Collaboration or mash-up?
After listening to Big Boi and Phantogram’s new Big Grams EP, it becomes hard to tell what direction they intended to take.

The seven-track EP attempts to blend Big Boi’s hip-hop lyrics with electro-pop duo Phantogram’s synthetic mellow sounds but falls short of expectations. Big Grams lacks creativity and artistic inspiration; it feels empty and sloppy.

Phantogram’s lead singer, Sarah Barthel, is known for her soft, high- pitched vocals, but they become overshadowed when paired with the rapper’s low-toned voice. Throughout the album, most of the spotlight is given to rapper Big Boi. Songs “Lights On” and “Fell in the Sun” offer a well- balanced blend of opposite forces and allow Sarah Barthel’s vocals to shine. As for Barthel’s risky self, she attempts to rap alongside Big Boi in the song “Goldmine Junkie,” which did not work in her favor.

The EP tries to return to the nostalgic noise of old school hip-hop while still adhering to the shallow lyrics of modern mainstream hip-hop leaving listeners with mixed feelings about the significance behind the collaboration.

Big Grams does not offer the level of expertise that Big Boi or Phantogram produce individually and instead tries too hard to be different. The songs lack in lyrical content and the blending of the sounds are random, especially in the Skrillex-featured
song “Drum Machine” that takes a 180-degree turn for the worse by offering a generic and messy listening experience.

Big grams can execute a good listening experience depending on the song you listen to. However, the EP as a whole is limited in its inability to provide listeners with something new and unexpected, as promised.