Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors - Big Boi
User Score
7.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 41
  3. Negative: 3 out of 41

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  1. rydermusic
    Dec 13, 2012
    7
    Far less than Sir Lucious Left Foot but Big Boi tries to be innovative with electronic sounds compared to the funk of his solo debut. The best song is without a doubt Mama Told Me with Kelly Rowland. Slightly disappointed.
  2. Spangle
    Dec 11, 2012
    5
    The album is decent. It's far from a classic, but far from being awful. It's quite average in fact. When Big Boi is rapping, it's good, but many of the songs have crazy affects put on them, which is irritating to listen to, especially when you can't hear the words due to the affects. "She Hates Me", "CPU", "Mama Told Me", "Lines", and "Tremendous Damage", are easily the best tracks here.
  3. QuintonB
    Jan 4, 2013
    7
    VL&DR is an uneven hipster rap album that attempts to achieve above and beyond Big Boi's capabilities. While his partner Andre 3000 may be able to pull off weirdness well, Big Boi, unfortunately, cannot and often fails to leave a lasting impression with songs that seem almost amateurish. Thankfully, the highs outweigh the lows, with songs like, "The Thickets", the Janelle Monae-esque jam, "Apple of My Eye", "She Hates Me", "CPU", "Mama Told Me", "Lines", and "Tremendous Damage," being standouts.… Expand
  4. seantimothy
    Dec 18, 2012
    9
    It's fun, it's clever, it's loud, it's funny. Not much negative stuff you could say about this if you've been into Big Boi for the long haul. There's also some heavy deep material in here and of course that rugged street audacity you need.
  5. critic1million
    Dec 20, 2012
    7
    This is more good music than good rap or rapping. Big Boi does not really display top notch skills on this set he allows the musical compositions to do a lot of the work as he chooses to just go with the flow. It will be hard for a fan of the more hardcore rap scene to really get into this. "In the A" is really the only time he enters the hardcore world. We must understand that not everything is for everybody and this is one of those things that some will not really appreciate. I appreciate it for what it really is; good music and not necessarily good rap.… Expand
  6. HeadRadio
    Dec 18, 2012
    4
    A very messy album filled with ideas not thoroughly conceived. There are some tracks that hit hard like In the A and Shoes for Running but most of these songs are overdone and lost in electronic experimental nonsense. This is far bellow my expectations :(
  7. StrangeQuark
    Dec 12, 2012
    9
    This album is in my opinion, a success. The direction represents an overall industry trend towards psychedelic Hip-Hop. Old school fans of Biggie might be disappointed by this direction, but I really appreciate the variety of sonic exploration contained in this album. I'm impressed.
  8. Lumburjak
    Dec 12, 2012
    9
    Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors takes you to many places
  9. SydeWayz
    Mar 1, 2013
    9
    Big Boi's new album 'Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors' is by far one of the best albums of 2013 In a time when so many albums and mix-tapes ain't worth the storage space on your device/hard-drive or the time it takes to steal it this album IS worth the $12.99 from itunes.
    When so many rappers are spitting nursery rhymes about their cash and how they're the "Only Ni#%a in First Class",it    s refreshing to hear some grown up rapping with a great assortment of beat styles to match.
    Funky joints like Raspberries ,Shoes for Running and CPU,make me think his music is heading in the right direction,originality at its best!

    Get it ,you won't be disappointed.

    If you don't know
    Now you know!    … Expand
  10. Derz
    Dec 11, 2012
    9
    Big Boi comes back from an amazing solo debut with an equally impressive album in its own right. He decided to switch things up for this one by experimenting with electronic and indie sounds, and it payed off. One of the most creative and unique rap albums of the year.
  11. monstymonst85
    Dec 12, 2012
    10
    Once again General Patton proves that not only is he the most fun man in music, he is also the most open-minded. Big Boi is willing to play with any sounds, old or new, and it shows. From the Princesque pop ditty 'Mama Told Me' (featuring a sexy-sounding Kelly Rowland) to the straight-up Dirty South banger 'In the A', and more the more electronic numbers 'Objectum Sexuality' and 'Lines' - both featuring Phantogram - there's something for everyone here. But rather than catering to all tastes with three or four songs, Patton succeeds in making a mockery of genres and scenes. Which is to say that this album is just as approachable for a tight-jeaned indie scenester as it is an 80s funk or hip-hop diehard, or a present-day pop and R'n'B devotee.

    There is absolutely no filler here whatsoever, but perhaps the most intriguing cut of all is 'Shoes for Running', a collaboration with Wavves and the oft-derided B.o.B, who rides the choppy guitars which separate the anthemic, chanty-indie verses with ease. As any hip-hop-head will tell you, Big Boi's 2010 effort 'Sir Lucious Left Foot' was easily the album of its year, and 'Vicious Lies' is mounting a serious if last-ditch challenge for this year's award. Stunning stuff.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Uncut
    Feb 4, 2013
    70
    It's not as scintillating as we've come to expect from the OutKast camp, but plenty of fun nonetheless. [Mar 2013, p.67]
  2. Drowned In Sound
    Jan 30, 2013
    70
    Despite the heterogeneous nature of the album as a whole, Patton is never out of his depth, even when paired with unusual collaborators.
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  3. Okayplayer
    Jan 29, 2013
    90
    Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors has a much more electronic feel to it, with a plethora of synthesizers. The brassy street thump of past Big Boi releases is still present, it's just more centralized.
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