| Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 23, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2002–2003 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 134:49 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Outkast chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | ||||
| ||||
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is the fifth studio album by the Americanhip-hop duoOutkast. It was released on September 23, 2003, byArista Records. Issued as adouble album, its length of over two hours is spread across solo records byBig Boi andAndré 3000.
Originally conceived as standalone albums, the members' solo efforts were integrated into a double album under Outkast's name as Arista deemed the decision to release solo albums unsuitable at the time. Big Boi'sSpeakerboxxx is aSouthern hip-hop andprogressive rap album influenced byParliament-Funkadelic, while André 3000'sThe Love Below largely departs from hip-hop in favor ofpop,funk,jazz,psychedelia, andprogressive soul styles, drawing inspiration fromPrince. WhileThe Love Below was entirely produced by André 3000,Speakerboxxx featured contributions from André 3000,Mr. DJ,Carl Mo, Cutmaster Swift, and Dojo5, in addition to production by Big Boi. Lyrically,Speakerboxxx discusses socially conscious themes, such as single parenthood, philosophy, religion, and politics, whereasThe Love Below is centered on complexities related to love and relationships.Speakerboxxx/The Love Below features a multifaceted array of collaborators, includingSleepy Brown,Killer Mike,Ludacris,Jay-Z,Rosario Dawson,Kelis, andNorah Jones.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below received widespread acclaim frommusic critics, who praised the consistency of Big Boi'sSpeakerboxxx and the eclectic musical style of André 3000'sThe Love Below. Numerous publications proclaimed the album as one of the best records of 2003, placing it atop their year-end listings. A commercial success,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below became Outkast's first number-one album on the USBillboard 200, with first-week sales of 509,000 units, and went on to be certifieddiamond by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2004.[b] At the46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004), the album wonAlbum of the Year andBest Rap Album, becoming only the second hip hop album ever to win the former. It produced five singles, two of which—"Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move"—topped the USBillboard Hot 100, and made Outkast the first duo in the chart's history to replace themselves at the summit. Furthermore, "Hey Ya!" won theGrammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. "Roses" reached the top 10 on theBillboard Hot 100 as well, peaking at number nine, while "GhettoMusick" and "Prototype" failed to achieve substantial success.
Outkast heavily promotedSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below via interviews and televised performances, often separately, as the album was marketed as a consolidation of Big Boi and André 3000's solo records. The strategy elicited intense media speculation over the duo's disbandment, which the members consistently denied. The musical filmIdlewild was originally slated to accompany the album, but was postponed multiple times before being released in 2006, after which Outkast embarked on an extended hiatus. Consequently, a multitude of critics have recognizedSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below as a signal of Outkast's cessation, but nonetheless hailed the album as one of the best recordings of its era. The album has been further credited for reviving the double album concept in hip-hop, as well as for popularizingconscious hip-hop. Following its RIAA certification update to 13-times platinum in 2023, signifying double-disc units of 6.5 million in the US,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below became the highest-certified rap album of all time. As of September 2023, it has sold over 11 million copies worldwide.
Following Outkast's firstGrammy Award win at the44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002), André 3000 felt urged to do something different from his previous projects and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He was relatively unsuccessful, landing a minor role inHollywood Homicide (2003) and a one-episode appearance in the drama seriesThe Shield.[5] He subsequently returned to music, and began developing a solo album different from Outkast's work. The output was a blend ofpop,jazz andfunk infused with live instruments, and with a larger emphasis on singing than rapping.[5] When writing songs, he used amicrocassette recorder in order to "record melodic ideas and lyrics, then build the melody around the lyrics".[6] He began recordingThe Love Below at his Los Angeles residence, usingPro Tools software,[6] in addition to a drum machine, keyboards and various synthesizers.[7] He enjoyed the atmosphere of recording at home instead of a studio, tellingXXL: "It didn't start in the studio because if you have a bunch of people around, they're coming from the party and I'm in there singing falsetto... those vibes didn't match." His initial sessions were hampered by his inexperience with Pro Tools and, unaware of how to edit his recordings, he opted to record songs such as "Pink & Blue" entirely in one take.[6] Other gear used included an Avalon VT737 SP, as well as AD2055 EQ and AD2044 compressors for his vocals.[7]
