Outkast
'Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below'
On Arista Records
Grade: AThere has been a cloud of almost extraterrestrial hype surrounding Outkast ever since the 2000 release of their groundbreaking "Stankonia."

They've been called everything from freaks to geniuses, but the impact of their music cannot be denied. When rumors started circulating that their next release would be a two-disc affair fans were first excited, then scared. The two discs would be separate works from Andre3000 and Big Boi. Was Outkast splitting up? Now that "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" has hit, the answer is overwhelmingly - and thankfully - no.
The double album released only a few weeks ago, staying firmly ensconced at the top of the charts since debuting, has given Andre3000 and Big Boi the breathing room they need to get everything out of their systems.

The two have such different visions, and such different areas of music they'd like to pursue, that they needed time to explore by themselves. The end product is two exceptional discs: One exploring the roots of modern hip-hop and R&B, and firmly focused on love, and the other making new strives in current hip-hop, with a larger social consciousness. To say one disc is better or worse is pointless; they're perfectly complimentary.

On "Speakerboxxx," Big Boi really allows himself to cut loose and to live out the hip-hop dream he has always kept at the back of his mind. His first single, "The Way You Move," is a slick and utterly danceable track that is sure to send dozens of people to the dance floor every time it is played. Its hook is irresistible and its groove is sweet and heavy like honey. But unlike many of his contemporaries, he is not content to make an album of songs that sound exactly like "The Way You Move." Instead, he allows his music to explore everything.

"War," is a frenetic contemplation on the state of American politics and social injustice punctuated by a chorus of "Tick / tick / BOOM!" "Unhappy" finds Big Boi contemplating his personal lows. And "Bamboo" is a charming interlude that features his son rapping his father's old music with his slurred and adorable rendition of "The Whole World" (off of "Stankonia"). "Speakerboxxx" is very listenable all the way through, with no song standing out as the best or the worse. Big Boi obviously wanted people to groove along with the entire thing, but he wasn't afraid to shy away from topics that are less mainstream or less pleasing to the ear and mind, which adds the extra layer that takes this album from good to "great."

Andre3000's "The Love Below," by contrast, really reaches back into the history of R&B and soul and even rock 'n roll to find its footing. Sounding like he was influenced by everyone from the Beatles to Marvin Gaye to George Clinton, Andre allows himself to really explore his music and his ideas. He also allows himself to sing on almost all of the tracks. In fact, "A Life in the Day of Benjamin Andre" is the one of only a handful solid hip- hop tracks on his album. "Take Off Your Cool," a collaboration with Norah Jones, is a sultry ballad that begs its subject to "take off your cool / so I can see you," while "Spread" is an intoxicating song about Andre's love for sex and the female body. Far from being offensive or vulgar, however, even the most explicit entreaties are smoothed out by the syncopated beat and sensual vocals as he sings, "Nature knows that I want you / but not unless you want me too / so spread / spread for me (I can't wait to get you home)." As with Big Boi's album, though, the highlight track is Andre's first single, "Hey Ya!" Sounding like the love child of the Beatles and George Clinton, "Hey Ya!" is addictive and energizing. It is also completely Andre's; for as much as you can hear his influences, this track screams of his own particular take on music. It is almost impossible to imagine any artist creating a track like this, and that is the core of what makes "The Love Below" such a good album.

While any number of artists could have been influenced by the same people, only Andre3000 would churn out an album that sounds like this.
Big Boi and Andre3000 have been staunch in their statement that the group is not breaking up, and that the next album will be a return to form with both of them collaborating on every song. These two lifelong friends have remained fiercely loyal to each other through thick and thin, and while two voices may not grace every track on their newest album, that loyalty still shimmers just below the surface. No other group could have made two solo albums that complemented each other so beautifully. And with the air in their heads finally cleared out, who knows what their next album will bring.