WHAT IT IS: Big Boi, a fan of all genres, was surfing the web and trying to close some pop-up ads when Phantogram’s “Mouthful of Diamonds” started auto-playing. Taken aback by their sound, Big Boi stopped what he was doing to Shazam the track and figure out who was behind it. He liked it so much that he arranged for a meeting, and the collaboration was born. The self-titled album marks Big Boi’s first official release on Epic since signing with the label last year. Phantogram—a duo signed to Republic—and Big Boi collaborated previously on a handful of tracks from Big Boi’s second solo album, 2012’s Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, including the Phantogram-produced “Objectum Sexuality.” Phantogram have released multiple EPs and two studio albums, which have yielded two Top 10 Alt hits: “Black Out Days” and “Fall in Love.” Big Grams’ self-titled debut is a concise album of seven “deadly” songs, each melding the best of Big Boi’s lyrical swag, Sarah Barthel’s haunting vocals and Josh Carter’s masterful production. The project is just the beginning for this budding supergroup.
ALBUM: Big Grams
RELEASE DATE: 9/25/15
SINGLE: “Drum Machine”
TV: Kimmel, Fallon
LIVE: Hitting all major festivals
INTERNET: 21k Facebook likes, 15k Instagram followers; 2m total YouTube views
PRESS: Features from Vibe, Rolling Stone, XXL, Spin, Pitchfork, Stereogum
BOOKING: Sam Hunt, Mike Mori/Windish Agency
MANAGEMENT: CAM