Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be 50 fantastic first solo albums recorded by artists who departed—or simply took a temporary hiatus from—their respective groups, representing a varied cross-section of genres, styles and time periods. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album or view the full album index here.
BIG BOI | Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
Def Jam/Purple Ribbon (2010)
Selected by Jesse Ducker
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After the release and massive success of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2003, there was little doubt that André 3000 was going to leave OutKast behind and move on to dominate the music industry. However, 15 years after that double album’s release, it’s Antwan “Big Boi” Patton who’s established a solid and respectable career as a solo artist. And Big Boi began to build this career with Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty in 2010.
Dropping four years after OutKast’s final album, Idlewild, Sir Lucious hit the shelves after years of delays, much of these involving prolonged disputes with his former label, Jive Records. When Def Jam finally released the album, it was refreshing and vibrant in all the ways that his fans had hoped. Working with a diverse production team that included Organized Noize, Scott Storch, Salaam Remi, Lil Jon, and even his partner-in-rhyme André 3000, it captured the fun and panache that had always been present in Big Boi’s music. Meanwhile, it proved that he could carry the weight of an album and forge his own path.
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