Favorite Albums: 2000-2004
28. Outkast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Original position on my Stylus ballot: #19
How did this album even happen? Did they always plan to slap two solo albums together? Did Andre run off and make a solo album only to have the label say it was too fruity and scattershot even for a Prince homage? Did Big Boi freak out when he heard Andre was making a solo album and decide to make his own? Was he already working on an Outkast album when he got the call? Did he say “fuck it, I guess this is a Big Boi album now”? Did he even hear that Andre “went to do a little acting” firsthand?
Did they already amass this bag of tracks before the format was decided? Did someone at the label suggest the idea of putting them together, possibly after hearing “Hey Ya!” and deciding that the song could launch a double album easy? Were they prepared to put out an Andre solo album only to have Big Boi kick and scream that his George Clinton homage was pretty damn great too, maybe even better? Did Andre support the double-CD concept because it would confirm he was the star of the pair? Was Big Boi all “ah, but remember the tortoise and the hare, my ambitious friend”? Who was passive and who was aggressive? Who was running this ship? Wikipedia tells me nothing!
