Idlewild is OutKast's eagerly anticipated music accompaniment to their similarly titled film debut.
Is Idlewild a Film Soundtrack or Another OutKast Album?
Idlewild is a frustrating piece of music to review for a few reasons. First, there are the semantic difficulties: Is Idlewild a film soundtrack or another OutKast album? Some say you can't view (or review) both in the same light. Idlewild might share its name with the film starring Antwan Patton (Big Boi), André Benjamin (André 3000), and the pimp from "Hustle & Flow," but it deviates from traditional soundtrack methodology, meaning it's not a free-for-all for seemingly random artists to make quick and easy pocket change. Idlewild draws more from the film's prohibition-era motifs than the actually screenplay--very little of the material on the Idlewild appears on screen. Forget 10 the Hard Way, this is the next OutKast record. Second, judgement was passed on Idlewild weeks before anyone heard the whole thing; complaints of "3000's still singing," "Big Boi and André still have separate tracks," and "None of the leaked songs are very good" ran rampant among those who had heard what leaked onto the internet. Which leads to the third issue: Idlewild's best moments are some of the year's most memorable--which isn't saying much for hip-hop in 2006--but, when compared to previous works, these songs rank merely above average.
OutKast, Still as Progressive as Ever on Idlewild
Since their 1994 debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, OutKast have arguably been rap’s most consistent group. And by far the most progressive, too--none of their albums sound alike, and Idlewild is no exception. Fusing together 30's vaudeville with modern southern rap results in a fresh, but ultimately familiar, experience ("Two dope boys in a Cadillac, still" Big Boi raps on "Morris Brown," one of Idlewild's highlights). It's an endeavour that succeeds more than it fails, though this is one case where success really is a relative term. Among indulgent snoozers like "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'bout Me)" and failed attempts at avant-garde like "Makes No Sense at All" (both André tracks, not coincidentally), songs that don't completely self-implode like "Chronomentrophobia," where André both sings and raps about an actual medical condition (the fear of time), sound a lot better than they would on their own. "Mighty O" has been praised more because André actually raps on it with Big and less because it can't mess with anything in the OutKast canon.
The "André " Factor
One of the major flaws on Idlewild is that André still hasn't discovered the difference between having pipes (see: Cee-Lo, or even Mos Def) and thinking you have pipes (see: André 3000). What's ironic is that as pedestrian as his singing is, his rapping has degenerated to the point where he should croon rather than attempt to flow. He sounds bored on "Hollywood Divorce," as he resorts to playing the dreaded ABC game while Lil' Wayne kills OutKast on their own sh*t and further demonstrates his 'comeuppance' with biting post-Katrina commentary ("The hurricane came and took my Louisiana home / And all I got in return was a darn country song") and did-he-just-say-that wordplay. With three verses on the record, Dré raps about as much as he did on The Love Below / Speakerboxxx--more or less one song.
The Bottom Line
André 3000's solo tracks range from tolerable ("Life Is Like a Musical") to maudlin but at least emotive ("Dyin' to Live") to fast-forward worthy lounge disasters ("When I Look In Your Eyes"). The union of contemporary and period sounds lends itself well to the songs that actually take advantage of this fusion. "Morris Brown" is given marching-band drums while Sleepy Brown and Scar provide funkified soul that adds texture to Big Boi's blitzkrieg of staccato mini-verses. The country twang and space-y Organized Noize flourishes of "The Train" coalesce into a euphoric standout and "In Your Dreams" finds OutKast's favorite producers chopping flamenco into a melting pot of 20's and 00's sounds. In fact, it's songs like "The Train" and "In Your Dreams" that really illustrate the continuing refinement of Big Boi's emceeing. Antwan hasn't sounded as energetic, charismatic, and witty in years, his flow like fine wine--with age it only gets better. There are moments of OutKast's realized vision on Idlewild (such as Killer Mike reminding us why he's one of best rappers around that no one listens to), and the duo should be lauded for the risk that Idlewild is. It's just too bad most of the music can't be praised as much as the concept.
