This review passed right by me, I set out to do it, but unfortunately it came along at the wrong time. You see I became a relocation engineer and moved all my belongings out of the confines of University City. No matter how good my intentions, this review got lost in the shuffle of life.

Fortunately the music did not. A day didn’t go by where someone in close proximity wouldn't blurt out with, shshshsh, shake it, shshshsh shake it, shake it like a Polaroid picture! Either I would laugh or think to myself, damn that’s a good song. I bullsh***ed on writing this review, figuring who cared about an album that’s been out for almost two months, but maybe I’m wrong. Let’s recap Andre 3000’s Hey Ya! Is still on top of the Billboard charts (ok we can have that Billboard argument on the message boards), he’s currently shooting the video for his new single Prototype and I still yell out “Whose Cooler than Cool” (once in a while someone responds with an ICE COLD!)…Oh and Rosa Parks has re-filed her lawsuit. There, now you have proof and justification for you to continue reading this review.

As a group Outkast has always pushed the borders of hip-hop, never fearing the untested and ignoring the formula for a platinum record (i.e. Nelly, Chingy, Jay-Z, 50 Cent etc., etc.), yet every record has gone platinum. Why is that? That answer is originality. That’s right, every album has an identity and now with The Love Below, Andre 3000’s soul has been fleshed out and laid bare for us to praise, scrutinize, or scratch our heads. I’ll choose all three.

The Praise
So what does the album sound like? Good question, it sounds like nothing I ever heard of before. Well that’s a tad vague so let me try again. Imagine you wanted to make a compilation album by some of the most influential music artist of the 20th century. So you jump in your Delorian and traveled back in time to kidnap Chuck Berry, the Beetles, Little Richie (the inventor of Rock and Roll), Rick James, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Sinatra put them in a studio force them to work together and 5 months later you’ll get The Love Below.

Andre 3000 has changed the face of music, I give credit to The Love Below it doesn’t allow itself to fit into anyone’s convenient category or attempt the money shot (a blatant made-for-radio song). Don’t get it confused, as the title dictates this is a love album and whether that love derives from the heart or somewhere below, you will feel this album.

The Scrutinizing and Head Scratching
In all honesty there is not much here for me to dislike, but I have one gripe. My problem lies in the skit Good Day, Good Sir, it feels unnecessary, drawn out and for its one minute and thirty second duration take you out of the world Andre has imerssed us in. Still persevere and your ears will be rewarded.

The Love Below will easily remain in your top rotation for years to come and with that we will give it 4.5 globes.

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