Idlewild helps hip-hop evolve

Dead Prez once rapped in a studio somewhere, "All ya'll records sound the same. I'm sick of that fake thug, R&B-rap scenario, all day on the radio, same scenes in the video, monotonous material…"\nBut ya'll didn't hear Dead Prez right. But, OutKast did. So much is clear with the new release of their album "Idlewild." Don't be thrown off by the flowery title and the Vaudeville themed CD -- OutKast is real hip-hop.\nOutKast has long been proven to be one of hip-hop's kings with albums such as "Stankonia" and "The Love Below/Speakerboxxx." But their latest album, and by far most unique album, truly epitomizes what hip-hop is about.\nOver their last three albums, OutKast has made the transition from a duo (Stankonia) to a duo with separate albums (The Love Below/Speakerboxxx) to singular artists who just so happen to feature each other on everyone of their songs (Idlewild).\n"Idlewild" features much more singing and more obscure rhymes than any of OutKast's previous records. Think of "Idlewild" as OutKast's Sgt. Pepper. The album is more Pink Floyd than P. Diddy and that's what makes it so attractive. Don't expect to hear Lil 'Jon screaming in the background. Instead expect to hear unique music that doesn't sound like everyone else's. OutKast goes out of their way on "Idlewild" to provide a fresh voice that is unlike anyone else in the game.\nThe song "Mighty O," the first song off the album, combines OutKast's throwback rhyming schemes with their new sound. The song is also the perfect vehicle for both of Andre 3000 and Big Boi's styles. In Dre's verse he cleverly raps, "Bored, kind of like a night with sword, Without dragon to battle so I'm runnin from a shadow." I'd reference one of Big Boi's lines, but the verse is so good I couldn't choose one. Seriously.\nOutKast also incorporates different genres of music into their hip-hop album. The song "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me)" has Dre singing the Blues. Dre sings the Blues so well you'd think he was a direct descendent of John Lee Hooker.\nOn "When I Look In Your Eyes" Dre transforms his style and begins to sound like Frank Sinatra singing in a smoky lounge outside of Reno. In "Morris Brown," the album's first single, OutKast receives the help from Scar, Sleepy Brown, and an unnamed marching band to deliver an up-tempo classic.\nThe song "Hollywood Divorce" features the most star power of any song. The song's first verse is occupied by Lil' Wayne and the song concludes with raps from Snoop Dogg. Did I mention this was the album's slowest and most mellow song?\n"Idlewild" demonstrates OutKast's ability as artists and not as radio-anthem shouters. Like Dead Prez said and OutKast demonstrates in their music, "It's bigger than hip-hop"