast is on the menu. In retrospect this is such a strange album. Instead of one album that has both of the rap duo, it's actually just two solo albums. Most likely, it was just a commercial move to make use of their Outkast fame. I'll treat it as two albums for reviewings sake, otherwise it's just impossible. Speakerboxxx is a more traditional but also funky rap record. It has some great features and Big Boi as always has tremendous flow and energy. The beats are good and offer some interesting switchups such as on Church where the beat suddenly becomes a kind of praise break. All in all it is a very steady album that from beginning to end pushes forward in a steady tempo. This album doesn't do much that is new or boundary breaking, but what it does it does very very well. It's funky influences are very interesting though. On the one hand, it was pretty old-school at the time as rap had moved away from using soul and disco-samples towards more gritty or luxury rap. It is also very ahead of its time, as funk would make a comeback in rap in the 2010's with for example Kendrick Lamars to pimp a butterfly. This album therefore exists in strange limbo between old and progressive which is actually very cool and proves any genre of album can be succesful if you do it well. I'd recommed skipping the interludes, these albums are long enough by themselves. I don't care for the more gangster-adjecent Tomb of the bomb though. The beats are just kinda boring and all that tough shit just isn't impressive. Still not enough to take away majorly from this album 9/10 The Love Below The first song "Love Hater" following Speakerboxxx immediately shows the greatest strength and the ultimate reason Outkast broke up; the sheer difference in approach to making music. Who the fuck makes a jazz song the opener to their rap/R&B record? Andre 3000 does. And it slaps. This record bounces all over the place in a energetic dance, from jazz, to R&B, to rap, to absolute pop bangers such as Hey Ya en Roses and somehow back to jazz again in "My favourite Things" which uses Coltranes famous song but speeds it up, adds a jazzy piano and a hiphop drummachine track. Honestly I would give my left kidney to see this played live. It then cools off significantly in Take Off Your Cool which is a short ballad about wanting your partner to stop acting nonchalant. Andre what were you thinking? Somehow he manages to also fit some concious rap lyrics in between everything. If I had to make a nitpick is that the second half of this record is less strong than the first half, but that's mostly due to my love for faster more upbeat music which is more rare in this part. But still, all of these songs are good. 10/10. No songs I disliked, each brought its own thing to the table creating a beautiful tapestry. Overall this album deserves at least a 9.5. The two parts are very different, but are connected in parts of their energy and use of samples. I understand why Outkast broke up, how would you follow up such an amazing discography as these two have made?

What a fucking album. First, this is two albums smashed together, and honestly though I kinda get it, this should've been two separate albums. The first album is a pretty "standard" hip-hop album of the early 00s. The flow is good, and there's some neat production and backing tracks in there as well. However even just this part is quite long, with all the interludes, and even some songs feel like they overstay their welcome, as they tend to repeat themselves, this even though between the songs a good amount of variation can be found. However the second album is what we're all here for. It starts with a strongly jazz inspired track and goes from there. The start is pretty strong, with the height being at Hey yeah, however after that it does go down. Roses is a great song in the beginning, but the final 30s of calling someone a bitch repeatedly really wasn't necessary and in bad taste. After this the album doesn't become bad, but songs aren't as good as before.

This is a fun, big, wide ranging album. Lot to explore here and if there is any criticim it is that it is hard to get yoir heqd around, but that’s on me, not Outkast.

This is epic and awesome! There are definitely two unique albums in one here, with lots of great music, lyrics and production. I enjoyed the journey. Liked Songs Added: Unhappy The Way You Move Knowing Prototype Hey Ya!

Ok, like the beat as background Not my thing though

Just bubbling over with creativity and joy. Did not expect to like Big Boi’s disc almost as much as André 3000’s!

