2008: #3 - "Royal Flush"

Big Boi, Raekwon and Andre 3000, together again. The last time these three teamed up - on 1999's "Skew It On the Bar-B" - we got snappy, hard, yet minimalist stuttering synth-funk, carried lyrically by such impressive, distinctively unique verses it was hard to pick a favorite. Right now, we'd go with Raekwon's, where he spends 45 seconds rhyming things with "hydro". But more on that at a later date.

Does "Royal Flush" live up to its predecessor? Of course it does; would it be #3 otherwise? Let's break down why. This time around the funk is even funkier, with a slower, harder beat and a more sinister synth-bass line that's actually as memorable as any Top 40 hook of the year. Big Boi shouts through a tight, angry verse (on President Bush: "Iraq, 'I that', now he gunnin' for Iran"), talks nuclear war and gives way to an Isley Brothers sample via Billy Ocean reference ("Billy Ocean/body floatin'/take a voyage to Atlantis"). After the "break", Raekwon is next, and he hands off almost as soon as the beat starts to build back up, as if to clear the way for Andre 3000.

Now, in the last decade, Andre has built up an image in the mainstream as a funky, silly, quirky, well-dressed, psychedelic, singing, dancing, acting, sensitive hippie rocker ladies-man - a cross between Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Prince and George Clinton, but a very minor version, taking only the most superficial and annoying elements of each legend. Perhaps this public perception holds some weight, but it's far from the whole picture. Before he stepped into the limelight as a fashion icon/movie star, Andre was considered to be one of the very greatest lyricists in hip hop history. And in the late 90's, he was THE king. Here he sets out to reclaim that throne.

For nearly two whole minutes, he owns this song. When he comes in during the third verse, percussion elements that were in the song earlier are actually removed from the beat, perhaps to give the audience a completely empty stage with a spotlight shone directly on the man. The man comes through in the clutch with one of his top 5 verses ever. It's funny, clever, deep, full of great metaphors, references, twists and turns, and some of his trademark pauses and oddball rhyming schemes. Please listen, as descriptions do not do it justice.