After creating four to five songs, he informed Big Boi of the project.[5] Big Boi had already recorded some songs before André 3000 contacted him, but after their conversation he decided his next project would beSpeakerboxxx.[5] Describing his approach in the studio, Big Boi later commented toXXL: "I had a complete vision of what an album could be that was entirely me, and the idea was just to keep it funky, keep it jamming, it's always bass-heavy. And lyricism, it's all about lyrics, taking pride in your pen and your pad." His favorite song to record was "Unhappy". He spent several days working on its hook before driving to his mother's home and playing the song in her driveway, to which she responded enthusiastically.[6] At some point in the recording, the project moved to Outkast's own Stankonia Studios in downtown Atlanta, which had been used to record its namesakeStankonia (2000). Studio manager and an engineer John Frye would later recognize that much of the media scrutiny surrounding the album's recording was concerned with André 3000 and Big Boi's working relationship and their decision to record separately. He conceded that both enjoyed working solo and were doing so more frequently, but continued to share and critique each other's works.[7]
Speakerboxxx andThe Love Below were originally conceived as individual solo efforts. However, Outkast's management deemed the decision unsuitable, asArista Records sought to capitalize on the momentum caused by the duo's then-recent Grammy Award victory. In a compromise, André 3000 and Big Boi integrated their solo records into a singledouble album,[5] which they envisioned astheir film's accompanyingsoundtrack album.[7] Production of the film was put on hold, and the album was reconstructed into their fifth studio effort. In order to accurately display the postponed film's plot on audio recordings, background noise such as footsteps and car door slamming were interpolated into the album's tracks.[6][7] As he finishedSpeakerboxxx earlier than André 3000 completedThe Love Below, Big Boi grew impatient due to André 3000's prolonged recording process, and once again considered releasingSpeakerboxxx as a standalone solo album.[8] While the entirety ofSpeakerboxxx was recorded at the Stankonia Studios, a substantial portion ofThe Love Below was also recorded at other locations, such as theLarrabee Sound Studios andOcean Way Recording in Los Angeles, and the Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta.[9] Frye noted the end of the recording sessions forThe Love Below as particularly stressful for André 3000, whom he described as drained from working at four studios simultaneously.[7] In total, an estimated 120 songs were recorded forSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below.[7] One of the songs which did not make the final track listing was "Millionaire", André 3000's second collaboration withKelis, which was instead included on her third studio albumTasty (2003) and subsequently released as a single.[10] Meanwhile, the original track listing forSpeakerboxxx, published beforeThe Love Below was completed, included "Oh No", featuringBubba Sparxxx and BackBone; "Do Dirty", featuringKiller Mike; "808", featuringBun B; and "Rats & Roaches", a collaborative effort between Big Boi and André 3000.[11]
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is a 135-minute double album comprising a total of 40 tracks, including 11interludes.[12] It is aconcept album with the intention of each disc showcasing each member's individual perspective and musical style.[13][6] Big Boi'sSpeakerboxxx is an experimentalSouthern hip hop andprogressive rap record with lyrical themes such assingle parenthood, philosophy, religion, and politics.[14][15] Brett Schewitz ofRolling Stone noted musical influences fromParliament-Funkadelic,[16] while independent critic Roni Sarig observed the emotional range in Big Boi's lyricism as wider onSpeakerboxxx than on its predecessors.[14] After a "gunshot beat"-paced intro, the disc opens with "GhettoMusick".[17] The track's eclectic musical style, encompassingelectroclash,[18]electro-funk,[15]hip hop,[12] andtechno,[19] is juxtaposed with recurring excerpts fromPatti LaBelle's 1983 song "Love, Need and Want You", which exhibit LaBelle's vocals against a "lascivious"soul background.[12][20] Lyrically, it displays Big Boi confronting lackluster contemporary rappers and criticizing the hip hop scene's perceived descent.[21] According to Brent DiCrescenzo ofPitchfork, "Unhappy" musically conveys Big Boi effectively asserting himself as simultaneously traditional and perverse.[22] Thebig band, horn-driven funk track "Bowtie" was described as reminiscent ofGeorge Clinton andCotton Club.[23][22][24][20] It lyrically details stylishly dressing for a night out,[25] and featuresSleepy Brown andJazze Pha.[9] Brown is also featured on "The Way You Move", aLatin-influencedR&B song pairing a "Dirty South synth-drumbounce with a fauxPhil Collins hook".[26][15]
