Big Boi: Legal ATLien (New Interview)

[Lunatic]

http://www.wordofsouth.com/online/?p=1730

Big Boi: Legal ATLien
Monday, June 1, 2009



WordofSouth.com: How are you doing Big Boi?

Big Boi: Oh man, I’m doing real well. I’m chilling out here, enjoying the sun shine. What’s happening with ya’?

WordofSouth.com: I’m doing well, thanks for taking the time to speak with us.

Big Boi: Alright, alright.


WordofSouth.com: Regarding your upcoming solo album, “Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty”, what’s been the reasoning behind all the push backs and is their a new release date in place?

Big Boi: The push backs have just really been trying to get the situation together with the record label, and trying to learn a new system. There are some talks going on right now. I can’t really release it right now. Probably within’ the next week or so, there will be a big announcement coming out and the album will be out this summer – believe it, it’s done, it’s it in the can and I’m very happy with it.

WordofSouth.com: That is some good news. I’m glad you touched on that, because you had previously mentioned some label issues which had you dissatisfied with as of late. Is that all cleared up now?

Big Boi: Yeah, we got to clearing it up. It was just a new system and releasing new music in a new system that hasn’t really been apart of our careers. It’s been a change but I think we’ve reached some type of median right now which is going to lead to that big announcement that is going to come up in the next week or so. I’m just very happy about the situation right now. I can’t wait to let the world know when it’s coming out.

WordofSouth.com: We’re definitely looking forward to that announcement. You’ve always been known for your creativity and outside the box thinking. That has really always been affiliated with the Outkast brand. That creativity is continued with the title of the upcoming album, “Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty.” Tell us about the meaning behind that title.

Big Boi: I started out as Big Boi and now I’m just following in my father’s foot steps. I’ve grown to a man now and my grown man persona is definitely Luscious Left Foot. My father’s name was Chico Dusty; he was an air force pilot in the marines and so forth. He was a bad, bad man and now I’m grown up. My father is no longer with us right now, so I’m just carrying the torch. No Big Boi, just a grown up version of Big Boi. The evolution, I’m still being creative and innovative – and we’re busting y’all heads open; that’s what we like to do.

WordofSouth.com: Ok. You did the “Speakerboxxx” album as a solo, but it was packaged as a duo project. Being a member of a duo group your entire career, what was the main difference with doing this solo record on your own? Was that difficult at all to make that transition?

Big Boi: It wasn’t really difficult. With “Speakerboxxx”, that experience right there kind of gave me an understanding of making our own records. This is like basically recording I guess. It’s all about speaking on your life and the things that affect you. I have a very busy life and a lot of things going on, so I have a lot to talk about. That’s all it is. It’s about finding new rhythms and creating new sounds – that’s the hardest part about it. Not so much the rapping but as far as production wise, making sure that the music is as funky as it can be, where George Clinton can even say it’s “stanky”, know what I’m saying?

WordofSouth.com: Absolutely.

Big Boi: Not to be confused with the “Stanky Leg.”

WordofSouth.com: (Laughs) No, we don’t want to see Outkast on that vibe.

Big Boi: (Laughs) No, no, no.

WordofSouth.com: As a Hip-Hop fan in general, I feel that every single Outkast album has seen yourself and Andre re-create your respected styles and musical sounds. That’s very important in Hip-Hop, to change and evolve with each record. Do you pride yourself on re-creating yourself? Is that something you did on this new album?

Big Boi: Oh yes, most definitely. That’s one of the main instances that we go in with when we make albums. A lot of people are like, what’s different? Was it hard? Was it challenging? How are you going to approach it differently? If you’re a true artist that is recording and making music, the most challenging thing is to get that new sound. It comes with experiment. There is a lot of experiment going on in the studio. We try to come up with something that is going to make you feel the music.

WordofSouth.com: The next single from the album appears to be “Shawty” with Juelz Santana and Gucci Mane. That’s an interesting collaboration. How did that come about?

Big Boi: That’s actually on the Gucci Mane album. The name of song is “She Got a Friend.” I actually did a song with Gucci Mane on my album, and we banged it out and did a swap on the end for the “She Got a Friend” record. We got on each others albums, so I smashed it up and it’s some straight underground, ghetto heat. I like that song a lot. We shot the music video the next day after I did my verse.

