Squeezebox: Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot, Son of Chico Dusty (2010)

The Squeezebox is a sub-section of Balafonic that offers brief, 1-2 paragraph album reviews. It is updated daily(ish).

Representing the basso profundo half of Outkast, Atlanta-based Big Boi brings us a fresh new bumper chock full of hits. A sound reminiscent of 2003’s hit Speakerboxx, Big Boi brings in producers and guests from all over the scene, dropping slammers with the help of folks as varied as T.I., George Clinton, Jamie Foxx, Lil’ Jon and Gucci Mane. Big Boi flexes his lyrical muscles on trunk-shakers such as “Daddy Fat Sax” and “Shutterbug,” and then we get tracks like George Clinton’s “Fo Yo Sorrows” or Janelle Monáe’s “Be Still,” complete with some of the greatest choral hooks on a hip hop album this year. The only drawback to this album, if you can call it such, is its similarity to Speakerboxx. Seven years have gone by since Big Boi’s last big production, and with all this guest talent I would have expected a more diverse and mature sound. As it stands though, Lucious Left Foot is an excellent Hip Hop album, one of the best of the year.