I'm very biased for this album--I grew up listening to OutKast, and Speakerboxx/TLB was one of the earliest albums I remember listening to. With that being said, it still holds up today. Both albums live up to the hype and then some. I really think this was a perfect follow-up to an already great album in Stankonia - this truly is OutKast's magnum opus, and a great way to continue the honeymoon phase of this project.

I really like Big Boi's half of this project. The beats run quite a wide gamut, and the lyricism is on point, with several smartly written tracks. I think it alone would verge on a 5. Andre's half is, to me, perhaps a little weaker. Still immaculately produced, but far goofier. And maybe just a little long. Obviously it has the hits, and those are unbreakable, and I like the sound and style. It just wears a little thin towards the end. Merging them together I think could produce a 5/5 album. As is, I'll give it a 4/5, balancing the two projects at about a 3.7/5 and bearing the impacts of a 2hr runtime on the project.

I do not know Hip Hop groups / Bands singers , and can not compare them to others… I think it is a kind of rap Some lyrics inspired me, some not I will save some songs, but have not already decided which ones.

This is how I find out “Hey Ya!” is from this album…

6 Oct 2026 · 9/10 One of the best albums I've heard. It's incredibly long but extremely enjoyable. I can imagine this completely transformed pop, for 2003 this is a little shocking. Really amazing and fun. Only issue is the satirical (or not) usage of some words come across as pretty misogynistic in 2026, so playing some songs in front of my mum or girlfriend would feel wrong, which is a strange complaint I know. I WILL BE LISTENING AGAIN FOR SUUURE

A group you hear a lot about. It's not going to end up in my regular rotation but this illustrates why they're popular.

The nostalgia on this one along bumps it a full rating for me. This album came out at the peak of VH1. I used to watch all of these music videos before school in the morning. These songs live in my playlists to this day. As an album, this one’s going to be hard to top

These were the hit songs of my senior high school year. Everyone loved Hey Ya! That said, this album is long... too long. Should be cut in half

Amazing album with very high highs. A lot of tracks I don’t love and the album overstays its welcome. I guess it is 2 technically

Sounded great initially but the longer it went on, the more wearisome I became. I split it into two listens but it still felt like it would never end. A reluctant 2 because it could be a 4 if they learned how to edit themselves, pick the hits and remove the filler and the more juvenile tracks.

Outkast releases a double album in which Big Boi and Andre 3000 each get their own side for creative control. As one would expect, Big Boi's side is mostly southern hip hop. His side does feature the hit, "The Way You Move", but otherwise there's not a whole lot of variety, but there are some big name features (Jay-Z, Ludacris, Killer Mike, Lil' Jon). Andre 3000's side is pretty much one one would expect as well, but in how bombastic and varied it is. Andre dabbles in jazz, nu soul and funk, hip hop. His side features the wildly successful songs "Hey Ya" and "Roses", which, long ago, annoyed the shit out of me, however they both work in the context of the album. The album is loooong, even by double album standards. Why they didn't just release Speakerboxxx and The Love Below as individual solo records is beyond me. Not essential.

это просто ахуеть, 2+ часа, но внезапно ЭТОП ПРОСТО АХУЕННО, я ожидал совсем другого, а тут: и концептуальщина, и электронщина (афекствининг однозначно происходит иногда на альбоме), и просто качевый хипхопчик, круто

there is such a thing as too much outkast….

this is my third time hearing this album somehow, but each time i hear it i have more appreciation for it, i feel the first half (speakerboxxx) is where they embrace that atlanta sound a lot, and then the second half (the love below) is very love/lust themed and it does a good job at encapsulating the bridge between them and the songwriting and energy and wit with the whole thing is great and the interludes are funny, this thing is well made and probably one of my favourite rap double albums

What a great discovery! I already knew this album with the song Hey Ya! but the rest of the album was mostly new to me Clearly one of the fastest 2h15 I've ever had! Again, I can't say it enough, wonderful discovery

Some really good stuff here and I have to applaud their bursting creativity. Like pretty much every double album this would have needed a producer to tell those guys to trim it down and it could have been an awesome album. This way it just starts to get tedious and in the end I never want to put it on again. Shame.

