This double CD by hip-hop duo Outkast raises the necessary questions. Dre and Big Boi chose to both produce half and then present it as Outkast. Could there be a fight in the tent? Then why not divide the ways? Commercial considerations will certainly have played a role; After the top album Stankonia (2000), the name Outkast guarantees high sales figures. Anyway, even with this foreknowledge, the
… double CD sounds to an outsider like a coherent group product, where both gentlemen prove to be able to guarantee that so recognizable Outkast sound on their own. Where CD 1 (Big Boi) has more of a hip-hop feeling and CD 2 (Dre) poppier. Despite the long playing time, Outkast once again impresses with the multitude and diversity of the ideas and the playful virtuosity of the raps. Dre and Big Boi are also separate from each other good for a fresh impulse for both hip-hop and contemporary pop music. (MS)more
