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[7.33]
Alfred Soto: Yet another leaked Big Boi track, yet another work of near-perfection. Forget the lyrical retreads (“stank you very much” and Don King metaphors) and concentrate on the hypnotic beat, with Too Short doing his best Lil Wayne impersonation and George Clinton his best George Clinton impersonation. As usual I love the contrast between Big Boi’s motormouth and the languor of his partners.
[7]
Martin Skidmore: I love his rapping, its nervous flow and hurried pace. This is otherwise a bit too lazy in style, and Clinton doesn’t bring the kind of wildness that I had anticipated. To be honest, much as I hate to say this about a favourite performer, I was mostly drifting off, a bit bored.
[5]
Anthony Easton: George Clinton is a national treasure, and this is nimble as hell. Also, love the political/social work that flows out from discussions of sex and drugs, like it’s all from one universal sorrow,
[9]
Erick Bieritz: “Back to the time machine indeed” – back more than a decade to the last time George Clinton lent his gravitas to Big Boi. Back then it made sense as part of Aquemini’s mission to connect hip-hop with funk without Dr. Dre as an intermediary. And while “For Yo Sorrows” is as professional as one would expect from all parties involved, Big Boi doesn’t hold hip-hop’s reins the way he and Andre 3000 arguably did 10 years ago, and the absence of any statement of purpose is reflected in this passive, smoothly indifferent product.
[5]
Alex Macpherson: Marrying glacial dewdrop synths (reminiscent of Jim Jonsin’s recent productions for Rich Boy and Lloyd) to a g-funk squelch, “Fo Yo Sorrows” is chilled in both senses of the word. Its horizontal nature disguises a nervous energy of sorts, Big Boi scuttling between post-Katrina reflections and the importance of reading literature with those familiar rat-a-tat tics; meanwhile, George Clinton whiles the time by rocking back and forth on his front porch quavering to himself, and Too $hort needs just four bars to stamp his authority on the track.
[9]
Matt Cibula: I cannot think of any reason not to embrace a world that contains humans who can make noises like this.
[9]