Antwan André Patton has many nicknames — Chico Dusty, General Patton, Daddy Fat Saxxx, Hot Tub Tony, Sir Lucious Left Foot, even Francis the Savannah Chitlin Pimp — but the world knows him best as Big Boi. As one half of hip-hop phenom OutKast, Big Boi along with his partner, André 3000, blazed trails both in and outside the genre. After putting the band to rest, Big Boi did the exact opposite, guest appearing with the likes of Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown and more, working on a solo debut (2010′s Sir Lucious Left Foot…The Son of Chico Dusty) as well as releasing Got Purp? Vol 2, a mixtape showcasing his Purple Ribbon label.
Now, after a string of delays and six already released songs, Big Boi is ready to finally release his second solo effort Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors on December 11th. Consequence of Sound recently caught up with General Patton to discuss his new album, its string of collaborators, the importance of family both personally and professionally, and how one gets to the inside of a Tootsie Pop. He also offered updates for his rumored collaborations with Phantogram Modest Mouse, and Kate Bush.
After some delay Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors is finally hitting stores on December 11th, but you’ve already released six tracks. I can remember when artists would take up to two years to release six tracks. What is the reasoning behind revealing so much before the album comes out?
It’s all killer, no filler. I’ve got 17 songs on the record. I was able to do that because everything is high powered. I’m still not missing nothing out of the bunch. It just gives the listener a chance to sample the product. [Michael Jackson’s] Thriller was only nine songs. If I only had nine songs then I wouldn’t have done that much, but I have so much material that I think is great that I was able to give them more and they still haven’t heard the best yet.
You’ve said that the title came from your grandmother and a book she was going to write about her life and fight with cancer. It’s also my understanding that your children have had a say in what you do in your work. I imagine family is important to you in your personal life, but how does family play in your music and what you create professionally?
It’s my foundation. It’s always family and God first. To have that kind of support, my kids are like my secret A&R. Like the beats for the album, they would take them to school and they’d be like, “Daddy you need to do that song.” I take them to football practice and they’d be like, “Hey, daddy, when are you going to put some words on this song?” They listen to everything. Those are some of the songs I’ve gravitated towards and they’ve helped me since the days of “Bombs Over Baghdad”.
Are you gearing them up to be musicians themselves?
I tell them to be whatever they want to be. My kids want to be some of everything. My boys play football; my daughter wants to be an accountant. Actually, she’s going to the University of Auburn majoring in business and minoring in accounting. And the boys play football; they want to be veterinarians, they want to be dancers. All my kids play instruments. So I just encourage them to be all they want to be, whatever their hearts desire and just support them for that.
You’ve said that this album was fun. In fact, you’ve used that word often when describing this album’s creation. How did it differ from your debut?
I guess the debut was kind of grueling with the creative differences with the label and things. After I came out and the last album was critically acclaimed, they were kind of like, “Okay, this guy knows what he’s doing again after he went Diamond, so now we’ll trust his judgment.” Def Jam has been great facilitating me getting my music to the public and I really appreciate that.
Do you think some of that difficulty with the label came because they weren’t sure how you’d do as a solo artist?
Probably, probably so. They probably didn’t know this shit was still high powered cobra venom potent. They didn’t know I had the snake venom over here.
That supply hasn’t waned.
Right, right. I got a whole vault full of music. Now it’s going really, really good. I’m already nine songs into my next record and I’m just staying recording.
How often do you write if you’ve already got nine songs going into the next one?
All the time. Even when I’m touring and things like that. When I’m at home I spend a lot of time at the studio, where I’m at now actually. Phantogram is in here recording their album at Stankonia. They came to get some of this stankness. It don’t stop. I just mastered my album two weeks ago and Phantogram said [they] were coming for another week and I was like, “Shit, I gotta be there.” So I’ve been in here with them for the past couple of days and their new shit sounds fucking incredible.
You co-produced at least half the beats on Sir Luscious. Did you retain a similar role this time out?
Yeah, I co-produce every song on the album. There’s no song that’s on there that I didn’t touch and just had a really good ass time doing it. Being a writer and a producer is a heavy load, but it’s definitely a lot of fun.
I read that you were worried that when you had to travel to New York to do press for the album that you weren’t going to be around to master. Is that a concern for you? Do you like being in the studio over the entire process or can you relax a little bit?
Yep, yep, yep. Down to the very last drop. It’s like a baby – you want to see it all the way through but I had to go start press so my partner Chris Carmouche took care of it all. It really turned out the way I wanted to so it’s good.
Photo by Debi Del Grande
You’ve previously mentioned that the way you worked with Modest Mouse on their album affected how you approached making Vicious Lies. How so?
We did the whole concept of camping out for a week straight. It gave us seven days to hash all the ideas out. Really when you might work with an artist it would be like try and make a schedule and they might come in for a day or two days and you really can’t experience the whole adventure. So, that is what set the standard. When Phantogram came, give me seven days; Little Dragon, give me seven days. That’s why you see Phantogram and Little Dragon on three songs each. We did so much music and it was just too good not to put on there.
Speaking of Little Dragon, let’s talk about “Mama Told Me”. You premiered the track with Little Dragon this past summer yet the album features Kelly Rowland. Did you always intend to feature Kelly and just wanted to debut the track or did you actually have a conscious decision behind switching it up?
No it was something internally with Little Dragon where they were having problems with their former label. They switched labels. They were on a label called Peace Frog. Peace Frog was trying to be greedy and hijack my song when they had nothing to do with it. It was totally something with their camp. So I had to tell Peace Frog that if you want to be un-peaceful, I’ll tell you what time it is. You can’t hijack my record that you have nothing to do with, so that’s why I got Kelly on it. Somehow, someway there’s a Little Dragon version on CD somewhere out there.
