the groovement

By Rob Goldberg | June 6, 2023
📸: shot by Maggie Miles

“It was a clear black night, a clear white moon” as Brooklyn was hungry for some “fish and grits and all that pimp shit.” The seven-time Grammy award-winning ATL rap legend, Big Boi (also known as Daddy Fat Sacks, General Patton, Hot Tub Tony Francis, Sir Lucious L. Leftfoot, Chico Dusty and more), was ready to chef up some dirty dirty for an ecstatic Brooklyn Bowl crowd. With a career spanning over two decades and over 25 million albums sold, he’s made remarkable artistic contributions to the hip hop genre, leaving an indelible mark as a member of the iconic duo Outkast and as a solo performer. The playalistic pimp wasted no time as he and homeboy Sleepy Brown transported NYC to an old school A-Town kick back busting out low rida riffs, big booty bass, and clever word play through trill southern Outkast anthems and Big Boi originals.

What sets Big Boi apart from other hip hop artists is his unique lyrical style with his underlying rhythmic structure and pattern. If you’ve ever tried to sing one of his or Outkast’s songs at karaoke, you’ll quickly realize it’s almost impossible to emulate how he raps. His ability to spit so clearly and quickly partly comes from his training with Outkast where he would often run or do cardio while singing the lyrics to their songs: “The way they trained us, we had to run around the block hundreds of times, reciting our rhymes—so at a Big Boi show, you’re not going to hear Big Boi rapping over recorded lyrics. I do motherfucking miles and miles on the bike, rapping, to keep that breath control”(Big Boi for Billboard). This training really showed when he performed tracks like “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)” and “GhettoMusick,” where his rapid-fire flow dazzled the audience.
Daddy Fat Sacks (aka Big Boi) and Sleepy Brown had Brooklyn feeling “cooler than a polar bear’s toenails” as the stankonia throwdown raged on. They laid down all types of dirty south classics from “ATLiens” to “Spottieottiedopaliscious” to “Shutterbug” to even “Kryptonite,” showcasing a frenzy of high octane vocal finesse and pimp-like stage presence. We were happy to hear General Patton also throw down his Gold Record “All Night” as it’s a groovement favorite and great example of the musical versatility Big Boi possesses. About half way through the show, the duo left the stage and reappeared in dramatic fashion draped in regal mink coats as they started to play crowd favorite, “The Way You Move.” “But I know y’all wanted that 808, Can you feel that B-A-S-S, bass” exclaimed fans as you could feel the electrifying dancemosphere reverberate throughout the venue.

Hot Tub Tony Francis (Big Boi) never ceased to amaze and stun through the set but also did so all while having more fun than a pimp at a playas ball. He was constantly riffing and busting moves with Sleepy Brown while keeping the crowd engaged and putting on an incredible show. You could tell he just has way too much fun performing, and we hope he continues to do so as his music is boundless by time. The duo ended the show with “Int’l Players Anthem,” a fitting encore proving that “Spaceships don’t come equipped with rear view mirrors” and that the choice is yours on how to live life. Check out Antwon “Big Boi” Patton live as continues to crush his North American Tour through the Summer of 2023.