Pass. Why the fuck is this album so long

It’s nowhere near good enough to be this long, and it stinks of self indulgence.

An absolute chore to get through. Super bloated and not a big fan of the singles. A handful of songs where they’re both featured or when Andre is legit rapping is a bittersweet reminder of their group highs. 2

Speakerboxxx Stand-out tracks: GhettoMusick, Bowtie, The Way You Move, The Rooster, Church, Knowing, Flip Flop Rock, Reset, Last Call As always, I'm pleasantly surprised when I enjoy a hip-hop rap album. Lots of really good tracks on this one that blend catchy melodies and beats with rap. Personally really liked Church, Flip Flop Rock and Reset. (I'm a sucker for more mellow vocals alongside the harsh rap bars). The Love Below Stand-out tracks: The Love Below (Intro), Love Hater, Spread, Hey Ya!, Roses, Pink and Blue, Love In War, She's Alive, My Favorite Things With this one, I had a much more mixed experience since this whole second side seems very unbalanced to me. The opening track immediately got me interested with the jazzy cinematic instrumental and was honestly hoping for more of that. There are moments of jazz, moments of more pop like and funk grooves, but also cringy and horny lyrics, a bit of everything. I feel that it is definitely weaker of the two, specifically because I don't feel as much of a unity within the tracks, Hey Ya, being the hit single, is really good, but stylistically stands out compared to the other tracks. Despite that, I still enjoyed most of the tracks and my favorite are Love Hater and Spread on this one. Overall, both sides of the "album" pleasantly surprised me, and even though there are some less impressive tracks and interludes mixed in, I feel the experience as a whole was great and would be lying if I said I wouldn't come back and relisten to most of this album.

Highlights: - Speakerboxxx: Intro, GhettoMusick, Unhappy, Bowtie, The Way You Move, The Rooster, Bust, Church. Tomb of the Boom, Flip Flop Rock, Last Call - The Love Below: Love Hater, God, Happy Valentine's Day, Spread, She Lives in My Lap, Hey Ya!, Roses, Behold a Lady, Pink & Blue, She's Alive, Dracula's Wedding, My Favorite Things, Vibrate, A Life In The Day of Benjamin Andre I knew I would love it because I've already had a good portion of it all over my playlists, but I haven't listened to this record(s) from cover to cover for a loooong time. It was long overdue. Speakerboxxx has sick beats and I liked waaay more songs than I remembered. It sorta builds on top of what Stankonia did and that's great. It started off strong, banger after banger, but then towards the end it got slower and the hype was watered down by numerous interludes. Crazy good, but nothing really surprising. Coming into The Love Below I didn't really expect anything because I kinda forgot its tracklist. I only saved a couple of songs from prior listens. I remember that this was the fresh part of the release, but i was still surprised by the swingy opening. I expected sexiness, but not any classy sexiness. It's very Prince-like in that regard, and I do love me some Prince. Good Day Good Sir is probably the slickest interlude of the bunch. I loved the futuristic synth noises - Dracula's Wedding comes to mind. Kinda trailblazing for the rest of the futuristic noise that would come in the 00s pop and hip-hop (JT, Graduation & 808s, Timbaland...). Love Below slowly dies down in the same way Speakerboxxx did by going back to the classy sounds that started it. Overall a dope package. I kinda liked Speakerboxx better because you can listen to it more frequently. The Love Below is more of a statement than an easily digestible record, but it does have its pop moments. Go figure, that side has THE single of this release... But yeah, overall it has more depth and it is served in a way that it asks you to take notice. Speakerboxxx is by no means shallow, but it hides its intentions in a way the pompous Love Below doesn't. The sound stands the test of time even after 23 years. It's a certified classic.

