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Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is the fifth studio album by the American hip-hop duo Outkast. It was released on September 23, 2003, by Arista Records. Issued as a double album, its length of over two hours is spread across solo records by Big Boi and André 3000.
Originally conceived as standalone albums, the members' solo efforts were integrated into a double album under Outkast's name as Arista deemed the decision to release solo albums unsuitable at the time. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx is a Southern hip-hop and progressive rap album influenced by Parliament-Funkadelic, while André 3000's The Love Below largely departs from hip-hop in favor of pop, funk, jazz, psychedelia, and progressive soul styles, drawing inspiration from Prince. While The Love Below was entirely produced by André 3000, Speakerboxxx featured contributions from André 3000, Mr. DJ, Carl Mo, Cutmaster Swift, and Dojo5, in addition to production by Big Boi. Lyrically, Speakerboxxx discusses socially conscious themes, such as single parenthood, philosophy, religion, and politics, whereas The Love Below is centered on complexities related to love and relationships. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below features a multifaceted array of collaborators, including Sleepy Brown, Killer Mike, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Rosario Dawson, Kelis, and Norah Jones.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised the consistency of Big Boi's Speakerboxxx and the eclectic musical style of André 3000's The Love Below. Numerous publications proclaimed the album as one of the best records of 2003, placing it atop their year-end listings. A commercial success, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below became Outkast's first number-one album on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 509,000 units, and went on to be certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2004. At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004), the album won Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, becoming only the second hip hop album ever to win the former. It produced five singles, two of which—"Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move"—topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and made Outkast the first duo in the chart's history to replace themselves at the summit. Furthermore, "Hey Ya!" won the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. "Roses" reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well, peaking at number nine, while "GhettoMusick" and "Prototype" failed to achieve substantial success.
Outkast heavily promoted Speakerboxxx/The Love Below via interviews and televised performances, often separately, as the album was marketed as a consolidation of Big Boi and André 3000's solo records. The strategy elicited intense media speculation over the duo's disbandment, which the members consistently denied. The musical film Idlewild was originally slated to accompany the album, but was postponed multiple times before being released in 2006, after which Outkast embarked on an extended hiatus. Consequently, a multitude of critics have recognized Speakerboxxx/The Love Below as a signal of Outkast's cessation, but nonetheless hailed the album as one of the best recordings of its era. The album has been further credited for reviving the double album concept in hip-hop, as well as for popularizing conscious hip-hop. Following its RIAA certification update to 13-times platinum in 2023, signifying double-disc units of 6.5 million in the US, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below became the highest-certified rap album of all time. As of September 2023, it has sold over 11 million copies worldwide.
Following Outkast's first Grammy Award win at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002), André 3000 felt urged to do something different from his previous projects and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He was relatively unsuccessful, landing a minor role in Hollywood Homicide (2003) and a one-episode appearance in the drama series The Shield. He subsequently returned to music, and began developing a solo album different from Outkast's work. The output was a blend of pop, jazz and funk infused with live instruments, and with a larger emphasis on singing than rapping. When writing songs, he used a microcassette recorder in order to "record melodic ideas and lyrics, then build the melody around the lyrics". He began recording The Love Below at his Los Angeles residence, using Pro Tools software, in addition to a drum machine, keyboards and various synthesizers. He enjoyed the atmosphere of recording at home instead of a studio, telling XXL: "It didn't start in the studio because if you have a bunch of people around, they're coming from the party and I'm in there singing falsetto... those vibes didn't match." His initial sessions were hampered by his inexperience with Pro Tools and, unaware of how to edit his recordings, he opted to record songs such as "Pink & Blue" entirely in one take. Other gear used included an Avalon VT737 SP, as well as AD2055 EQ and AD2044 compressors for his vocals.
