Five Reasons to Believe Big Boi’s Solo Album is Finally Coming (And Might Actually be Good)

Photo by Evan Bartleson/4.amoeba Studio

The interminably delayed solo project by OutKast co-founder Antwan “Big Boi” Patton may finally see release. When is it coming? “Very, very soon,” Big Boi told us recently, in a little sit-down chat on the Westside of Atlanta.

For the record (and not for the first time), Big Boi swore he wasn’t responsible for the delay. “It’s for real, man. It’s not me. It’s been the record label the whole time, man. I’m with a new label. They don’t really too much understand it. They don’t understand artistic expression. They want to go straight to the radio. And OutKast is not a radio group.”

Which, except for those three #1 songs, is true enough.

In any case, Big Boi has been doing his part to thwart a leak: “I’ve just been holding it close to me because I want it to come out right. I don’t want it to be leaked and then it’d just be crazy. So that’s why I’ve been giving the fans peeks of songs while I’ve been waiting for the label to get their shit together.”

Here, we count the reasons we’re cautiously optimistic about the record coming out and kicking ass:

1. Big Boi confirmed that the title remains as loopy and mackadocious as ever: Sir Luscious Leftfoot: Son of Chico Dusty. This bodes well: The only OutKast record that wasn’t awesome was the one with the most ordinary title. You know the one.

2. He also confirmed that the tracklist will include “Royal Flush” and “Shine Blockas,” which fans have already heard, as well as a song called “Tangerine” and a track featuring his OutKast partner Andre 3000. First time those dudes have jumped on a track together in way too long.

3. Although this will technically be Big Boi’s debut solo album, he’s worked alone for years—and often with great results. His Purple Ribbon All-Stars record gave us “Kryptonite,” an all-time ATL rap classic. He rhymed alongside Killer Mike on “My Chrome,” another banger. And he dropped a wicked verse on the ridiculous DJ Khaled posse cut “I’m So Hood (remix).” And that’s not to mention all the killer songs on his half of OutKast’s massive Speakerboxxx/The Love Below album.

4. At one point he stepped out to his car and grabbed a DVD. It was the just-completed video for a mid-tempo cruiser called “Fo Yo Sorrows.” The video, shot down the road in Savannah, features George Clinton and Too $hort—old school.

5. Our conversation concluded with the following exchange, in which we attempted to pin the man down on a release date:
Paste: So, spring?
Big Boi: Definitely.
Paste: For real?
Big Boi: For real for real. Or I’ll give it to you for free.