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

What to make of this album, over 2 hours of OUTKAST, tbh is too much in one portion, so I split it up into 3 chunks, but even then you’d have to love them…..

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

Intro - 3/5 GhettoMusick - 4/5 Unhappy - 4/5 Bowtie - 3.5/5 The Way You Move - 5/5 The Rooster - 4/5 Bust - 3.5/5 War - 3.5/5 Church - 3.5/5 Tomb of the Boom - 3.5/5 Knowing - 3.5/5 Flip Flop Rock - 4/5 Reset - 4/5 Last Call - 4/5 The Love Below (Intro) - 3.5/5 Love Hater - 4/5 Happy Valentine's Day - 4/5 Spread - 3.5/5 Prototype - 4/5 She Lives in My Lap - 4/5 Hey Ya! - 5/5 Roses - 4.5/5 Behold a Lady - 3/5 Pink & Blue - 3.5/5 Love in War - 3.5/5 She's Alive - 3.5/5 Dracula's Wedding - 3.5/5 My Favorite Things - 4.5/5 Take Off Your Coat - 3.5/5 Vibrate - 3.5/5 A Life in the Day of Benjamin André - 4/5 Good thing I decided to listen to each of the "sides" separately, otherwise this would have been a slog to get through. This is effectively a double-double album, with both Big Boi and Andre 3000 getting their time to shine; the former creating a send-off of Outkast's hip-hop roots and the latter foreshadowing his descent in becoming this generations' Brian Wilson by doing whatever he really wants to do. I think I slightly prefer The Love Below, although both of them are pretty close. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: The Way You Move, Hey Ya!, Roses, My Favorite Things

2 1/4 hours of OutKast?? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Self-indulgence on full display. A few good songs out of 40 does not make a good album.

OutKast is underrated and easily forgotten for the music they are throwing down. After listening to this album, I realize that the songs are either hits with the funkiest of beats or are big misses. Lots of each on this particular listen. Settling on middle of the road as a result.

Sorry Ms. Jackson, this shit’s too long. Somebody was pumping crazy smoke into the dungeon and it made Andre think everything he wrote was genius. There is a significant lack of editing here and it is why we need to sit through so much useless crap to get to the good stuff. Big Boi is on point, but this album is a miss overall because of the flood of extras. If someone doesn’t step in soon, Andre will release an hour-long album of flute music or some shit.

Over 2 hours. F you. There is literally one great song on here and one decent cover. The rest is just throwaway generic hip hop nonsense.

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

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

I was pretty bummed when this came out. It was clear that this wasn’t really a double album, but instead two solo albums released together, and that OutKast was soon to break up. The bombastic synergy between Big Boi and Andre 3000 that characterized all their previous works is almost entirely absent here. Dre has enough energy to carry a his half, especially the breakout hit Hey Ya! (a high school anthem of mine), but feels completely unmoored with Big Boi’s raps. Big Boi’s side absolutely needed those excellent features from Killer Mike, CeeLo Green, Jay-Z, et al to prop it up. His later solo stuff is pretty good, but he feels really lost here. This is my first time listening to the whole thing in probably 20 years and it makes me sad. It puts the “algia” in “nostalgia”.

At first I was a bit intimidated by the runtime of this album but after a couple tracks I sunk right in, I enjoyed the angles of it, the accessibility while still being true to their culture. And incredibly it has a couple modern standards in pop music

I'm conflicted about some things here and not conflicted about others. Hey Ya is a fun song, but I don't need to hear it again, probably ever. I'm generally Team André but he's got a song that goes on and on calling someone a bitch of various kinds. Call me a snowflake, but I just don't have the patience for that in music (or anywhere else, really) at this point. And it doesn't take much more than that to turn me off. I wanted to like this, I did. But I don't think I do. Also, two hours is more than enough. One album with one side for each would have been fine.