Mariachi-tinged hip hop track "The Rooster" discusses Big Boi's struggles as a single parent,[12][20] against an instrumentation based on "slippery" horns and loosewah-wah guitars.[24] Killer Mike-assisted collaboration "Bust" blends hip hop withnu metal,[17] and lyrically expresses a desire for superirority.[27] On thepsychedelic soul track "War", Big Boi refers to the2000 United States presidential election,War in Afghanistan, murder ofDaniel Pearl,Iraq War,Black Panther Party, andPost-9/11.[28][29][30] "Church" is a lyrical critique oforganized religion.[25] A techno-gospel song, it has received comparisons toStevie Wonder's 1970s recordings.[22][19] The interlude "Bamboo"—titled after Big Boi's son, who makes a guest appearance, covering "The Whole World"—precedes "Tomb of the Boom".[31] Both tracks use an identical "bouncy" beat,[17] while the latter dismisses rumors about Outkast's disbandment,[28] and features Konkrete,Big Gipp, andLudacris.[9] "Knowing" discusses a prostitute's plight,[25] while "Flip Flop Rock" is an ode toflip-flops.[32] Featuring Killer Mike andJay-Z, "Flip Flop Rock" is a hip hop track built on a "springy" guitar loop and a "beatific" piano,[26] while incorporating scratches and propulsive kickdrums.[22] "Interlude", a spoken word evaluation of Outkast's history,[12] precedes the percussion-infused "Reset", which featuresKhujo andCeeLo Green.[15][9] Comedian Henry Welch performs the brief interlude "D-Boi",[12] while Slimm Calhoun,Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz, and Mello appear on "Last Call", a track accentuated with aggressive horns and an eccentrictheremin.[9][28]Speakerboxxx closes with a 35-second reprise of "Bowtie", on which Big Boi's vocals are altered withhelium.[12]
_(cropped).jpg)
In contrast withSpeakerboxxx, André 3000'sThe Love Below was identified as a funk, jazz, pop,psychedelic, andprogressive soul record comparable to the music ofPrince in critical commentaries.[33][18][34] The disc's abounding theme is love, specificallyfalling in love andself-love. Sarig suggested that the end of André 3000's relationship withErykah Badu influenced much of the lyrical content, which he saw as concerned with the search for true love.[5] André 3000's vocal performance on the string-driven intro was compared toFrank Sinatra by Andy Gill ofThe Independent,[25] while on thenoise rock-lounge opener "Love Hater",[26] it was described as "mockcrooning" byStephen Thomas Erlewine.[24] The interlude "God" finds André 3000 embracing his "horndog" reputation in a prayer, accompanied by anacoustic guitar.[12] "Happy Valentine's Day" introduces hisalter ego Cupid Valentino, a reimagination ofCupid as a "gun-toting thug".[19][35][27]Anal sex-themed "Spread" displays trumpets and piano interspersed with a pliantbassline and scatteringrimshots.[26][22] Prelude "Where Are My Panties?", featuring Toni Hunter,[9] insinuates aone-night stand leading to a romantic relationship.[26] The lyrical theme continues on "Prototype",[36] a funk-neo soul ballad sung similarly to Prince, Clinton, andSly Stone.[12][37]Alternative R&B track "She Lives in My Lap",[26] featuring spoken-word vocals from actressRosario Dawson,[8] received further comparisons to Prince, as Erlewine compared the song toPrince and the Revolution's 1985 B-side "She's Always in My Hair".[24]
Acoustic guitar andsynth-bass-driven "Hey Ya!" fusespower pop, traditional soul and electro-funk styles.[22][26][24] Lyrically an "ass-shaking jam session",[23] it introduces André 3000's second alter ego Ice Cold, who instructs the listeners to "shake it like aPolaroid picture".[35][38] André 3000 described the song as being "pretty much about the state of relationships in the 2000s. It's about some people who stay together in relationships because of tradition, because somebody told them, 'You guys are supposed to stay together.' But you pretty much end up being unhappy for the rest of your life."[39] "Roses", the sole song onThe Love Below on which Big Boi appears,[12] is adiss track directed towards a conceited ex-girlfriend referred to as "Caroline".[40] "Pink & Blue" contains samples ofAaliyah's 1994 song "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" and reverses its lyrical theme, being directed towards an older love interest rather than a younger one.[25] A "Goth-soulcha-cha" track,[15] "Pink & Blue" ends with a brieforchestrated outro.[22] While "Love in War" is André 3000's lyrical response to Big Boi's "War",[19] the frivolous,falsetto-sung minimalist electro track "She's Alive" discusses single motherhood.[26][41] "Dracula's Wedding" follows André 3000 as a vampire infatuated with another vampire, portrayed by Kelis,[15] but fearing commitment.[36] "My Favorite Things" is adrum and bass rendition of the 1959 song of the same title fromThe Sound of Music.[35][32]Norah Jones is featured on "Take Off Your Cool", a string-driven acoustic jazz-soul track.[22][42] On "Vibrate", André 3000 usespro-environmental metaphors formasturbation.[19] Thedub-jazz track is built on muted trumpets and backward drumbeats.[25][15]The Love Below closes with "A Life in the Day of Benjamin André (Incomplete)", described as an "autobiographical epistolary".[15]
For the album cover and accompanying imagery forSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below, Big Boi and André 3000 were photographed separately,[8] due to rising creative differences between the two, following prior disagreements over their imagery.[43] Big Boi was photographed by longtime collaboratorJonathan Mannion, whileTorkil Gudnason photographed André 3000. After listening to the entirety ofSpeakerboxxx, Mannion devised ideas for imagery based on the record's lyrical themes. Meanwhile, Gudnason had a more fashion-oriented approach towards his photo shoot.[8]