WordofSouth.com: So that is not the single from your album. To follow that up, have you picked out the next single for your album?

Big Boi: I have so many options. I don’t even know yet. I have a couple of ideas of what I want to put out. I have a lot of options. When I decide what it’s going to be, I’ll make that announcement. There are so many singles on there – it just depends on what the people want.

WordofSouth.com: What type of guest appearances did you work with on the album besides Gucci Mane?

Big Boi: I also did a song with Jamie Foxx which is crazy. Andre 3000 is on the album of course. I have this record with T.I. that is ridiculous. That’s just about it; I have a couple of sprinkles on the album. I have George Clinton on the album as well as Too $hort, but these are not features that are main pieces. I just have artists sprinkled throughout the album like added ingredients. I just rocked out with different people.

WordofSouth.com: There was an article released recently which stated that yourself and Killer Mike had ended the beef. He signed with Grand Hustle not too long ago, and you also have a managerial deal in place over at Grand Hustle, not to mention your business venture with T.I. Have you and Killer Mike recorded anything together recently?

Big Boi: (Laughs) Of course not. Nah, to clear that up, it wasn’t a beef – that is not worthy of beef. That is so beneath me. It was just a misunderstanding on his part I guess. I wish him all the best, God bless him.

WordofSouth.com: Ok. Which producers did you work with on the album?

Big Boi: Organized Noize of course. I actually worked with Salaam Remi and DJ Toomp. Myself, I co-produced just about the entire album. I was really having fun with the beats and the music.

WordofSouth.com: With the ever-changing sound of the Atlanta Hip-Hop scene, how does that reflect the overall sound of your album? Is it more like the sound of today’s music, or does it have an old school Atlanta feel to it?

Big Boi: Oh no. that’s one thing that people have to realize. Expect the unexpected. Of course there are different types of music going on right now, but that’s not what Outkast or Big Boi are all about. That is in our music though if you go back to the “Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik” days, it was straight hood, ghetto music. There are aspects of that on the album. The sounds on the album are brand new. It sounds like nothing that is out right now and that’s what I take pride in most of all. It sounds like nothing else out there. Nothing.

WordofSouth.com: That is good news.

Big Boi: The fans are going to be pleased.

WordofSouth.com: Are you planning on touring to support the album?

Big Boi: Most definitely. That’s one of my favorite aspects of being an artist, actually performing. I’m about to start it off with this Rock the Bells tour next month. I’m co-headlining that with Nas and them. I’m going to use that as my promo tour for the album and then when the album drops, I’ll be on a tour again with anyone who wants to go out there and rock the rest of the summer to the fall with me. I’ll definitely be on the road a lot this year. I just finished the album a couple of weeks ago, so I’ve actually been doing dates now for the past month.

WordofSouth.com: Will you be doing any Canadian dates or anything outside the US at all?

Big Boi: Oh yes. I think there are two Canadian dates on the Rock the Bells tour, and I have one or two more Canadian dates that just came up. They are slated for July and August I think. I’ll be everywhere.

WordofSouth.com: Rock the Bells is coming to Toronto on July 5th.

Big Boi: Right. But I also have about two more Canadian dates; I just need to find out the exact dates. Once I find out everything that I’m doing, I have my site up, www.bigboi.com and that’s a real website. I just keep people updated with what’s going on with me.
The album is finished and it’s ridiculous. I can’t wait to give it to the world. It took me like two years and six months to finish it. I’m actually about to start work on my next album.

WordofSouth.com: And is that what you’re planning on doing after this solo project?

Big Boi: Yeah, I’m gonna’ put out another album after this solo too. Me and {Andre 3000] Dre will probably get the Outkast album out before my next solo comes, but I always like to get started on it early.

WordofSouth.com: That plays well into my next question. Have you and Andre begun working on the next Outkast album?

Big Boi: Yeah, we’ve been talking and gathering beats. We just hung out the night, it was his birthday. We hung out and really chopped it up. We’re really getting back in the vein of these streets in Atlanta, trying to go to all the little underground spots and saying what’s up, and see what the hood is talking about. We want to see what the people want. We’re having fun with it. Definitely the new Outkast album is going to be ridiculous too.

WordofSouth.com: Have you guys discussed a title yet?

Big Boi: (Laughs) Not yet! But we will let y’all know as soon as we come up with it.