This album features tons of guests. In addition to B.o.B. and Sleepy Brown returning, you’ve got Ludacris, T.I., Kid Cudi, Big KRIT, UGK, among others. Like you’ve said, Phantogram, Little Dragon. Wavves makes an appearance. You’ve got Jake Troth from Between the Buried and Me. But you’ve also made a point of saying that all your cameos are not features but pieces of the whole…
Exactly.
With that in mind, do people have to step up their game to work with you?
I would think so. I like to keep people in a different light. I like to showcase them in a different way than their regular people would hear them. When people come with me they are always going to bring their ‘A-game’ and they’re always going to put it together and keep everything tight. When we work, I guess I just bring out the best in people.
Have you ever had to tell somebody like, “Hey Luda, this isn’t good enough, make something better for me”?
Nah, nah, nah. It’s always organically created, never genetically modified. No GMO here.
Hell yeah. I’d love to work with you!
Sho’, c’mon. Seven days, baby, give me seven days. [Laughs.]
When you go into a collaboration, do you tailor your sound to what someone already sounds like — similar to the way a screenwriter would write for a specific actor — or do you bring your usual beats/vibe and have them craft around it?
No. It’s totally an experimentation process. Whatever is going to be put on the table from a producer or writer standpoint we just try ideas. It’s trial and error; what works and what don’t work. In search of finding the perfect groove, it’s really on point, like trying to unlock the combination to a safe.
Do you have to approach it differently when working with emcees versus a pop band?
No, it’s all the same thing. It’s just creative juices. It’s like everybody is the same, let’s just jam out.
Most of the emcees you have on your album represent Atlanta and Brooklyn. But you’ve worked with people like Snoop and Dre in the past. Are there any thoughts of pulling in other West Coast talent like Black Hippy members Kendrick Lamar or Schoolboy Q?
That might work. It depends. If we cross paths or whatever and somebody wants to come and give me seven days, I’m pretty sure we can make something happen. I’m open to work with just about anybody as long as you’re willing to jam and try new things. That’s what it’s all about; it’s all about making music that’s going to be timeless and going to be here for years to come.
Tell me about your ‘funk throat.’
Definitely. I got that from George Clinton. He was like, “You gotta use your funk throat more.” It’s not really singing. I call it more like spoken word. It’s all a vibe, no autotune, none of that shit, just straight, your real voice. And it’s all about expression in your voice. My voice is kind of raspy anyways, so I’m just trying to utilize that a little bit more.
The end of your song “In the A” features an interlude by Pastor James David Manning emphasizing practicing academics and difficult things. How did this end up on the track?
It came from watching some of his videos on YouTube, just following certain things he speaks about. Certain sermons that he’s preaching, I just thought that was real powerful. That was from something I think he did years ago but it really stuck with me when I first heard it because it made a lot of sense. It’s not too hard to really think about it. He has a lot of radical views on a lot of things. I don’t support everything he says, but that particular thing right there, I definitely support that.
Yeah, why people don’t practice academics the way they practice ball.
Exactly.
One of the lyrics in “Lines” actually jumped out at me, and I want to get your take on it. I’ve always thought the answer was ‘three’, but how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?
[Laughs]. How many? I always bite it. Yeah, maybe after about three, you might be right. After three I always bite that muthafucka.
We’ve already talked about how you were collaborating with Modest Mouse and you’ve been talking about wanting to work with Kate Bush. I know you’ve spoken with her. Have you made plans to actually go to London yet and what is it about Kate Bush that draws you?
I’ve talked to her but I haven’t made it to London yet to sit down and talk with her. But we’re gonna sit down over crumpets and tea and try to get it together. I’ve been into her music since I was in the sixth grade. My uncle, Russell, actually turned me on to it. One of the main things that I love about her is the production style and her voice is so angelic; it’s beautiful. The meanings of some of the stories behind some of her songs are incredible. It’s really deep; you have to listen to it.
You’re pretty deep yourself. You’re not all hip-hop. In recent years you’ve branched out. You’ve been doing acting; you’ve worked with the Atlanta Ballet. Now you’re working with pop and metal artists on this album; Modest Mouse; possibly Kate Bush. Do you think you will ever have a day when you actually make a full hip-hop/rock album or even just a rock album?
I’m just music. Period. I like to mesh everything together to make that Funkenstein. Whatever’s gonna be the funkiest. You never know. The beats are always going to be hard-hitting. It’s wherever the music takes me; I just want it to be something new and creative. Nothing’s off the table. It’s whatever it calls for.
Do you have any non-musical ventures that interest you? Besides acting, would you want to do something else besides being a musician?
Scoring movies. As well as acting, I like to score films as well. I want to become a farmer as well. I want to grow my own food and raise horses along with dogs and kind of live off the land.
I have the ubiquitous Outkast question, if you don’t mind. I wanted to ask a question about one of my all time favorite tracks, “SpottieOtieDopalicious”, specifically the horn riff. Who came up with it and how did it come to be?
Right, SpottieOtie! It was me and Dre [André Benjamin, aka André 3000] and Organized Noise [Atlanta-based American hip hop production company made up of Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown]. How it came to be, it was basically us in the studio with a groove. Almost like a scene from a speakeasy. Charles Disco was a club, an underground club way back in the day when we were in high school. We were too young to get into the club and this was like where all bad shit went on, so of course we were in there. It was really just setting the scene of the tone of what that club was. We had the band come in, Horns Unlimited, of course, with their enchanting horns and just creating that scene. It’s one of my favorite all-time songs as well.
