Man, this record label f*cked up. They didn’t eff up like, “I left my cookies in the oven for 10 minutes too long.” They f*cked up like, “I left the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven for six hours too long, at 300 degrees too high, and burned down the house down” f*cked up.

Why do I say all that, you ask? ‘Cause the label’s former artist, Big Boi, is a star. So, how is it that he was…

…released from his contract with a complete album.

…released from his contract with a complete album and it’s full of insane records.

…released from his contract with a complete album and it’s full of insane records and he’s f*cking BIG BOI?!?!?!

I was lucky enough to attend last night’s unveiling (yeah…listening party) for “Shutterbugg,” the lead single from Big Boi’s Def Jam debut, Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son Of Chico Dusty (kind of pissed they didn’t use my title Welcome To Big Boi’s World: Population Me and a Few Dozen Tourists Who Like Cream Cheese and Berries Stuffed In Bootleg Pancakes and The Temple of Boom), and the music was outstanding.

Not outstanding because we were in the house that Jimi built (Electric Lady Studios), or because there was five seconds of eye contact with Miss Info (hey boo!). Outstanding because it’s the kind of music you’ve, at one point or another, grown to expect from Big Boi. (I forgive him for the occasional misstep—even LeBron misses layups.)

Def Jam FTW. Feeling sorry for Big Boi’s old label, though: First J-Kwon gets kidnapped, then this album slipped through their fingers.

Listen to “Shutterbugg”:

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Big Boi and Def Jam President LA Reid

Images: SPittywill

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