WordofSouth.com: (Laughs) we definitely can’t wait to see that. The titles are always great and creative.

Big Boi: We have fun with it. That’s what it’s all about; whatever makes you think.

WordofSouth.com: Is Andre still going to drop his solo album after your solo, and before the next Outkast release?

Big Boi: Maybe. I don’t know what’s going to come first, his solo or the Outkast album. All of them are in the works though. And with me being finished with the “Sir Luscious Left Foot” album, we can go either way with it – whatever Dre wants to do.

WordofSouth.com: What is your favorite Outkast album of all time and why?

Big Boi: Oh man, we’re asked that so many times and it’s like you can’t really put a title on your favorite. Those albums are like kids. It’s like saying you like one of your kids better than the other one. Different albums caught different time periods in our life. Certain aspects from “ATLiens” are different than “Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik” all the up way up until being more mature with “Speakerboxxx/Love Below.” It holds that period of your life dear so there all equal to me. Straight up.

WordofSouth.com: If I can help you out with that, I have to go with “ATLiens.”

Big Boi: And you know what? Everybody, I can say about 90% of the fans, and even reporters like you when they answer that question, “ATLiens” is always there favorite. That was a good time. That was our sophomore album and we were really trying to come into our own. I can understand that.

WordofSouth.com: It may be the greatest Hip-Hop album of all time.

Big Boi: Wow, man. Thank you. I appreciate that. That is nothing but love and motivation. I appreciate that fam. We’re just keeping it going with good music bro. It’s about the music. To touch people’s lives and for them to really dig it like that, it’s just motivation to go back and make some new shit.

WordofSouth.com: Absolutely. You’ve done the acting thing quite a bit recently. Are you preparing for any upcoming roles?

Big Boi: Yeah, I have some scripts and some TV shows. The opportunities have been coming for the past couple years. I’ve really been trying to finish my album so I put the film thing in a holding pattern until maybe later on in the next year, I’ll start taking films again. Music is my first love and the fans want the album. I wanted to get that out the way first. There will definitely be more Big Boi on the screen, the radio, in the trunks, at your baby momma’s house, your grand mamma’s house – I’ll be everywhere.

WordofSouth.com: UGK recently put out their final album. When it comes to the top southern duos, people immediately think of Outkast and UGK. How do you feel the two legacies compare and contrast?

Big Boi: I think both are very valid. I and Dre came up listening to UGK, and also 8Ball & MJG. We were raised on that. As far as the contrast, UGK albums were straighter, hardcore records. There were a lot of things they could have played on the radio, but there could have been a couple more jams for the radio. As far as Outkast and UGK, UGK definitely has a strong on the streets and goes straight to the streets to see what there talking about. That’s the same way Outkast does it but I think at the same time, we [Outkast] had more commercial appeal to what we were doing.

WordofSouth.com: I definitely agree with you on that. You had an opportunity to work with Pimp C on the “International Players Anthem” which was a Grammy nominated song and the album went number one on the charts. It was really one of the most successful UGK singles and albums of all time. The Pimp has of course passed since then; do you have fond memories of Pimp C that sticks out in your mind?

Big Boi: Oh yes. One of my fondest memories of Pimp C happens to be, back in like 1998 maybe, we were all a strip club one time. We took the party from the strip club to my house and had a party there. We listened to some music and what not and this was me, Pimp C, Sleepy Brown, and just a whole bunch of us at the house having a real good time. That was one of the fondest memories I ever had of the pimp. That was one of the first times I got to talk to him up close and in person, at my own home. It was all love since then.

WordofSouth.com: We appreciate you sharing that with us. Coming from an era where lyrics came first, how do you feel about the current state of southern rap, or Hip-Hop as a whole?

Big Boi: I love it. At the same time, there are some artists out here who are genuinely into making what you would call party music I guess. There is nothing wrong with that. It kind of escapes from the lyricism but at the same time, you have artists that can rhyme as well as make the party jams. It all depends on who you’re talking about and what your preference is really. I can really dig it though. It’s not about whose the best MC these days, it’s about who has everybody jamming their shit. Everybody knows who can rhyme and can’t rhyme.

WordofSouth.com: And more specifically, how do you feel about the whole “trap” scene that has dominated Atlanta in the last few years?