After creating four to five songs, he informed Big Boi of the project. Big Boi had already recorded some songs before André 3000 contacted him, but after their conversation he decided his next project would be Speakerboxxx. Describing his approach in the studio, Big Boi later commented to XXL: "I had a complete vision of what an album could be that was entirely me, and the idea was just to keep it funky, keep it jamming, it's always bass-heavy. And lyricism, it's all about lyrics, taking pride in your pen and your pad." His favorite song to record was "Unhappy". He spent several days working on its hook before driving to his mother's home and playing the song in her driveway, to which she responded enthusiastically. At some point in the recording, the project moved to Outkast's own Stankonia Studios in downtown Atlanta, which had been used to record its namesake Stankonia (2000). Studio manager and an engineer John Frye would later recognize that much of the media scrutiny surrounding the album's recording was concerned with André 3000 and Big Boi's working relationship and their decision to record separately. He conceded that both enjoyed working solo and were doing so more frequently, but continued to share and critique each other's works.
Speakerboxxx and The Love Below were originally conceived as individual solo efforts. However, Outkast's management deemed the decision unsuitable, as Arista Records sought to capitalize on the momentum caused by the duo's then-recent Grammy Award victory. In a compromise, André 3000 and Big Boi integrated their solo records into a single double album, which they envisioned as their film's accompanying soundtrack album. Production of the film was put on hold, and the album was reconstructed into their fifth studio effort. In order to accurately display the postponed film's plot on audio recordings, background noise such as footsteps and car door slamming were interpolated into the album's tracks. As he finished Speakerboxxx earlier than André 3000 completed The Love Below, Big Boi grew impatient due to André 3000's prolonged recording process, and once again considered releasing Speakerboxxx as a standalone solo album. While the entirety of Speakerboxxx was recorded at the Stankonia Studios, a substantial portion of The Love Below was also recorded at other locations, such as the Larrabee Sound Studios and Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, and the Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta. Frye noted the end of the recording sessions for The Love Below as particularly stressful for André 3000, whom he described as drained from working at four studios simultaneously. In total, an estimated 120 songs were recorded for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. One of the songs which did not make the final track listing was "Millionaire", André 3000's second collaboration with Kelis, which was instead included on her third studio album Tasty (2003) and subsequently released as a single. Meanwhile, the original track listing for Speakerboxxx, published before The Love Below was completed, included "Oh No", featuring Bubba Sparxxx and BackBone; "Do Dirty", featuring Killer Mike; "808", featuring Bun B; and "Rats & Roaches", a collaborative effort between Big Boi and André 3000.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is a 135-minute double album comprising a total of 40 tracks, including 11 interludes. It is a concept album with the intention of each disc showcasing each member's individual perspective and musical style. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx is an experimental Southern hip hop and progressive rap record with lyrical themes such as single parenthood, philosophy, religion, and politics. Brett Schewitz of Rolling Stone noted musical influences from Parliament-Funkadelic, while independent critic Roni Sarig observed the emotional range in Big Boi's lyricism as wider on Speakerboxxx than on its predecessors. After a "gunshot beat"-paced intro, the disc opens with "GhettoMusick". The track's eclectic musical style, encompassing electroclash, electro-funk, hip hop, and techno, is juxtaposed with recurring excerpts from Patti LaBelle's 1983 song "Love, Need and Want You", which exhibit LaBelle's vocals against a "lascivious" soul background. Lyrically, it displays Big Boi confronting lackluster contemporary rappers and criticizing the hip hop scene's perceived descent. According to Brent DiCrescenzo of Pitchfork, "Unhappy" musically conveys Big Boi effectively asserting himself as simultaneously traditional and perverse. The big band, horn-driven funk track "Bowtie" was described as reminiscent of George Clinton and Cotton Club. It lyrically details stylishly dressing for a night out, and features Sleepy Brown and Jazze Pha. Brown is also featured on "The Way You Move", a Latin-influenced R&B song pairing a "Dirty South synth-drum bounce with a faux Phil Collins hook".
