Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
by Outkast
  • Record Label: La Face
  • Release Date: Sep 23, 2003
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 401 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 356 out of 401
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 401
  3. Negative: 22 out of 401

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  1. MalikM.
    Jul 15, 2007
    10
    This IS THE GREATEST ALBUM I EVER HEARD ANDRE 3000 IS A MUSICAL GENIUS
  2. rickr
    Oct 16, 2003
    10
    holy what? this cd is too funky-fresh to exist. i dont believe its real....i wanna concieve my first child to this album.
  3. AaronH
    May 9, 2007
    8
    Good music is not self indulgent. If you're looking for gangsta, this isn't it. Please, if gangsta is what you're looking for, by all means, buy a 50 Cent album. If you like R&B that borders on jazz, The Love Below has its moments. In fact, it has enough moments that someone like me, who generally avoids hip-hop, bought the album. As for the comparisons to Prince--the Good music is not self indulgent. If you're looking for gangsta, this isn't it. Please, if gangsta is what you're looking for, by all means, buy a 50 Cent album. If you like R&B that borders on jazz, The Love Below has its moments. In fact, it has enough moments that someone like me, who generally avoids hip-hop, bought the album. As for the comparisons to Prince--the resemblance is superficial. Andre 3000 is in his own territory here.… Expand
  4. ChristopheH
    Oct 8, 2003
    9
    Big Boi and André, you guys rule! This is fun from start to end!!!
  5. bigboi
    May 26, 2004
    10
    exelent cd. loved every 39 songs. outkast fan rejoice, they have done it again!!!
  6. richardj
    Aug 10, 2006
    10
    Tell me a better album that crosses over like this record does! I haven't bought a new album since this apart from the follwoing Lina's The Inner Beauty Movement and Guillemots-Through the Windowpane, as everything i have heard pales in comparison, musically. I buy a lot of old-skool records but this contempoary classic keeps Hip-Hop fans satisfied, pop/r & B fans have something Tell me a better album that crosses over like this record does! I haven't bought a new album since this apart from the follwoing Lina's The Inner Beauty Movement and Guillemots-Through the Windowpane, as everything i have heard pales in comparison, musically. I buy a lot of old-skool records but this contempoary classic keeps Hip-Hop fans satisfied, pop/r & B fans have something meaningful for a change, plus old skool fans of Prince/Funkadelic and Sly Stone now have the next artist who can carry on the mantle! THat artist is Andre 3000! if anyone slates this album as far as I'm concerned you can't know much about music writing and quality! (the quality! not dribble like Mariah Carey, James Blunt, Kelly Clarkson) The only album to me what competes in writing to this is Lina's The Inner Beauty Movement!… Expand
  7. DanA
    Jun 24, 2007
    10
    Funking amazing album. Can never stop listening to it. The Love Below is genius, and Speakerboxxx is like an extension to the previously awesome style Outkast has been known for. A classic.
  8. LourdesR
    Oct 10, 2003
    10
    I think im in love again. Stank you, Smelly much.
  9. CJMcIntosh
    Oct 11, 2003
    10
    Awesome. These guys are so cool it's insane.
  10. NathanM
    Nov 2, 2003
    9
    Close To Perfection...The Album Of The Year, Hands Down. Take Off Your Cool!
  11. GeorgeMichael
    Oct 6, 2003
    10
    AMAZING! ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!
  12. NseE
    Dec 25, 2003
    10
    I thought 'Elephant' by The White Stripes was album of the year, then this came along. Awesome!!! Every track is a classic, and the humerous interludes ('God', 'Where are my panties') are a scream. Standouts include the lyrically superb 'War', 'Hey ya', 'Happy valentine's day', 'Spread', 'Flip flop rock', I thought 'Elephant' by The White Stripes was album of the year, then this came along. Awesome!!! Every track is a classic, and the humerous interludes ('God', 'Where are my panties') are a scream. Standouts include the lyrically superb 'War', 'Hey ya', 'Happy valentine's day', 'Spread', 'Flip flop rock', 'Reset', 'Knowing, the hidden jazzy track, everything. A classic that defies categorisation. Brilliant!!!… Expand
  13. QuintonB
    Jan 4, 2013
    8
    This is not one album by Outkast, rather, it's two solo albums sold together as a group album. One is by Big Boi and the other is by Andre 3000. Unfortunately for Big Boi, 3000's record is so compelling and overwhelming that no one has time for Big Boi's album. 3000 clearly stands out, releasing an album the completely moves beyond the boundaries of hip-hop into Prince-esque territory,This is not one album by Outkast, rather, it's two solo albums sold together as a group album. One is by Big Boi and the other is by Andre 3000. Unfortunately for Big Boi, 3000's record is so compelling and overwhelming that no one has time for Big Boi's album. 3000 clearly stands out, releasing an album the completely moves beyond the boundaries of hip-hop into Prince-esque territory, combining jazz, funk, soul, pseudo-rock and hip hop into one fascinating album that has left fans thirsty for a new solo album from 3000 since 2003. Overall, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is another astounding Outkast album, yet one could say it started the divide that has left Outkast on a hiatus ever since their mediocre followup record Idlewild was released.… Expand
  14. SuchiB14
    Oct 4, 2018
    10
    Outkast with yet another classic album. This is an awesome project, even Andre's R&B approached CD was better than I would have expected. However, I reckon that Speakerboxx tops The Love Below; Big Boi was on point and had some of the best verses I've heard from himself in his career (nothing will top his verses on Ms. Jackson and ATliens though). This album isn't Outkast's best but ****Outkast with yet another classic album. This is an awesome project, even Andre's R&B approached CD was better than I would have expected. However, I reckon that Speakerboxx tops The Love Below; Big Boi was on point and had some of the best verses I've heard from himself in his career (nothing will top his verses on Ms. Jackson and ATliens though). This album isn't Outkast's best but **** it is good, Big Boi and Andre deserve all the credit they recieve for this classic. 10/10… Expand
  15. TyS
    Oct 31, 2003
    3
    Bloated with 95% filler this is hardly an enjoyable listen .. Talk about self indulgence !! This should be a 5 track ep .