The selected cover forSpeakerboxxx saw Big Boi dressed in a fur coat and baggy jeans, depicting the fictionalprocurer named Rooster, who frequently appears on the album. He is shown sitting on afeather duster-decoratedrattan chair, inspired by a photograph ofHuey P. Newton published inThe Black Panther dated November 23, 1967.[8][44] On the cover ofThe Love Below, André 3000 is shown posing with a gun and portraying Cupid Valentino, one of his alter egos present on the album.[27] Brandon Soderberg ofSpin retrospectively credited André 3000's flamboyant appearance on the artwork for inspiring rappers such asKanye West,Lil B, andCam'ron to embrace more feminine clothing styles, in contrast with rap's "normative masculinity".[45]
On CD pressings ofSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below, Big Boi's image was used as the front cover, while André 3000's cover was placed in the back.[9] However, for digital editions and vinyl pressings, the images were juxtaposed into a single cover, withSpeakerboxxx on the left andThe Love Below on the right.[46][47] Furthermore, the liner notes were divided into two segments, one for each record, with separate imagery.[9]
Originally titledOutkast Present... Big Boi and Dre—in reference to Outkast's compilation albumBig Boi and Dre Present... Outkast (2001)—Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was scheduled for late May 2003,[48] before being postponed to August 19.[49] It was ultimately released on September 23, 2003, by Arista Records.[50] As it was marketed as a double album comprising Big Boi and André 3000's solo discs, Outkast also promoted the album individually, arriving separately to2003 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28 and staging separate performances and interviews. The strategy elicited intense media speculation over their disbandment, which the members consistently denied.[51] In subsequent months, Outkast appeared on covers ofThe Source,[52]The Fader,[53]Entertainment Weekly,[54]Vibe,[55]Complex,[56]Rolling Stone,[57] andQ.[58] On October 31, 2003, they performed together onTotal Request Live,[59] before performing onSaturday Night Live the following day,[60] at the2003 American Music Awards on November 16,[61] and at theVH1 Big in '03 Awards on November 20.[62]
André 3000's solo performance of "Hey Ya!" at the46th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004 ignited controversy, as its imagery was described as "racist" and disrespectful towardsNative American culture.[63] He subsequently performed the song at the2004 Kids' Choice Awards on April 3.[64] Outkast performed together at the2004 MTV Video Music Awards Japan on May 23; Big Boi held solo concerts at the Shinkiba Studio Coast in Tokyo the following day,[65] and at the launch ofCalvin Klein's fragrance Eternity Moment in New York City on June 3.[66] The duo performed "Roses" at theBET Awards 2004 on June 29,[67] and a medley of "The Way You Move", "Hey Ya!", "GhettoMusick" and "Prototype" at the2004 MTV Video Music Awards on August 29.[68] André 3000 then performed atFashion Rocks on September 8,[69] while Big Boi performed "GhettoMusick" with Patti LaBelle at the2004 World Music Awards on September 15.[70] In September 2023,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was reissued on two limited-editionvinyl pressings, in commemoration of its 20th anniversary.[71]
In March 2003,MTV News reported "Church" and "Prototype" would be simultaneously released as thelead single fromSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below, and would be accompanied by aBryan Barber-directed 30-minute short film comprising both songs' music videos; however, those plans never came to fruition.[48] Instead, "GhettoMusick" was released as the lead single on July 15, 2003, as adouble A-side single with "She Lives in My Lap".[1] However, the promotion of the single was soon halted as Outkast focused on subsequent singles "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move",[72] hence "GhettoMusick" peaked only at number 93 on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[73] In select countries, the song was released as the album's double A-side fourth and final single alongside "Prototype" in November 2004.[3] Upon its re-release, an accompanying music video for "GhettoMusick" was filmed; directed by Barber, it satirically depicts Big Boi as a "Delivery Boi" forFedUp, and features appearances from Patti LaBelle and Lil Jon.[74]
"Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move" were released as the second and third[c] singles on August 25, 2003.[82] "Hey Ya!" was the first to reach the summit on the USBillboard Hot 100, where it spent nine consecutive weeks, eight of which "The Way You Move" spent at number two, before reaching the top for one week.[75] Thus, Outkast became the first duo in the chart's history to replace itself at the summit.[83] Internationally, "Hey Ya!" reached the top 10 in numerous countries, as well as number one in Australia,[78] Canada,[84] the Czech Republic,[85] Norway, and Sweden,[78] while "The Way You Move" peaked within the top 10 in Australia,[86] Croatia,[87] Denmark,[86] Hungary,[88] New Zealand,[86] and the UK.[89] At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, "Hey Ya!" wonBest Urban/Alternative Performance, and was nominated forRecord of the Year.[90] Barber directed both songs' accompanyingmusic videos, which were produced to appear in sequence as a long-form video.[91] "Hey Ya!" shows André 3000 portraying all eight members of the fictional band The Love Below performing to a rapturous crowd in London, to recreateThe Beatles' firstappearance onThe Ed Sullivan Show,[72][92] while "The Way You Move" depicts Big Boi and Sleepy Brown in a garage specializing in Speakerboxxx audio systems, before the setting is transformed into a lavish party.[72] At the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, "Hey Ya!" won four awards, includingVideo of the Year;[93] it had also been nominated forBest Short Form Music Video at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards.[90]
"Roses" was released as the fourth single fromSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below on March 1, 2004.[94] It became their third consecutive top-10 single on the USBillboard Hot 100, peaking at number nine.[95] The song fared similarly internationally, reaching the top 10 in Australia,[96] Canada,[97] Ireland,[98] New Zealand, Norway,[96] and the UK.[99] Its accompanying music video, Outkast's sixth consecutive to be directed by Barber, is a contemporary adaptation of the musicalWest Side Story, and depicts the rivalry between two high school crews—The Love Below, led by André 3000, and Speakerboxxx, led by Big Boi—as they battle for fictional Caroline's attention.[100] The video was nominated forThe Michael Jackson Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video at the2005 Soul Train Music Awards.[101] "Prototype" was released as the fifth and final single fromSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below on September 27, 2004,[102] and was released as a double A-side single with "GhettoMusick" internationally.[3] Like "GhettoMusick", "Prototype" failed to enter the USBillboard Hot 100, peaking at number 63 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[73] The music video for "Prototype" marked André 3000's directorial debut, and depicts him as an extraterrestrial family member, who falls in love with a woman after descending to Earth.[103]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 91/100[104] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [24] |
| Blender | [23] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[15] |
| The Guardian | [32] |
| The Independent | [25] |
| Los Angeles Times | [35] |
| NME | 8/10[20] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[22] |
| Rolling Stone |  [28] |
| The Village Voice | A−[41] |
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was met with widespread critical acclaim. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream publications, the album received anaverage score of 91, based on 26 reviews.[104] Reviewing forAllMusic,Stephen Thomas Erlewine called both discs "visionary, imaginative listens, providing some of the best music of 2003, regardless of genre".[24] He creditedSpeakerboxxx with "reclaiming the adventurous spirit of the golden age and pushing it into a new era", while referring toThe Love Below as "the great lostPrince album."[24]Will Hermes wrote inEntertainment Weekly that the album's "ambition flies so far beyond that of anyone doing rap right now (or pop, or rock, or R&B)".[15] Kris Ex wrote forBlender that the double album "holds an explosion of creativity that couldn't have been contained in just one LP",[23] while writing forLos Angeles Times: "It's not just that the collection stands so far above much of today's contemporary hip-hop and R&B; but that it surpasses the high level of genre-defying craftsmanship that the duo has cultivated for nearly a decade."[35]The Guardian's Dorian Lynskey described both discs as "sublime ... hip-hop'sSign o' the Times orThe White Album: a career-defining masterpiece of breathtaking ambition".[32] According to Andy Gill ofThe Independent,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below set "a new benchmark not just for hip hop, but for pop in general", featuring "so many musical tributaries coursing into both Big Boi's progressive-rap pyrotechnics and Dre's freakyjazz-funk love odyssey that even their old tag of 'psychedelic hip-hop soul' starts to look restrictive".[25]Stylus Magazine's Nick Southall called the album "a series of spectacular moments and memorable events".[26] John Mulvey ofNME described its two discs as "two Technicolor explosions of creativity that people will be exploring, analysing and partying to for years".[20] Sal Cinquemani fromSlant Magazine wrote that it is "greater than the sum of its parts, and this kind of expertly crafted pop and deftly executed funk rarely happen at the same time—not sinceStankonia, at least."[19]
In his review ofSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below forRolling Stone,Jon Caramanica was less enthusiastic, particularly about André 3000 expressing his "right to be peculiar in a hip-hop context".[28] Matt Dentler fromThe Austin Chronicle stated that Outkast performed stronger as a duo than individually, explaining: "It's likeLennon andMcCartney solo albums: plenty of solid tunes, but the pen held together is mightier than a solo sword."[21]Pitchfork's Brent DiCrescenzo wrote thatThe Love Below does not sustain "consistent brilliance and emotional complexity throughout" likeSpeakerboxxx.[22] Ethan Brown fromNew York shared those sentiments, elaborating: "Big Boi'sSpeakerboxxx is bolder—he wants to go where most hip-hoppers fear to tread and take theMTV audience along with him. It strikes at the essence of what has made OutKast so important to pop: the accessible, democratic nature of its strangeness."[29] InThe Village Voice,Robert Christgau said the record could have been "the classic P-Funk rip it ain't quite" hadSpeakerboxxx alone been issued with "Roses", "Spread", "Hey Ya!", and "an oddity of [André 3000's] choosing". He nonetheless commended what he described as "commercial ebullience, creative confidence, and wretched excess, blessed excess, impressive excess".[41] On the contrary, Matt Harvey ofBBC praised both counterparts, describingSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below as "hilarious and thought provoking, goes on for hours (without ever getting boring) and is the most ambitious piece of pop [of 2003]".[105] InThe Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), Roni Sarig wrote that "for sheer breadth, ambition, and musical vision, there's little doubtSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below is a classic."[106]
| Year | Publication | List | Position | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Associated Press | The Top 10 Albums of 2003 | 2 | |
| The A.V. Club | Keith Phipps' Best Albums of 2003 | 8 | ||
| Nathan Rabin's Best Albums of 2003 | 6 | |||
| The Face | Recordings of the Year | 6 | ||
| The Morning News | The Top 10 Albums of 2003 | 4 | ||
| NME | Albums of the Year | 8 | ||
| Pitchfork | Top 50 Albums of 2003 | 22 | ||
| Spin | The 40 Best Albums of 2003 | 2 | ||
| The Village Voice | Pazz & Jop | 1 | ||
| The Wire | Rewind | 21 | ||
| 2007 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Definitive 200 | 29 | |
| 2009 | Consequence of Sound | The Top 100 Albums of the 2000s | 99 | |
| MTV Base | Greatest Albums Ever | 31 | ||
| Newsweek | Best Albums of the Decade | 1 | ||
| NME | The Top 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade | 44 | ||
| 2010 | 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die | – | ||
| 2011 | Rolling Stone | 100 Best Albums of the 2000s | 34 | |
| 2012 | Complex | 25 Rap Albums from the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status | – | |
| 2013 | NME | The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time | 183 | |
| 2019 | The Guardian | The 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century | 23 | |
| 2023 | Rolling Stone | The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time | 290 | |
| Uproxx | The Best Albums of 2003, Ranked (20 Years Later) | 5 | ||
Critically acclaimed,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was nominated for a myriad of industry awards. At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004, it wonAlbum of the Year, the most prestigiousGrammy Award, andBest Rap Album. Outkast thus became only the second rap artists to win Album of the Year, afterLauryn Hill in1999.[128] Geoff Boucher fromLos Angeles Times declared the album "the first pure hip-hop project" to win the award.[129] While accepting the Best Rap Album award, André 3000 said: "Thank you", showed apeace sign, and left the stage. Carena Liptak ofThe Recording Academy retrospectively called the acceptance speech "perhaps the shortest" in the history of Grammy Awards.[130]Speakerboxxx/The Love Below also wonBest Album of the Year at the2004 Soul Train Music Awards,[131] andFavorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album at theAmerican Music Awards of 2004.[132] Internationally,Speakerboxx/The Love Below wonAlbum of the Year at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards Japan,[133] while being nominated for theBrit Award for International Album in both2004 and2005,[134][135] and forBest Album at the2004 MTV Europe Music Awards.[136]
In the US,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below debuted atop theBillboard 200 chart dated October 11, 2003, with first-week sales of 509,600 copies.[137] Following three consecutive number-two debuts, the album became Outkast's first number-one on theBillboard 200,[138] and registered their second-highest first-week sales, afterStankonia.[137] Furthermore, it became their second number-one album on theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[139] In its second week,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below sold 235,000 additional copies, remaining atop theBillboard 200,[140] before descending to number two the following week.[141] During its first month, the album sold over one million units.[142] It returned to the summit in its sixth week, having spent the prior three weeks within the top four.[143] During the Christmas week of 2003,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below sold 374,000 copies, rising back to the summit,[144] where it stayed for three additional weeks throughout January–February 2004.[145][146] In total, the album spent seven non-consecutive weeks at number one, and 56 weeks charting.[138] On December 3, 2004, theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certifiedSpeakerboxxx/The Love Belowdiamond, denoting shipments of five million double-disc units in the US.[147] By March 2012, the album had sold 5,702,000 copies in the country.[148] Shortly after the album's 20th anniversary, the RIAA certification was updated to 13-times platinum on September 29, 2023, signifying 13 millionalbum-equivalent units;[d]Speakerboxxx/The Love Below thus became the highest-certified rap album of all time.[149][150][151]
In Canada,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below debuted at number six on theCanadian Albums Chart dated October 11, 2003,[152] and was certified gold by theCanadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) in its first week.[153] It subsequently peaked at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart on February 14, 2004.[154] In the UK, the album was asleeper hit, debuting at number 44 on theUK Albums Chart before peaking at number eight in its 16th week,[155] as well as peaking atop theUK R&B Albums Chart in its 15th week.[156] It was certified triple platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) in July 2023, denoting album-equivalent units of 900,000.[157] Across Europe,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below reached the top five in Ireland and Norway,[158][159] and number six on theEuropean Top 100 Albums,[160] while reaching the top 20 in Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.[159] In June 2004, theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) certified the album platinum, for sales of one million units in Europe.[161] The album was also a commercial success across Oceania, peaking at numbers nine and three in Australia and New Zealand, respectively,[162] and being certified double platinum in both countries.[163][164] According to IFPI,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was the 11th best-selling album worldwide of 2003.[165] As of September 2023, it has sold over 11 million copies worldwide.[12]
"Speakerboxxx/The Love Below ended up a downpayment on a future they couldn't sustain. Previously launched by their ineffable chemistry as MCs, overlapping and interlocking with a slick balance of world-weary caution and gallivanting abandon,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was, for all its deserved success, the visible end of that dynamic. Upon reaching the top of pop'sMount Olympus, a cruel twist occurred.The whole world was finally listening, but OutKast ran out of things to say."
Despite initial scepticism from both the industry analysts and Arista Records over the performance ofSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below due to its double album conceptualization,[5][166] the album achieved immense commercial and critical success.[8] Jon O'Brien fromThe Recording Academy declared it one of the most influential double albums in hip hop, crediting the album for reviving the concept pioneered by2Pac'sAll Eyez on Me (1996),The Notorious B.I.G.'sLife After Death (1997), andWu-Tang Clan'sWu-Tang Forever (1997). O'Brien further emphasized the influence ofSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below on subsequent hip hop double albums, such asStreet's Disciple (2004) byNas,UGK'sUnderground Kingz (2007),Drake'sScorpion (2018), andKendrick Lamar'sMr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022).[12] Thematically,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below has been credited with propellingconscious hip hop into the mainstream throughout the mid-2000s, alongside recordings by Kanye West andJadakiss.[45] Chris DeVille wrote forStereogum thatThe Love Below was sonically "an attempt at the kind of funkadelic genre mashJanelle Monáe successfully pulled off withThe Electric Lady 10 years later."[167] Gabriel Szatan ofDazed praisedSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below for expanding the horizons of artistic expression within hip hop, elaborating: "For a relatively young and exceedingly creative genre, big league hip hop was also pretty conservative in its accepted conventions in the 90s and early 00s. OutKast permanently stretched those boundaries, showing eccentricity should be cherished. Nowhere was that done more gleefully than on their flawed, frantic yet furiously fun final masterpiece."[10] Erika Marie fromHotNewHipHop commended Outkast's choice of collaborators, which ensured the album to be "a cohesive masterpiece rather than a disjointed collection", adding that the collaborators were vital in creating an "epitome of excellence" in hip hop's history.[168]
Upon its release,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was frequently compared to The Beatles'1968 eponymous double album in critical commentaries,[32][12] with Outkast labeled the contemporaryLennon–McCartney.[42][45] In an analysis of the comparisons forConsequence, Zach Schonfeld wrote thatSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below captured the duo's "creative divorcing", drawing a parallel with the conflicts surroundingThe Beatles, which arose from the members' pre-disbandment creative differences.[169] Although both he and Big Boi were insistent on denying the intensified rumors of Outkast's disbandment, André 3000 began increasingly expressing his desire to pursue a solo career throughout the promotional cycle forSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below. In an interview forBlender, he stated: "In a perfect world, this would be the last OutKast record."[10] DeVille calledSpeakerboxxx the first indication of Big Boi's ability to record without André 3000, adding: "It's fair to wonder if Big Boi could have ever crossed over to pop and indie audiences without Andr[é] to kick in the door for him. But in terms of producing classic music, it seems like Andr[é] needed Big Boi a lot more than Big Boi needed Andr[é]."[167] However, Outkast recorded another studio album together—Idlewild (2006), which also served as the soundtrack album for their musical film of the same title—before embarking on an extended hiatus in 2007.[170]Idlewild was originally conceived as a visual counterpart toSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below, composed of music videos for the album's tracks.[171] However, it was reconstructed and postponed numerous times before its August 2006 release.[172][173] Regardless,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below tracks "Bowtie", "Rooster", "Take Off Your Cool", "Church", "She Lives in My Lap", and "Vibrate" were still used inIdlewild as musical numbers.[174] Preezy Brown ofRevolt described theIdlewild project as "devoid of the air of excitement and fanfare that surroundedSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below", calling the latter "the duo's last true shining moment under the Outkast banner.[175]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | Cutmaster Swift | 1:29 | |
| 2. | "GhettoMusick" | André 3000 | 3:56 | |
| 3. | "Unhappy" |
| Mr. DJ | 3:19 |
| 4. | "Bowtie" (featuringSleepy Brown andJazze Pha) | Big Boi | 3:56 | |
| 5. | "The Way You Move" (featuring Sleepy Brown) |
| 3:54 | |
| 6. | "The Rooster" |
|
| 3:57 |
| 7. | "Bust" (featuringKiller Mike) | Big Boi | 3:09 | |
| 8. | "War" |
| Mr. DJ | 2:43 |
| 9. | "Church" |
| André 3000 | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Bamboo" (Interlude) (featuring Bamboo) | 2:10 | ||
| 11. | "Tomb of the Boom" (featuring Konkrete,Big Gipp, andLudacris) |
| Big Boi | 4:46 |
| 12. | "E-Mac" (Interlude) (featuring E-Mac) | 0:25 | ||
| 13. | "Knowing" |
|
| 3:33 |
| 14. | "Flip Flop Rock" (featuring Killer Mike andJay-Z) |
|
| 4:36 |
| 15. | "Interlude" | 1:15 | ||
| 16. | "Reset" (featuringKhujo andCee-Lo) |
| Big Boi | 4:36 |
| 17. | "D-Boi" (Interlude) (featuring Henry Welch) | 0:40 | ||
| 18. | "Last Call" (featuring Slimm Calhoun,Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz, and Mello) |
| André 3000 | 3:58 |
| 19. | "Bowtie" (Postlude) | 0:35 | ||
| Total length: | 56:26 | |||
All tracks onThe Love Below are written by André Benjamin, except where noted. All tracks are produced by André 3000; "Roses" is co-produced by Dojo5.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Love Below" (Intro) | 1:27 | |
| 2. | "Love Hater" |
| 2:49 |
| 3. | "God" (Interlude) | 2:20 | |
| 4. | "Happy Valentine's Day" | 5:23 | |
| 5. | "Spread" | 3:51 | |
| 6. | "Where Are My Panties?" (Interlude) (featuring Toni Hunter) | 1:54 | |
| 7. | "Prototype" | 5:26 | |
| 8. | "She Lives in My Lap" (featuringRosario Dawson) |
| 4:27 |
| 9. | "Hey Ya!" | 3:55 | |
| 10. | "Roses" |
| 6:09 |
| 11. | "Good Day, Good Sir" (Interlude) (featuringFonzworth Bentley) | 1:24 | |
| 12. | "Behold a Lady" | 4:37 | |
| 13. | "Pink & Blue" |
| 5:04 |
| 14. | "Love in War" | 3:25 | |
| 15. | "She's Alive" |
| 4:06 |
| 16. | "Dracula's Wedding" (featuringKelis) | 2:32 | |
| 17. | "The Letter" (featuring Qasha Aman) | 0:21 | |
| 18. | "My Favorite Things" | 5:14 | |
| 19. | "Take Off Your Cool" (featuringNorah Jones) | 2:38 | |
| 20. | "Vibrate" | 6:33 | |
| 21. | "A Life in the Day of Benjamin André (Incomplete)" | 5:11 | |
| Total length: | 78:23 | ||
Notes
Sample credits
Credits are adapted from the liner notes ofSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below.[177]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Monthly charts[edit]
Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
Centurial charts[edit]
All-time charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[163] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[153] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[215] | 2× Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[216] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| Hungary (MAHASZ)[217] | Gold | 10,000^ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[218] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[219] | 3× Platinum | 45,000^ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[220] | Gold | 20,000* |
| South Korea | — | 3,217[195] |
| Sweden (GLF)[221] | Gold | 30,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[222] | Gold | 20,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[157] | 3× Platinum | 900,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[147] | 13× Platinum | 6,500,000‡ |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[161] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
| Worldwide | — | 11,400,000[12] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | September 23, 2003 | Arista | ||
| Germany | September 29, 2003 | Double CD | BMG | |
| United Kingdom | Arista | |||
| Japan | October 8, 2003 | BMG | ||
| Australia | October 13, 2003 | |||
| South Korea | February 6, 2004 | |||
| Europe | April 7, 2017 | Vinyl | Sony Music | |
| Australia | April 14, 2017 |
rmnz was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).