The Atlanta duo is well-known for breaking musical barriers and introducing mainstream listeners to Southern hip-hop. It is safe to say OutKast no longer sees barriers in its way toward musical independence; that said, the long-awaited OutKast film Idlewild is just about as outlandish as any hip-hop record could possibly get.
The film, which takes place in the Prohibition-era American South, provides inspiration for much of the 25-track musical experiment. It hits theaters this week, along with an accompanying soundtrack of the same title. The soundtrack is the first release from Andre 3000 and Big Boi since their 2003 Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won the Grammy for album of the year.
OutKast fans will be delighted to hear Dre and Big Boi rhyming together. Only three tracks feature the vocals of both, but that’s still three more than their last release. Both work well together on the album’s creative first single, “Mighty O.”
On his solo single “Morris Brown,” Big Boi quickly sets the record straight on the oft-answered question of a possible breakup: “And everybody wanna know what’s really goin’ on/Is you and 3000 still makin’ songs?/So on and so on – Hell yes!” He provides the album with lyrical gems on “Train” and “Buggface” over some inventive production.
Andre 3000, always the avant-garde performer, reaches new heights in terms of uniqueness on this album. Dre comes through on “Idlewild Blue,” a hip-hop song with a catchy delta blues beat. He tries his hand at singing on a number of tracks, including “When I Look in Your Eyes,” in which he does his best impression of a 1930’s speakeasy performer.
Fans who relish in listening to Dre’s rap will find it odd to hear his falsetto voice on the slow-paced “Chronomentrophobia.” (Chronomentrophobia, apparently, is the fear of clocks.)
Overall, Andre’s performance on Idlewild is one octave past genius. He remains as eclectic as ever, but sacrifices some of his trademark funk.
Outside of the obvious 1930s theme, there is an underlying hint of resentment toward the media and the industry in this album. Both artists repeatedly call out journalists and detractors on a number of tracks, including the first single, “Mighty O,” and the OutKast-Lil’ Wayne-Snoop Dogg joint, “Hollywood Divorce.”
On the latter, Andre scathingly remarks, “all the fresh styles always start off as a good little hood thing-by the time it reach Hollywood it’s over/but it’s cool/we just keep it goin and make new shit.” With the increased popularity and attention paid to OutKast’s inginuity over the last three years, it’s not difficult to see where these sentiments stem from.
Idlewild is an outstanding album – creativite and distinctive. However, this isn’t by any means OutKast’s best effort, nor does it do a great job of showcasing the talents of Big Boi and Andre.
Casual fans will enjoy a couple of tracks, especially those which maintain a hip-hop identity. The strange flavors thrown into the musical jambalaya may cause some listeners to stay away.
To top it off, Idlewild ends with an Andre 3000 instrumental, “Bad Note.” Take the song title literally.