  16. VytB
    May 27, 2004
    2
    Only 1 good song! Hey Ya.
  17. SimonM
    Sep 2, 2005
    3
    Really, really terrible. 2 cd's of rubbish. There is a few good songs on each album, but overall, this is not the old outkast. Since the classic Ms. Jackson and So Fresh, So clean i've never heard them do anything quite as good. I wouldn't really recommend this album AT ALL!
  18. ShaanS
    Mar 28, 2007
    7
    Pales in comparison to Stankonia. Not the genre molding album the critics claimed it to be. They must have needed a rap album to their top 10 lists to diversify.
  19. KeithR
    Feb 6, 2004
    3
    I'll keep this short. DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE. Outkast hasn't put out a good album since Aquamini... and even that album was sub-par. I am convinced 90% of these reviewers have never heard Outkast's real masterpiece. That masterpiece of course is their second release, ATLiens. That album is one of the all time greats... up there with Nas's "illmatic" and Wu-Tangs I'll keep this short. DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE. Outkast hasn't put out a good album since Aquamini... and even that album was sub-par. I am convinced 90% of these reviewers have never heard Outkast's real masterpiece. That masterpiece of course is their second release, ATLiens. That album is one of the all time greats... up there with Nas's "illmatic" and Wu-Tangs "Enter the 36 Chambers". Listening to an album like Speakerboxx makes me yearn for the days when hip hop was at its peak... hip hop circa- 1993 to 1996. Well those days are over and this album is just another example of that fact. Do yourself a favor and cop the ATLiens album and see Outkast at their full potential.… Expand
  20. KidA
    Aug 5, 2006
    5
    Don't see me as a hater, I love Stankonia, but this album is just not that great
  21. ToddS
    Jan 3, 2007
    5
    Why is the an Outkast album? Big Boi and Andre do approximately 3 songs together on the entire 2-disc album. This isn't an Outkast album. It's 2 solo albums put together with Andre reinventing himself as the new Prince of the millenium, and Big Boi showing that he can't hold a solo album on his own (he has a guest featured on almost every track). Not a bad album as far as Why is the an Outkast album? Big Boi and Andre do approximately 3 songs together on the entire 2-disc album. This isn't an Outkast album. It's 2 solo albums put together with Andre reinventing himself as the new Prince of the millenium, and Big Boi showing that he can't hold a solo album on his own (he has a guest featured on almost every track). Not a bad album as far as commercial hip-hop is concerned, but nowhere near as great as their prior releases. Big and Andre need to ditch the marketing ploy and stop calling themselves Outkast for they have officially gone solo with this release.… Expand
  22. DorianL
    Mar 15, 2007
    2
    2 for effort. This is the worst album of theirs that I have heard, this album made me lose alot of respect for Outkast although I have listened to them from the start. I just don't even want to listen to Idlewild. I still love the rest of their albums
  23. Ravenous
    Nov 21, 2010
    10
    While Speakerboxxx is certainly a strong hip hop record, The Love Below is without a doubt the most innovative r&b album in years, and is perhaps the best album of any style of music for the entire decade 2000-2009. Pure musical genius.
  24. KeithG
    Apr 25, 2012
    4
    This album instantly takes me back to 2003 whenever I hear it, but I don't think it has aged well. It's still stuck in 2003. If you only download "Hey Ya", then you're not missing much from the rest of the album.
  25. yoshimon3
    Aug 31, 2016
    10
    I don't know how they did it, but they crafted the greatest hip hop double album of all time, and one of the greatest works of art, period. 40 tracks and no filler. Artistry at its finest.
  26. AsafoS
    Oct 12, 2003
    10
    This album is incredible. Both artists continue Outkast's hard-paved legacy. One thing remains evident...they are perfect complements to one another musically, and would be longer lived as a group.
  27. Julian
    Oct 5, 2003
    10
    Wow...the love below is the SHIT!
  28. ShaunP
    Oct 5, 2003
    10
    Pure Hip-Hop!!! Both albums tell the story of Hip-hop and where it's heading. It's a great break from the cookie cutter garbadge out now!!!
  29. ChrisC
    Sep 23, 2003
    10
    This album has got to be tha best of all tha outkast collection. If you've never heard outkast pick this album up... Believe me ya'll thank me latta
  30. DJIght
    Oct 10, 2004
    10
    The Love Below is the greatest album i have ever heard period. If Outkast just released TLB then it would be perfect, but they made it even more perfect by adding a godd album that is titled SpeakerBoxxx
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best Album of 2003
5
#5 Most Discussed Album of 2003
8
#8 Most Shared Album of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Los Angeles Times
    Apr 17, 2012
    100
    OutKast's duo have made a cohesive statement that not only cries at the boundaries of rap music but vaults over them to a place where the music sounds like neon colors and the only rule is that you must free your mind. Your ears will follow.
    Read full review
  2. Mojo
    90
    The genius of past Outkast isn't diluted or diminished across these disks, rather it's doubled, expanded and explored. [Sep 2003, p.99]
  3. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    80
    Speakerboxxx--by itself the album of the year--makes the failings of The Love Below all the more evident.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »