Big Boi emerged from the driver’s side of the 650 CI as if there was no task on earth too large for him to accomplish. He wore a crisp pair of red, black and blue Air Jordans VI Pistons, a multicolored ATLien shirt designed by Chilly-O and a black New Era baseball cap that featured a green Atlanta Hawks logo from the 1980s.
After briefly discussing the concept for the cover with the production crew, Big Boi took a seat in an antique wooden chair that served as a throne for his first photo look. He reclined comfortably as the entire room acknowledged his commanding presence. Never afraid to take on demanding responsibilities or appreciate the benefits of leadership, the throne fit Big Boi perfectly. Welcome to the world of Sir Lucious Left Foot.
Big Boi describes his funk-defying alter ego as a knight in rhyming armor. Sir Lucious Left Foot represents the growth and fierce desire of a masterful musician at work. He’s as daring as the youngster who began scribbling raps in the Frazier Homes Projects in Savannah, Ga. But he’s also a highly skilled emcee who knows how to pen a classic hip-hop album. Sir Lucious Left Foot is the featured attraction on Big Boi’s recently released solo debut, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty.
“This album is all about making music with layers and layers of funk on top of aggressive lyricism,” Big Boi insists as his elbows rest on the arms of his “throne.” “It has some of the flyest melodies that you have never heard before in your life. It’s one complete package. I want everybody to just listen and feel the music.”
The music on Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty speaks for itself and proves to the hip-hop masses that Big Boi can still create a sleek and substantive album. Although he’s accustomed to bouncing ideas off another musical genius, André 3000, Big Boi suggests that there wasn’t a huge deviation from creating a solo album versus an OutKast album.
“The difference [with making this album] was the writing load,” Big Boi reveals. “When it’s me and Dre, I’d write maybe two verses and somebody would take care of the hook, and we would do the beat together. But when it’s just me, I write the verse and the hook, so the writing load was heavier. Dre and I have been working together and separately since the Aquemini album. We had our own separate home studios, so we would do records, put all our ideas down and then we would meet up at the studio with a gang of music, songs [and] lyrics and stitch them together. Now, all of the ideas are coming from me 
and various artists that I work with on the album. It’s not really a big difference because [Dre and I] are used to not working hip-to-hip all of the time.”
When Big Boi and André 3000 are together on a record, there may not be a better combination of artists. They took more chances with their music than Run-D.M.C., their lyrics were more versatile than Public Enemy’s, and they were bolder than N.W.A. In fact, it’s almost insulting to compare them to any of the other hip-hop groups. They are on the level of such accomplished bands as the Beatles, the Eagles and the Rolling Stones. By selling 25 million records and winning six Grammys, Big Boi and Dre set the benchmark on how to rock the mic and make the world follow.
But despite his past success, Big Boi had difficulties releasing his solo album on Jive Records. The record label, which has a history of marketing bubbly pop music, was clueless on how to market his music and caused a three-year delay on the album. Some fans believed that the album would be shelved forever.
“They [Jive Records] really did not understand the artistic views of the record,” Big Boi says. “They do things differently over there, so it’s just a creative difference. They had my record for some time, and that’s what took so long for it to come out. They didn’t get it, so it came to a point where I was like ‘OK, let me go.’ They did the honorable thing by letting me go and I’m just glad to be gone.”
While dealing with record label politics, Big Boi decided to venture into business, acting and even ballet. His Purple Ribbon record label released one of the biggest anthems of the decade,”Kryptonite,” and it helped to launch the careers of Janelle Monae, Killer Mike and Scar. Big Boi is also the owner of Pitfall Kennels. The company sells rare blue pitbulls and has a clientele that includes Serena Williams, Young Jeezy, Usher, 50 Cent and Jermaine Dupri.
In 2008, Big Boi became the first rap artist to perform live with a major ballet troupe. Presented by the Atlanta Ballet, Big was an epic collaboration of hip-hop and classical performing arts. Members of the Atlanta Ballet danced as Big Boi and a live band performed some of his greatest hits as a loose narrative for the audience at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
Big Boi made his big screen debut in the T.I.-led film ATL, and he starred in Idlewild and Who’s Your Caddy? He also did some acting work on the small screen in episodes of “Law & Order: SVU” and “Girlfriends.”