Big Boi: Well I mean, the whole trap thing started in the Dungeon Family with Cool Breeze and Backbone. It’s always been around, but I guess it’s more present now because you have a lot of young up and coming ATL artists that are coming out of the trap, talking about what they’re doing. But, there are some people who talk about the trap, that aren’t even in the trap. I don’t agree with that.

WordofSouth.com: I definitely remember the Dungeon Family camp mentioning and rapping about the trap in the early to mid 1990’s, but it definitely didn’t come to the forefront of Hip-Hop until the last couple of years.

Big Boi: Right. It’s an everywhere type of thing. There is a lot of hustling going on around here. People are losing jobs and people take up different things to make ends meet. That’s what there doing.

WordofSouth.com: That is very true. Which up and coming rappers from Atlanta are you feeling right now?

Big Boi: Let’s see. I don’t know. I’m trying to think of who is up and coming that is coming from the A. Definitely right now, Slimm Calhoun has a new joint that I heard last night. It was a real nice jam.

WordofSouth.com: It’s been a while since we heard from him.

Big Boi: I know, but he’s on the underground circuit for a minute. I’m definitely fucking with Gucci Mane and OJ the Juiceman right now. They pretty much constantly have jam after jam coming out every weekend. I think that there work ethic is incredible because these boys are constantly putting out songs like it’s nothing. That’s about it for me.

WordofSouth.com: I’d say B.o.B.

Big Boi: Oh yeah, I like B.o.B. of course. There has been a lot of comparison with him and Outkast and he’s a very talented guy as far as the singing, rapping and he plays the guitar. B.o.B. as well; he’s actually on my album as well.

WordofSouth.com: Oh so B.o.B. is on the new album?

Big Boi: Yeah, actually (laughs). Definitely, I forgot ol’ Bobby Ray.

WordofSouth.com: He does sound like Andre a bit, and the comparisons to Outkast have been founded. I think it’s definitely a good thing though.

Big Boi: It’s cool man. It’s flattering. I got a chance to check out more of his work and a whole bunch of his songs, and buddy has some heat over there.

WordofSouth.com: Absolutely. We want to thank Big Boi for taking the time to speak with us. We know he’s a very busy man so we’re very appreciative of his time. Do you have any last words for us before I let you go?

Big Boi: Y’all know what it is, I have the new album “Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty”, be on the lookout for the new Outkast album as well. Wait for that new Dre 3000 solo album as well. Check out that new BlackOwned C-Bone “Star Wars” record, he’s in the Konkrete group. There is a whole lot going on out here. We’re in these streets.

– INTERVIEW BY: Justin Melo

[MontrealCity's Most]

LEt me be the first to say congradulations my friend, your a hard worker. Great read.

[MediumL]

very good read. shame about push backs and hopefully gucci and juelz dont fuck up the first single. damn i was hoping the outkast album would be near

[Lunatic]

Mtl: Thank you my right hand man!
MediumL: Thanks! I think this was a GREAT interview. You read it wrong, there not on the first single - that is the first single for the Gucci album. Gucci is on the Big Boi album though, but not no single.

[J.E.]

GREAT interview. (As always) 

[Lunatic]

GREAT interview. (As always) 

Thank you! I think this was a GREAT interview!

[stillinrehab]

This is awesome I was just thinkin about what the situation was with Big Boi... now just need to interview 3 stacks haha... nah cool interview~!!!

[Lunatic]

This is awesome I was just thinkin about what the situation was with Big Boi... now just need to interview 3 stacks haha... nah cool interview~!!!

Thanks! I'm really proud of this interview. Big artists do interviews on media days, Big Boi did not have a media day. This is probably the only Big Boi interview out there right now. And I got b/c I remained persistent over the last month with his manager regarding this.

You already know how I work, I fucked with Big Boi, Now you'll see my spreading out with his Dungeon Family. I'm going to try and get at 3000. I'm already fucking with BlackOwned C-Bone since this interview, the homie Big Boi mentions at the end of the interview.

[Muhfukka]

that was  a good interview

[Lunatic]

that was  a good interview

Thanks!

[virtuoso]

Good interview man, you are like the lil wayne of hip hop journalism in terms of your productivity levels

[Lunatic]

Good interview man, you are like the lil wayne of hip hop journalism in terms of your productivity levels

Wow, that means a lot! Thanks, I appreciate it!