Rolling Stone (p.89) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "IDLEWILD mixes up swing, blues, hip-hop and R&B without losing a step..."
Spin (p.99) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "There are touches of the jazz/jump blues from the film's '30s/'40s demimonde, as well as shades of Prince's most fitfully eclectic periods."
Spin (p.59) - Ranked #25 in Spin's "The 40 Best Albums of 2006" -- "'PJ & Rooster,' a lively hip-hop/soul/jazz throwdown, pops like some of their classic material."
Q (p.123) - Ranked #30 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006" -- "A vivid celebration of the most creative partnership in rap."
Uncut (p.114) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Stylish and substantial; it's a deft masterpastiche that dissolves history for its own entertainment -- the work of two men bigger than hip hop."
XXL (Magazine) (p.172) - "Big Boi peacocks all over IDLEWILD, a sharp MC at his most mature and vivid."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.97) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Every time you think you've got IDLEWILD figured out, it zips off in a totally unexpected new direction....Three years ago, OutKast were the best band in the world: IDLEWILD proves they still are."
Outkast: Andre 3000, Big Boi.
Additional personnel: Khujo Goodie, Killer Mike, Lil Wayne, Macy Gray, Sleepy Brown, Snoop Dogg, Whild Peach, Scar, Janelle Monae.
Recording information: Patchwerk, Atlanta, Georgia (2006).
Coming off the enormous success of their double album SPEARBOXXX/THE LOVE BELOW, Outkast continue to prove themselves to be one of the most unusual acts in hip-hop with IDLEWILD, the album companion to the movie-musical of the same name. On this, their seventh full-length release, Andre 3000 and Big Boi break new ground, expanding their repertoire of musical experimentation by putting together 25 unconventional hip-hop tracks with twists of soul, gospel, and ragtime in line with the 1930s era represented in the film.
The more traditional playalistic Cadillac-centered rhymes that characterized the duo's debut album make a few appearances here on tracks like "Morris Brown," but overall Big Boi's gangsta lyricism takes a back seat on this one, with Andre's crossover-pop sound dominating with the tracks "Life Is Like A Musical," "Makes No Sense At All," and "When I Look Into Your Eyes." Unfortunately, the most rewarding songs that are able to combine the talents of each member, like "N2U" and "Peaches," are few and far between and perhaps an early indicator of Outkast's last gasps. Guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Li'l Wayne, Sleepy Brown, Scar, Killer Mike, Khujo Goodie, Janelle Mon e, and Macy Gray help to make IDLEWILD that much more interesting.
