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Live Review
by SashaS
2-3-2004
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| Big Boi, as cool as... without Andre 3K |
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Live: Big Boi
Electric Ballroom, London
Monday, March 1, 2004
Big Boi: an OutKast’s solo delight
As the OutKast’s all-conquering album ’Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’ is split between the two principle members, it is not unusual that Big Boi is doing his own show. He is also promoting the outfit’s next single, ‘The Way You Move’, the one that replaced Andre 3000’s ‘Hey Ya!’ on top of the US charts, after 12 weeks.
How this show would have been if ‘Dre were around we can’t imagine because it would be in a ten-times bigger venue. Tonight, we get intimate with the Big Boi for a show that is a sheer delight, a bit rough at the edges - but this is the ‘gangsta’-like end of the duo’s art. And, there is a gang around him: decknitican, two guitarists, five dancers, a couple of backing singer and a pair of co-rappers.
Boi is dressed in a military gear as if it were to invade Iraq - although his special guest looks like the one who could benefit from such a draft - matching headgear and the shades. It is a serious business of blasting huge beatz’n’rhymes, killer and anti-bling-a-thon with a nice doze of humor. The dancers are all male and their routine is a cross between choreography and its parody.
There is a moment when the five, also camouflage-attired, are on their knees and only can use upper parts for ‘dancing’. But then, the special guest appears and the comedic content goes up by a fair margin. Bubba Sparxxx is on in his huge ‘glory’ and you can’t help wonder - when he takes off his top to display ample naked flesh to serve a trio of Europeans - whether he gives a bad name to Caucasian rappers or overweight Americans? [Less of Eminem and more like an obese Vanilla Ice? Perhaps too harsh but an one-off-idea fatty.]
That was the only low-down on this night that more than proved this Boi can cut it without his partner although the set list was a bit erratic. ‘Ms Jackson’ is dropped as the fourth song in a quite casual manner but the rest of the material hypnotically keeps this crowd nodding like that dog on a car-shelf. [We’ve only noticed one person being motionless, a besuited, dark-skinned gent who probably was a journo.]
This reporter was ‘illin’’ [to use an ancient rap-word] and wished it’d never end but an hour later, we were out on the mean and cold streets of Camden that froze our perspiration like icicles on fake Father Chrimbo’s beard. During the show Boi easily demonstrated that he can survive and thrive without ‘Dre - which we never wish to happen because Lennon had never been the same muso without the rivalry of McCartney.
The boys with rejoin forces for the next single ‘Roses’ and are also set for a film together. [See News for more details, if you please.]
Big Boi also played ‘Ghettmusick’ [from ‘Speakerboxx’] as well as solo versions of previous OutKast hits including ‘Gangsta S**t’, ‘The Art Of Storytelling’ and ‘So Fresh, So Clean’.
SashaS
2-3-2004
Outcast’s ‘Sparkleboxxx/The Love Below’ is available now on Arista/BMG
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