Nikki Bordokas
Staff Writer
Big Boi introduces his sophomore solo album reminding listeners he is “one-half of the mind of OutKast”. However, “Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors” is not just an extension of OutKast’s funkified stylistic success, but a definite exhibition of Big Boi as a solo artist.
Though Big Boi experiments with his sound in an attempt to follow in the recent avant-garde rap trend, the album is confusing and chaotic, and ultimately pales in comparison to his solo debut album.
Big Boi began his solo career in 2007, after releasing four extremely successful albums as a part of OutKast. His first album, “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty” was released in 2010 and received general critical acclaim for its inventiveness and lyrical prowess, leaving listeners anticipating the release of his new album.
“Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors” continues to boast the inventiveness of Big Boi’s premiere album, this time with contributions from indie pop groups like Phantogram, Little Dragon, and Wavves. However, these contributions only add to the overall messiness of the album.
Phantogram’s contributions in “Lines, “Objectum Sexuality”, and “CPU” seem out of place. Singer Sarah Barthel’s airy vocals don’t compliment the over all, upbeat tone of each song. Each chorus seems only to be a cheap trick to make Big Boi’s otherwise rap intensive songs catchy to listeners.
Similarly, Nathaniel William’s (lead singer of Wavves) and B.O.B’s contributions to the eleventh track “Shoes For Running” detract from an otherwise exceptional performance by Big Boi. Big Boi’s two strong verses artfully and cleverly addresses the greed that taints modern America and the need for a social revolution. However, when placed with B.O.B’s subpar verse, which lacks both rhythm and substance, and Williams’ simplistic, indie-pop chorus, the track seems trivial.
With that said, all three tracks featuring Little Dragon (“Thom Pettie”, “Higher Res” and “Descending”) are highlights on the album. The whispery vocals add to the over all ghoulish tone of each song. Rather than feel out of place like Phantogram’s contributions, Little Dragon’s vocals and production skills enhance the song because of their whimsical yet dark tone.
With the exception of Little Dragon’s exceptional contribution, Big Boi’s attempt to push boundaries and experiment by enlisting the help of various indie acts fails. Though this is a good and well-practiced idea conceptually, Big Boi brings in acts that detract from each song rather than adding to them.
The saving grace of the album is Big Boi’s performance. Like his debut solo album, along with his time as a part of OutKast, his rhymes are impeccable in both their wit and meaningfulness. Also, the rapper’s devotion to pushing boundaries and further experimenting with his sound is entertaining, and even though it is not necessarily executed well at times, the risk is still commendable. In essence, the problem with the album is not the fault of Big Boi’s performance, but rather the poor selection of contributing artists.
Big Boi’s allegiance to creativity provides for an interesting listen, despite many flaws. “Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors” is available in most music retail stores as well as on iTunes for $9.99.
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