Big Boi and Phantogram Find Explosive Common Ground As Big Grams

Ever since the release of his widely-praised debut full-length LP, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty in 2010; rapper, producer, and OutKast member Big Boi has made a new name for himself by seemingly choosing to collaborate with anyone and everyone under the sun. From some expected faces like B.o.B., Jamie Foxx and T.I. on Sir Lucious to completely unexpected names in the indie music world like Wavves and Little Dragon on his sophomore LP, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, Big Boi’s taste in collaborators has made his solo career one of the most interesting to follow in contemporary hip-hop.

One of the best collaborators brought onto Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors was electronic pop duo Phantogram, whose production from Josh Carter and guest vocals from singer Sarah Barthel made for some of the best tracks on the LP, particularly Objectum Sexuality. The trio must’ve taken notice of how well their collaboration went over, because just a handful of days before the release of Vicious Lies, Big Boi announced that eventually the duo would release a one-off EP called Big Grams. Now, just about three years later, Big Grams is finally here, touting 8 new tracks that span just over 26 minutes. While some may be turned off by just how crazy it can be at times, Big Grams is one of the most bold and immaculately-produced EPs you’ll hear this year.

On this EP, the duo work with roughly the same formula that took place on the track Objectum Sexuality, with Phantogram being responsible for the production on the track, while Big Boi raps the verses, and Sarah Barthel sings the hooks, refrains, bridges, etc. This dynamic leads to a series of interesting, accessible, distinctly electronica-flavored pop rap tracks that feel just as ready for mainstream alternative radio as they do Top 40/hip-hop crossover radio. Despite its accessibility, however, the EP still maintains a strong otherworldly, arty sound. Take the track Fell in the Sun, for instance. The track has a catchy, sticky pop rap vibe to the groove of its instrumental and Big Boi’s flow, and Barthel’s chorus, which sounds like a pop chorus from the early 2000s, from a group like Destiny’s Child. The instrumental maintains a strong ambitious flair to it, though, with the detailed additional layers of samples and synthesizers.