I haven't heard any other project from the duo, but I got the feeling that this album is not the best entry point to their discography, and I'll bet it neither is their most representative one, but still very interesting. Main reason for both points is the fact of this being a double album, where each member composed their respective part, being completely different from each other. Big Boi's part, "Speakerboxxx" is more straightforward hip-hop with some very creative touches and uses of Contemporary R&B and Neo-Soul, while André 3000's is more experimental amalgamation of different genres. Starting with "Speakerboxxx" I think it is the best album of the two. It is composed of very solid Southern Hip Hop tracks with some very really nice fast flows and serious tones, even though the use of some soul inspired choruses, groovy beats and uplifting funky instrumentation may soften the sound and the most aggressive deliveries, while also making the record very memorable, catchy and easy to listen to. At the time to highlight anything, I really like "GhettoMusick" with its fast flows and having the only André 3000 feature, "Unhappy" and its introspective themes, and "Flip Flop Rock" with its dramatic piano and incredibly features from Killer Mike and Jay-Z. With that being said, I think everything in this section is really good and at par with each other in terms of quality (excluding most of the interludes). I'll even add that the interlude "Bamboo (interlude)" where Big Boi brings his child to rap is hilarious, incredibly cute and wholesome. Then there is "The Love Below", André 3000's album focused on themes of love, and it is quite the experience. As stated before, what he did in his side is a very ambitious and intriguing combination of styles. It has funk, soul, hip hop, jazz, vocal jazz, electronic and many more. Maybe some of these don't sound as something new or that intriguing of a mix, but the way he blends everything is very unique, sometimes going as far as to experiment with weird sounds. The first half of this album is very fun and entertaining. It starts in a very epic way with some beautiful strings and piano on "The Love Below (Intro)" , which leads to the very strange and cacophonous "Love Hater", a very interesting jazz piece. Then comes the very funky, groovy, fun and catchy "Happy Valentine's Day", which is followed by the combination of smooth and fast beats and raps in "Spread", but even smoother is the slow funk track "Prototype". Afterwards is "She Lives in My Lap", a song I'm not crazy about but has some nice soul singing and groovy beats, but what I'm crazy about is "Hey Ya!", the biggest song the band ever released. It is unbelievable funky and catchy, and the performances are filled with life, regardless of the theme being totally the opposite, talking about separation. Once reached the fun and catchy "Roses", the record starts to go downwards, as from that point, nothing really interests me until the very frantic electronic jazzy "My Favorite Things", which is followed by two very warm acoustic mellow tracks and the sinister hip hop ending "A Life in the Day of Benjamin André (Incomplete)" (sinister due to its eerie sounding beats, not that he talks about anything incredibly morbid). As a whole, the album is nice, but being two hours and a quarter is too much for me. Individually, Big Boi's part is more consistent and solid, but I do appreciate André taking some risks and try to be experimental, although it doesn't always come as really interesting.

each track is like flipping a coin between terrible carbage and having a musical masterpiece that is a pioneer of hiphop

Surprisingly, I preferred Speakerboxxx

"Ya'll driving subarus / Stuck in your cubicles." That cut deep. Despite that, an amazing piece of work.

"I know you'd like to think your shit don't stink, but lean a little bit closer, see Roses really like boo boo ooh" lyrcial genius

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

This was a monster one from my late teens. While I do think OutKast was always better as a true duo than two solo acts, this double solo album just works somehow. This probably gets some boost from nostalgia and the Atlanta ties but this is my favorite hip-hop album of all time and I just can't not give it 5*.

A fun album with little to recommend it musically. Certainly not worthy of being on this list. Pop and rap 2000 stylee. Need I say more?

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

Most of this stuff is 4/5 but it has some tracks that go 0/5 so will have to round it up to 3/5

Rap is not my favourite. So you know where this is going... That being said, this is quite inventive and interesting. On two one hour flights into Europe, album one for the first flight and album two for the second flight. I can safely say the 2 hours flew by (which is a lot for me to say about a RAP album!)

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