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Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is the fifth studio album by the American hip-hop duo Outkast. It was released on September 23, 2003, by Arista Records. Issued as a double album, its length of over two hours is spread across solo records by Big Boi and André 3000.
Originally conceived as standalone albums, the members' solo efforts were integrated into a double album under Outkast's name as Arista deemed the decision to release solo albums unsuitable at the time. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx is a Southern hip-hop and progressive rap album influenced by Parliament-Funkadelic, while André 3000's The Love Below largely departs from hip-hop in favor of pop, funk, jazz, psychedelia, and progressive soul styles, drawing inspiration from Prince. While The Love Below was entirely produced by André 3000, Speakerboxxx featured contributions from André 3000, Mr. DJ, Carl Mo, Cutmaster Swift, and Dojo5, in addition to production by Big Boi. Lyrically, Speakerboxxx discusses socially conscious themes, such as single parenthood, philosophy, religion, and politics, whereas The Love Below is centered on complexities related to love and relationships. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below features a multifaceted array of collaborators, including Sleepy Brown, Killer Mike, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Rosario Dawson, Kelis, and Norah Jones.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised the consistency of Big Boi's Speakerboxxx and the eclectic musical style of André 3000's The Love Below. Numerous publications proclaimed the album as one of the best records of 2003, placing it atop their year-end listings. A commercial success, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below became Outkast's first number-one album on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 509,000 units, and went on to be certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2004. At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004), the album won Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, becoming only the second hip hop album ever to win the former. It produced five singles, two of which—"Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move"—topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and made Outkast the first duo in the chart's history to replace themselves at the summit. Furthermore, "Hey Ya!" won the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. "Roses" reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well, peaking at number nine, while "GhettoMusick" and "Prototype" failed to achieve substantial success.
Outkast heavily promoted Speakerboxxx/The Love Below via interviews and televised performances, often separately, as the album was marketed as a consolidation of Big Boi and André 3000's solo records. The strategy elicited intense media speculation over the duo's disbandment, which the members consistently denied. The musical film Idlewild was originally slated to accompany the album, but was postponed multiple times before being released in 2006, after which Outkast embarked on an extended hiatus. Consequently, a multitude of critics have recognized Speakerboxxx/The Love Below as a signal of Outkast's cessation, but nonetheless hailed the album as one of the best recordings of its era. The album has been further credited for reviving the double album concept in hip-hop, as well as for popularizing conscious hip-hop. Following its RIAA certification update to 13-times platinum in 2023, signifying double-disc units of 6.5 million in the US, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below became the highest-certified rap album of all time. As of September 2023, it has sold over 11 million copies worldwide.
Following Outkast's first Grammy Award win at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002), André 3000 felt urged to do something different from his previous projects and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He was relatively unsuccessful, landing a minor role in Hollywood Homicide (2003) and a one-episode appearance in the drama series The Shield. He subsequently returned to music, and began developing a solo album different from Outkast's work. The output was a blend of pop, jazz and funk infused with live instruments, and with a larger emphasis on singing than rapping. When writing songs, he used a microcassette recorder in order to "record melodic ideas and lyrics, then build the melody around the lyrics". He began recording The Love Below at his Los Angeles residence, using Pro Tools software, in addition to a drum machine, keyboards and various synthesizers. He enjoyed the atmosphere of recording at home instead of a studio, telling XXL: "It didn't start in the studio because if you have a bunch of people around, they're coming from the party and I'm in there singing falsetto... those vibes didn't match." His initial sessions were hampered by his inexperience with Pro Tools and, unaware of how to edit his recordings, he opted to record songs such as "Pink & Blue" entirely in one take. Other gear used included an Avalon VT737 SP, as well as AD2055 EQ and AD2044 compressors for his vocals.
