Big Boi Makes Big Noise: Sir Lucious Left Foot Review

When news came at the dawn of 2010 that Eminem, Drake, Game, Kanye West, Nas & Damian Marley, B.O.B., and possibly Lupe Fiasco would release an album this year, hip-hop fans were ecstatic. But many overlooked one major player in the hip-hop game that would also be dropping an album this year, Big Boi. It's common theme for Big Boi, real name Antwan Patton, who has been overshadowed most of his career by his OutKast partner, Andre 3000. Take a listen to Big Boi's "Royal Flush" however, and you'll have reason to be excited. With such a strong single, does Big Boi give listeners more in Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty?

The answer is an emphatic YES. From the second track, "Daddy Fat Sax", you enter Big Boi's world. A world full of funk, crazy beats, and some of the best lyricism done by any artist this year. Patton stays true to the OutKast formula, being creative and experimenting with new sounds that most of us have never heard before.

"Daddy Fat Sax" is a great example of this. The second track of the album sounds like something you'd hear straight off an OutKast album, but excludes Andre. This isn't a bad thing though, since Big Boi holds his own extremely well. I always knew Patton was a talented MC, especially after his section on Speakerboxx: The Love Below. However, just his first track in "Daddy Fat Sax" surprised me in how good he really is lyrically. Just look at the second verse for proof:

Patton moves onto the track "Turns Me On", which just like the previous track, has an OutKast feel. The appearance of Sleepy Brown on the chorus is a great play by Big Boi since he flows with the song so well. This is a more of a track to lay back to and Organized Noise provides a stellar beat. Big Boi is solid again on this track when on the mic and does something that Eminem failed to do on Recovery. Instead of singing his own hooks, Patton leaves those to Brown and Joi to handle. This makes the track easy to listen to throughout the whole way.

The next cut may take some time to grow on people, "Follow Us (ft. Vonneggutt)", since the beat sounds a little whack at first. However, as you listen to the song further, you'll notice that Salaam Remi's beat begins to connect together, ending in an above average production. At this point, you'll also start to realize that Big Boi is staying consistent and doesn't seem to have any glaring weaknesses as he raps. While Eminem's album contained more meaning in songs, although sometimes not correctly aimed, Big Boi sticks to what made him and Andre 3000 so good in OutKast. The words are like one big wave that slowly builds up at the beginning of each track and then hits landfall by each chorus or hook.

At this point, many albums will start to lose focus or stray away from the working formula. Not Big Boi. He keeps us guessing, continuing to drop lines that sound as fresh as the song before it. "Shutterbug", the fifth track of Sir Lucious will give you sounds that you rarely ever hear. Patton decides to use a voice box to record part of the beat as well as some lyrics toward the end of the song. It's a great song to just bounce to, and you can thank the producer Scott Storch for that. Big Boi destroys it when on the mic. It's got a catchy chorus too, so you'll want to play this one multiple times.

The next track, "General Patton", is a stroke of pure genius from Big Boi. This song is a statement of the MC's skills as big as the announcement of where LeBron James was going to play. Patton creates a song that will literally make you want to throw things or punch a wall. Patton threatens any MC's that enter in his path with lines like:

Get the south dick up out yo mouth …
We know everythin you about, try another route
Papper boy, you can’t …
Pick on somebody your own size, fuck around get killed

"Tangerine", which follows "General Patton", isn't as powerful, but will be a great song for clubs. The appearance of T.I. works well and Big Boi continues to be strong lyrically.

Big Boi's hit streak unfortunately comes to an end with the next set of tracks. "You Ain't No DJ (ft. Yelawolf)" doesn't lack in lyrical content, it just doesn't have the greatest production behind it. "Hustle Blood (ft. Jamie Foxx)" isn't a bad song either, but it slows down the momentum that Big Boi had earlier in the album. Big Boi has only one major misstep on his debut, and that's with the song "Be Still (ft. Janelle Monae)". Again, this isn't a terrible song in any way, but it doesn't fit with who Big Boi presents himself as early in the album. An MC who is threatening other rappers to not fuck with him at one point doesn't piece well when he tries to make a more heartfelt song about a lover. "Fo Yo Sorrows (ft. George Clinton)" is also another forgettable cut from Big Boi.

