Review Roundup: Big Boi - 'Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty'

Big Boi rides solo on his long-awaited debut album Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, featuring appearances from T.I., Janelle Monáe, Jamie Foxx, Gucci Mane, and more. Did the critics embrace the OutKast rapper’s first stand-alone project without his other half André 3000? Find out below.

Entertainment Weekly: Big Boi summons the restless risk-taking spirit of OutKast’s most essential work, yielding a richer set than his half of their 2003 double album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. A-

USA Today: Big Boi proves more than capable of shouldering this excellent and eclectic project himself. He gets plenty of help from his fellow ATLiens and other friends: T.I., George Clinton, Organized Noize, Gucci Mane, B.o.B, Sleepy Brown, and Jamie Foxx. It’s his dexterous flow, however, over everything from symphonic strings to smooth R&B to space-age electronica, that makes him the life of the party. 3.5 out of 4

Los Angeles Times: Tasty cuts abound here, but Sir Lucious is most enjoyable as a complete listening experience. Big Boi shows off his quick thinking throughout on rhymes that don’t tell stories as much as entertain with consistent wit, the way a real raconteur does during a hazy summer back-porch hang. 3.5 out of 4

Rolling Stone: Big Boi’s first official solo album is a stunning reminder of the OutKast rapper’s hall-of-fame skills. … He’s less pimp than craftsman, packing more style—and more substance—into his four-minute-long songs than other rappers deliver in an entire album. 3.5 out of 5

The Washington Post: The credit often goes to Andre 3000, the duo’s splashier half, but while OutKast remains on extended hiatus, the intensity of Big Boi’s solo outing should silence anyone who’s ever questioned his contribution to the group.

Rap-Up’s Favorite Tracks: “Follow Us,” “Shutterbugg,” “Tangerine,” “Fo Yo Sorrows”