Big Boi drops 'Shutterbugg,' solo debut finally on the way

A post recently appeared in this space under the headline "Big Boi plays SXSW. Now, where's that album?" Just kidding — I published that piece over a year ago, after the OutKast star promised last year's SXSW attendees that his solo debut, Sir Luscious Left Foot, would be in their hands by "June or July." Needless to say, June and July 2009 came and went with no Big Boi album.

Things have been looking up for Big Boi lately, though. He officially decamped from his and OutKast's longtime label home at LaFace/Jive and signed with Def Jam. And last night, he premiered a new single from the still-upcoming Sir Luscious Left Foot called "Shutterbugg." It's fantastic. Andre 3000 reportedly picked this as his partner's next solo single, and it shows: Like so much of their best work together over the years, "Shutterbugg" knows no fixed genre. The beat has a left-field party vibe that would have fit comfortably on OutKast's classic Stankonia, all liquid synth lines and elastic guitars. Singers sing, with and without vocoders, over and around Big Boi's rhymes. Oh, those rhymes. His flow and wit haven't aged a day since Speakerboxxx. Are there still people who doubt that Big Boi is on the same level of lyrical talent as the great Andre? There shouldn't be.

Then again, this is hardly the first awesome taste Big Boi has given us of Sir Luscious Left Foot. If "Shine Blockas" and "Royal Flush" didn't get him out of release-date purgatory, will "Shutterbugg" be any different? Let's hope so. I haven't seen a solid new date for the project yet, but I've reached out to his new label to see if one exists. In the meantime, give "Shutterbugg" a listen after the jump (NSFW language) and let us know how much you're looking forward to Big Boi's album.

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