Here's a link to a roundup of a ton of reviews of the new classic OUTKAST album. The average score is an 86.
Speakerboxxx/Love Below Review Roundup
EW Gives the new record a solid "A" Here's an excerpt:
You know we live in freakish times when two of pop's most outrageous characters, Andre ''3000'' Benjamin (a.k.a. Dre) and Antwan ''Big Boi'' Patton -- the duo called OutKast -- can walk on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards and be counted among the more understated participants. Of course, they could afford to be: They'd just finished Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, a long-awaited pair of solo CDs (out Sept. 23) that, if released separately, would each be a candidate for Hip-Hop Record of the Year. Packaged together, they make a twofer whose ambition flies so far beyond that of anyone doing rap right now (or pop, or rock, or R&B), awards shows may need to create a special category for it.
Read the Whole Thing Here
In case you missed it, here's the link to MTV's Outkast album preview: Outkast Album Preview: From The Whole World To The Entire Universe
IT has proven near impossible to ignore the rumors, the rampant music-media speculation. "Outkast — Divided Souls," one magazine cover suggested. "Outkast Goes Their Separate Ways?" asked yet another. Tired of the talk about their imminent demise, at a recent news conference the two men who make up hip-hop's most ingenious group vigorously denied they were disbanding.
Outkast, Rap's Odd Couple: Gangsta Meets Granola
In a recent interview, Andre revealed that hip-hop music no longer stimulates him and that he would not be touring to support their upcoming set, Speakerboxx/The Love Below.
"I don't feel the music the same way I did when I first got into hip-hop, loving it, loving writing lyrics and studying other people's lyrics," Andre told The New York Times. "Back then all I would think about was beats and rhymes."
Andre moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career and has taken up the clarinet and saxophone and is contemplating enrolling in a music school.
"The next time I perform on stage, I see myself playing in a band," Andre continued. "I want it to be a total departure from Outkast."
Andre's decision not to tour didn't effect group member Big Boi's ambitions to support the album by hitting the road.
"If he decides not to tour, it's all good," Big Boi said. "He knows I'm going to go on the road. Ain't nothing better than the crowd's reaction to new music."
-- From AllHipHop.com : News
Outkast's Andre 3000 is among the producers No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani has enlisted for her long-awaited debut solo album. In addition to producing tracks for set, Andre 3000 is also slated to make a guest appearance on the song "Long Way To Go."
According to sources, the as-yet-untitled album is being eyed for a spring 2004 release via Interscope and may also include tracks with Missy Elliott. Stefani has already collaborated with her No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal, as well as songwriter Linda Perry (Pink, Christina Aguilera) and producers Dallas Austin (TLC, Madonna) and Damon Elliott (Destiny's Child).
"The song was actually going to go on [Outkast's upcoming Arista set "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"], but I didn't feel like my audience was ready to hear this type of song," Andre 3000 tells Billboard.com of "Long Way To Go." "It's a song about an interracial relationship and I thought Gwen Stefani would be a great person to do it with."
From Billboard online: LINK