For years now, hip-hop fans have been complaining about the lack of creativity in the genre and even if Jay-Z, Nas, and LL dropped a collaboration album tomorrow you can bet there would still be some grumblings from the crowd. Can’t you picture it? “Jay ain’t what he was”, or “Nas fell off”, or “Yeah they should have done this years ago”. The bottom line is this, nobody will ever be able to please hip-hop fans entirely, they’re a finicky bunch.

On September 23, 2003 though, even some of the most die-hard haters had to shut up for a minute as Outkast hit the world over the head with easily one of the most innovative hip-hop albums of all time in Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

Everything about this album was original. It was a double disc set in which the only thing they had in common were the fact that they both contained music. It was vintage Oukast yet not Outkast at all and it was flat out bangin’ hip-hop.

With the SpeakerBoxxx side belonging to Big Boi and The Love Below side belonging to Andre 3000 each of these talented lyricists had free reign over what they would do musically. While Big Boi, who is one of the most underrated lyricists of all time delivered something that would please even the most diehard Outkast fans Andre 3000 decided to jump off a cliff with his side as he delivered funk, soul, rap, hell I don’t even know but his fall was cushioned by the fact that the album was certified diamond with 11 million sold and produced hit singles for the ATLiens.

Big Boi hit the ground running with his cathy single “The Way You Move” which had the dance floors packed while still being able to appeal to everybody while Andre 3000 delivered possibly the most far left hip-hop (if it’s classified as hip-hop) song ever released in “Hey Ya!”. “Hey Ya!” became the anthem everywhere from frat parties to kareoke nights where stockbrokers would belt out the funky song as they got drunk and hit on new interns.

Even though Big Boi stayed true to his ATL pimp persona and Dre went left and took us on a psychadellic adventure both albums seemed to mesh well. I guess you’re able to pull off such incredible feats when you’re possibly the greatest hip-hop duo in history. With Big Boi delivering tracks like “Flip Flop Rock” and “Knowing” and Andre 3000 giving us “Roses” and “Love In War”, this double album is a great listen all the way through. I’m gonn aleave you with some lyrics from the legendary duo so enjoy and if you don’t have the album then make sure to cop it ASAP.

Big Boi, “The Way You Move”

Ready for action, nip it in the bud
We never relaxin, OutKast is everlastin
Not clashin, not at all
But see my nigga went to do a little actin
Now that's for anyone askin, give me one pass 'em
Drip drip drop, there goes an eargasm
Now you cumin out the side of your face
We tappin right into your memory banks - thanks!
So click-it-or-ticket, let's see your seat belt fastened
Trunk rattlin, like two midgets in the backseat rasslin'
Speakerboxxx vibrate the tag
Make it sound like aluminum cans in a bag
But I know y'all wanted that 808
Can you feel that B-A-S-S bass?
But I know y'all wanted that 808
Can you feel that B-A-S-S bass?

Andre 3000, “Roses”

Caroline! See she's the reason for the word "bitch"
I hope she's speeding on the way to the club
Trying to hurry up to get to some
Baller or singer or somebody like that
And try to put on her makeup in the mirror
And crash, crash, crash.. into a ditch! (Just Playing!)
She needs a golden calculator to divide
The time it took to look inside and realize that
Real guys go for real down to Mars girls, yeah!