Just as you think Patton may be heading for disaster, he flips the switch in the right direction. "Night Night (ft. B.O.B.)" is a tremendous track that describes how Big Boi will be coming for all the other rappers in the game. It's got a great beat to it, thanks to DJ Speedy and Big Boi himself, and the chorus by B.O.B. blends extremely well. The song title fits too, as Big Boi even says "Night night, I recite as I step up to this mic." He even pauses after the first chorus and says "This is where the second verse is supposed to go. Man, I don't even know if I need to hit you with another verse but, I think I will 'cause I like to destroy shit". If that's not any indication of an MC who loves what he does, then I don't know really what is.

"Shine Blockas (ft. Gucci Mane)" is another standout track from Sir Lucious. It continues to amaze me how well Big Boi incorporates guests into his songs. Just by listening to the beat at the beginning of "Shine Blockas" is something you would probably hear on a Gucci track. Yet, Big Boi makes it his own and makes sure that Gucci doesn't block his shine. In fact, with Gucci's verse and chorus, the song blends so well that it makes Patton even shine brighter. This is something that you could play on repeat for a long time in the car and it will keep you upbeat.

The final two tracks aren't ones that you'll be dying to show off to friends, but with them being placed towards the finish of the album, it works. "The Train pt. 2 (ft. Sam Chris)" and "The Back Up Plan" are slower songs, but still have meat in lyrics. It's a good way to slow down the Patton train after "Shine Blockas" and concludes the album on a high note.

Is Patton flawless in his debut? No, but he's still pretty damn good. I knew that the MC would release a solid debut, but Sir Lucious surprised me and many other critics. Big Boi displayed how he is one of the most underrated rappers in the game right now and he will certainly be a force to be reckoned with if he releases another solo album. This album should also be heard by every MC that is still hitting the mic today as well. Not only should they pay attention to Patton's words, but they should model their guest appearances after his. True, there are tracks that are sub-par, but there isn't one that doesn't utilize the guest appearance to its fullest. With B.O.B. on "Night Night" or Gucci on "Shine Blockas" or even T.I. on "Tangerine", Big Boi shows that you don't have to have the best MC's to appear on a track to make it a good one. He also makes sure that the star of the show is himself, not the guest.

I praised Eminem last month on Recovery for his lack of guest appearances. However, I also mentioned that Slim should have left some of his hooks to other singers. Shady's singing was one of the major flaws of Recovery, but Big Boi didn't make the same mistake. Instead, he knew he needed help on some of his hooks and choruses, so he intelligently picked the perfect pieces to fit the puzzle of Sir Lucious.

This is straight up, a well-done hip-hop album. It's not a classic and it's not as good as another OutKast album, but it's a great disc to have in your library. It's the best solo album to be released by any MC this year yet, and it will be tough to top. Big Boi delayed this album for two years and for good reason. "Patience is a virtue" and when MC's follow that, everyone benefits.

Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (*indicates definitely worth a listen)

1. Feel Me (Intro)

2. Daddy Fat Sax*

3. Turns Me On (ft. Sleepy Brown and Joi)

4. Follow Us (ft. Vonnegutt)

5. Shutterbug (ft. Cutty)*

6. General Patton (ft. Big Rube)*

7. Tangerine (ft. T.I. and Khujo)

8. You Ain't No DJ (ft. Yelawolf)

9. Hustle Blood (ft. Jamie Foxx)

10. Be Still (ft. Janelle Monae)

11. Fo Yo Sorrows (ft. George Clinton, Too Short, and Sam Chris)

12. Night Night (ft. B.O.B. and Joi)*

13. Shine Blockas (ft. Gucci Mane)*

14. The Train pt. 2 (Sir Lucious Left Foot Saves the Day) (ft. Sam Chris)

15. Back Up Plan

OVERALL - 4 and 1/2 out of 5 stars