But while Big Boi was expressing himself through other creative outlets, he never strayed far away from music. Once Jive Records granted Big Boi the freedom to release his solo album under another label, he 
signed with music mogul L.A. Reid, who currently serves as the chairman of Island Def Jam. Reid took a chance on Big Boi and Dre by signing the unconventional duo to LaFace Records when they were teenagers at Tri-Cities High School in Atlanta.
“L.A. Reid knows that the creative freedom is what makes the music dope and much more funky,” Big Boi says. “To be back with him and to have the creative freedom to make the music I want to make is great. He gets it and the people love it.”
Although an out of touch record label, conflicted fans and a few commercial radio stations were unsure of what to make out of Big Boi’s journey beyond OutKast, he was big enough to see the big picture.
Fellow Dungeon Family member Cee-Lo Green understands the challenges that Big Boi will face as a solo artist. Cee-Lo was the first member of Goodie Mob to embark on a solo career with his 2002 debut, Cee-Lo Green and his Perfect Imperfections.
“Big Boi can anticipate having to do 100 percent of the manual work as a solo artist,” Cee-Lo advises. “It’s a lot more tiring and tedious. He is going to have to brand the name Big Boi [as] opposed to OutKast. But he is a strong veteran artist, so I believe he will see it through.”
Goodie Mob’s Big Gipp also released a solo album and believes that Big Boi’s debut will keep OutKast’s end of Dungeon Family’s legacy alive. “Big Boi is doing what he is supposed to do [by releasing this album],” Big Gipp says. “He is supposed to carry the torch in as many ways as he can. Whether it’s acting or rapping. He does a lot of hard work, so I am gratified that he has an opportunity to shine again.”
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty is the study of a complex, genuine man who would not compromise his vision for those who were afraid to travel into his universe.
“You can never conform to what’s going on,” Big Boi insists. “You have to stay true to yourself. I utilized all aspects of the music. Everything isn’t going to be serious. Sometimes you can make some feel-good records, talk about relationships and kind of mix things up. I can touch on everything from taking my kids to soccer practice to the BP oil spill. But I’ll never conform. Once you start conforming to what they want you to do, the [music] is not pure anymore. As far as branding Big Boi, they know we’re going to do it big and everything is going to be top-notch. But my main focus is to make sure that my music is never contrived.”
The Legacy of Chico Dusty
During the making of his solo debut, Big Boi lost his father, Tony Kearse. Only 18 years older than Big Boi, Kearse served in the Marines Corps and was 
nicknamed Chico Dusty. To honor his late father, he decided to place his name in the album’s title.
“My dad taught me to be a go-getter,” Big Boi reveals. “He was a real smart man and a tough guy. He was a Marine to his heart. God bless him. He’s running through my veins right now.”
Big Boi understands the importance of being a part of his children’s lives no matter how busy his schedule is. Hours before his photo shoot with rolling out, Big Boi took time to spend the first half of the day with his wife, Sherlita, and three kids at his ranch in Fayetteville, Ga. It’s a balancing act that keeps him focused and allows him to maintain a proper perspective when dealing with the topsy-turvy entertainment industry.
“Becoming a father makes you a little more responsible because it’s not about you anymore,” he says. “It can be difficult balancing family and music, but it’s something that you have to work at. I’m a hands-on dad so I go to school plays, help them out with their homework and I’m there for football, soccer practice and piano rehearsals. I make it work, so it’s very fulfilling to me. It just really completes me because it’s not about everything that goes on in the entertainment world. It’s about making your music, rocking your shows, staying down with your fans and at the same time — just living your life.”
Big Boi handles his duties as a strong husband and father, but he knows that millions of kids grow up in families and in neighborhoods that don’t have adequate resources to be successful. In an attempt to expose underprivileged kids to education and culture, Big Boi created the Big Kidz Foundation.
“I was raised in low-income housing so it always feels good to give back when you have the resources to share. We’re just trying to shape and mold young minds to be productive citizens. It’s better to mold a young mind than to repair a broken one. So we are preparing these kids for life by showing them the world and helping them to be socially conscious,” he says.
It may be difficult for other rappers to enter his universe from a musical standpoint, but there is hope if hip-hop follows in Sir Lucious’ footsteps.
