It’s one of the more peculiar partnerships in recent memory: OutKast rapper Big Boi working with Modest Mouse on the Seattle-bred rock band’s first studio album since 2007’s We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. In an interview with MTV, Big Boi gave a little insight into their collaboration: “It’s a hodgepodge of funkiness.”
“It’s just like a big-ass brainstorm, a brain-stormin’, tsunami, typhoon, tectonic-plates-movin’ kind of thing,” the rapper said. “We do all types of music, so to get the chance to jam with a jammin’-ass band, I knew it was going to be cool. We had a vibe too. We made a couple of records that are just jamming.”
Big Boi, who said he’s “been a fan of the band for a minute,” explained that he and Grammy-winning producer Chris Carmouche (OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below) spent a week with Modest Mouse in his Stankonia Studios working 14-hour days. Boi and MM frontman Isaac Brock had lots to chat about.
“[We] were talking about our lives, different backgrounds, how he grew up, talking about music, different songs,” he elaborated. “He gave me backstories on different songs they did, like ‘Wild Pack of Family Dogs’… It was a real chill atmosphere. It was a real cool experience.”
Big Boi added that he and Carmouche are acting as producers on the LP. “The fans don’t have to worry,” he explained. “There’s nothing like, ‘Oh, Modest Mouse, there’s some rapping going on the album!’ If there needs to be some rapping on there, I will destroy it, but right now, we’re just really marinating with the music to see where everything’s going to go.”
“Just know this motherfucker is jamming, man,” the rapper gushed. “Believe me.”