After creating four to five songs, he informed Big Boi of the project. Big Boi had already recorded some songs before André 3000 contacted him, but after their conversation he decided his next project would be Speakerboxxx. Describing his approach in the studio, Big Boi later commented to XXL: "I had a complete vision of what an album could be that was entirely me, and the idea was just to keep it funky, keep it jamming, it's always bass-heavy. And lyricism, it's all about lyrics, taking pride in your pen and your pad." His favorite song to record was "Unhappy". He spent several days working on its hook before driving to his mother's home and playing the song in her driveway, to which she responded enthusiastically. At some point in the recording, the project moved to Outkast's own Stankonia Studios in downtown Atlanta, which had been used to record its namesake Stankonia (2000). Studio manager and an engineer John Frye would later recognize that much of the media scrutiny surrounding the album's recording was concerned with André 3000 and Big Boi's working relationship and their decision to record separately. He conceded that both enjoyed working solo and were doing so more frequently, but continued to share and critique each other's works.
Speakerboxxx and The Love Below were originally conceived as individual solo efforts. However, Outkast's management deemed the decision unsuitable, as Arista Records sought to capitalize on the momentum caused by the duo's then-recent Grammy Award victory. In a compromise, André 3000 and Big Boi integrated their solo records into a single double album, which they envisioned as their film's accompanying soundtrack album. Production of the film was put on hold, and the album was reconstructed into their fifth studio effort. In order to accurately display the postponed film's plot on audio recordings, background noise such as footsteps and car door slamming were interpolated into the album's tracks. As he finished Speakerboxxx earlier than André 3000 completed The Love Below, Big Boi grew impatient due to André 3000's prolonged recording process, and once again considered releasing Speakerboxxx as a standalone solo album. While the entirety of Speakerboxxx was recorded at the Stankonia Studios, a substantial portion of The Love Below was also recorded at other locations, such as the Larrabee Sound Studios and Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, and the Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta. Frye noted the end of the recording sessions for The Love Below as particularly stressful for André 3000, whom he described as drained from working at four studios simultaneously. In total, an estimated 120 songs were recorded for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. One of the songs which did not make the final track listing was "Millionaire", André 3000's second collaboration with Kelis, which was instead included on her third studio album Tasty (2003) and subsequently released as a single. Meanwhile, the original track listing for Speakerboxxx, published before The Love Below was completed, included "Oh No", featuring Bubba Sparxxx and BackBone; "Do Dirty", featuring Killer Mike; "808", featuring Bun B; and "Rats & Roaches", a collaborative effort between Big Boi and André 3000.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is a 135-minute double album comprising a total of 40 tracks, including 11 interludes. It is a concept album with the intention of each disc showcasing each member's individual perspective and musical style. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx is an experimental Southern hip hop and progressive rap record with lyrical themes such as single parenthood, philosophy, religion, and politics. Brett Schewitz of Rolling Stone noted musical influences from Parliament-Funkadelic, while independent critic Roni Sarig observed the emotional range in Big Boi's lyricism as wider on Speakerboxxx than on its predecessors. After a "gunshot beat"-paced intro, the disc opens with "GhettoMusick". The track's eclectic musical style, encompassing electroclash, electro-funk, hip hop, and techno, is juxtaposed with recurring excerpts from Patti LaBelle's 1983 song "Love, Need and Want You", which exhibit LaBelle's vocals against a "lascivious" soul background. Lyrically, it displays Big Boi confronting lackluster contemporary rappers and criticizing the hip hop scene's perceived descent. According to Brent DiCrescenzo of Pitchfork, "Unhappy" musically conveys Big Boi effectively asserting himself as simultaneously traditional and perverse. The big band, horn-driven funk track "Bowtie" was described as reminiscent of George Clinton and Cotton Club. It lyrically details stylishly dressing for a night out, and features Sleepy Brown and Jazze Pha. Brown is also featured on "The Way You Move", a Latin-influenced R&B song pairing a "Dirty South synth-drum bounce with a faux Phil Collins hook".