This solo effort by Outkast’s Big Boi recently had its 6-year anniversary last June and I just happened to play it again in that same month. I can still remember picking up the CD from Barnes & Noble in L.A. while on holiday on the Westcoast the week of its release, so I’m excited to get back to it for this review. Let’s see if it’s as enjoyable a listen as it was back in Summer 2017!
Starting with the short intro track “Da Next Day”, Big Boi wastes no time asserting his confidence on the instrumental rapping a straightforward fire verse which sets the stage perfectly for the album. The following song which features Killer Mike and Jeezy, the single “Kill Ill”, sees the three Southside rap heavyweights trade hard hitting bars over a dope Asian sounding beat. You just find yourself wishing Big Boi’s raps were much more present on the track even though the cringe worthy bars about Bill Cosby supposed innocence (i.e. it’s all a conspiracy). This is actually one of the complaints from when the album came out. The number of guests is indeed overshadowing Big Boi at times, sometimes making you think this project is more of a compilation rather than an album.
Speaking of features, the Maroon 5’s Adam Levine one on “Mic Jack” certainly is a highlight for me. I tend not to enjoy him featuring on mainstream rap songs, but on this one, it really contributes in making the song a banger. From the DJ Khalil drums to the chorus and the two verses by Big Boi, this song is just a hit. The following track “In the South” is another anthem with Pimp C bragging about the South’s status on the infectious hook. Despite the good verses by Big Boi and Gucci Mane, this is really Pimp C taking over the track and delivering the most memorable performance. R.I.P.
It is refreshing to then hear Big Boi solo on the following 2 cuts, including the chart topper “All Night”. The commercial appeal of this song actually is so big that my kids would be singing along everyttime I play it. The Snoop Dogg guest feature on “Get Wit It” is another really good use of a fellow artist to make the song better than it could have been without any feature. Snoop flows perfectly over the smooth beat and it is a nice introduction into the second half of the album.
The following 2 songs, including the EDM sounding “Chocolate” sure have crossover appeal and are fairly listenable, but they aren’t my favorites on the project. I do love the Kurupt assisted “Made Man” though. Another great show example of how a Westcoast-Downsouth collaboration should sound like. The closing track on the album, “Follow Deez” sees Killer Mike return as guest artist and Curren$y delivers a memorable chorus for what proves to be another highlight on the album. When you’re done listening you just wished it was longer as the last track feels like a cliffhanger.
All in all, the album does justice to its name “Boomiverse” as Big about delivers a banger of a project with plenty of energetic of music that feels diverse and cohesive at the same time. The crossover appeal of the project is obvious, thanks to the R&B vibes and some mainstream guest features like Adam Levine and Eric Bellinger. The only drawbacks would be the too numerous guest rappers that make you wonder if that’s really a solo project from Big Boi, and the rather short playtime. Nevertheless I can definitely recommend the album as a great listen in the car, at the gym or if you’re having a party
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