Antwan "Big Boi" Patton is probably one of hip-hop’s most even-keeled emcees.

Though it’s been more than four years since OutKast, the platinum-selling, Grammy-winning group he co-founded with Andre "Andre 3000" Benjamin, released an album -- despite more than a few promises to fans  -- he’s remained a presence offering little gems here and there.

But the Atlanta native made the wait worth it when he released his well-received solo debut, “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty,” in July.

When label drama prevented him from putting the disc out on Jive, the home of OutKast, he coolly took the project to Def Jam Recordings without getting all Kanye with the brass at Jive. He even inked a three-album deal with Def Jam.

Upon its release, the record was critically hailed and was one of the year's top-rated albums, according to Metacritic (Times pop critic Ann Powers gave the “pleasure cruise of an album” three-and-a-half out of four stars). The disc made it on numerous music writers’ top 10 lists (including this Times writer) and was widely believed to be a shoe-in for a Grammy for rap album and shortlisted for album of the year.

But when the nominations were announced, Patton was largely ignored -- save for a nod for “Shutterbug” for rap performance by a duo or group, which he lost to the Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz hard-hitting hit “On To the Next One” at Sunday’s awards. Instead of blasting the Recording Academy -- he even spoke to the Los Angeles chapter about crafting the album -- like some of his outspoken peers would have, he forged ahead with album promos and small club tours.

Pop & Hiss caught up with the rapper -- who was in town for Grammy week to headline a concert with friend and fellow nominee Cee Lo Green at Club Nokia. We chatted about the Grammys, label struggles and of course the (eagerly anticipated) return of Outkast.

Before ushering out a slate of high-profile surprise guests at a pre-Grammy Black Eyed Peas event, will.i.am and co. addressed their detractors following their recent Super Bowl halftime performance. What will.i.am offered was a freestyle littered with a few choice words that this blog can't print. But the bottom line? The Peas don’t give a hoot if you didn’t get their vision.

The event, held last Thursday at the Music Box in Hollywood, benefited will.i.am’s scholarship program. It could have easily succumbed to little more than who's-who madness, as stars squeezed down the red carpet for photo ops and crammed tiny VIP sections inside the theater. But this was a night of endurance, and rewarded those who were in it for the long haul rather than celeb-seekers. 

After the group opened with hits “Boom, Boom, Pow” and “Pump It,” most of the less-than-enthusiastic -- and uncomfortably packed -- crowd swiftly funneled out. Over the course of the first hour, most opted to travel a block down the street to Usher’s party at Avalon, which this writer was denied entrance to after Jamie Foxx apparently was involved in some sort of scuffle.

So, R&B vixen Ciara may be begging to be set free from Jive, but the 25-year-old put aside the label drama for one night, albeit for a good cause, to perform at the Black Eyed Peas' seventh Peapod Benefit Concert on Thursday at the Music Box Theater in Hollywood.

Though her latest album, "Basic Instinct," hasn't proved to be a hitmaker -- the album debuted at No. 43 on the Billboard chart -- she was in true form in a set that offered up her best-known tracks ("Goodies," and "1,2 Step"), as well as current single "Gimmie Dat."

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

Twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times

The Black Eyed Peas on Thursday brought out legendary R&B/funk band Earth, Wind & Fire to appear at their yearly Peapod Benefit Concert at the Music Box Theater in Hollywood.

Though the clock had already struck 2:30 a.m. and a hefty percentage of the packed crowd had wavered and emptied out, the band treated the remaining audience to a rousing set of classics.

Actually, we advise you to stop reading and check out the performance of "September" at the Peapod event now. 

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

Twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Video: Gerrick D. Kennedy / Los Angeles Times

And now we know what a vocal battle between Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith looks like. At long last, we have witnessed what happens when Muse is paired with some sprightly rioters. And never again shall we wonder just how much Christina Aguilera can exaggerate an Aretha Franklin tune. 

Whether you loved or hated the 53rd Grammy Awards, no doubt you have opinions on how to improve the performances. As such, Pop & Hiss fully supports the choose-your-own-adventure format, and the release of Jason Shiga's "Meanwhile" has us believing we're on the right path. 

So, here we go. You, reader, will play the role of a producer at the Grammy Awards. The nominations are announced in early December, giving you maybe a month or a month and a half to solidify the lineup. Your choose-your-own-adventure options below:

A) Let's book a teen star with a legend and try to connect the dots. 

B) Let's book one of the younger album of the year nominees and pair him/her with an idol.

C) Let's highlight a genre category, say jazz or bluegrass, and show the world what it's mising.

D) You know what -- let's just let an artist do his/her own thing, with minimal adornments and gimmicks. 

Choose wisely.

-- Todd Martens

Credits: Kanye West, top left (Reuters); Taylor Swift (Wireimage); Herbie Hancock (Getty Images); Jonas Brothers (Los Angeles Times)

 
About two years ago, the Roots made the somewhat head-scratching creative decision to take a steady gig as Jimmy Fallon's house band. It was  a decision that frontman Black Thought proudly acknowledged as the venerable Philadelphia crew rocked the Music Box in Hollywood till the early hours Sunday at their seventh-annual Roots Jam.

Where it inevitably made dollars and (fiscal) sense, the gig seemed as though it would effectively end the group's roughly 20-year run as a dynamic recording outfit. Instead, the countless hours of rehearsal time and being forced regularly into close quarters galvanized its members as a unit. Last year's "How I Got Over," was the Roots' strongest effort since 1999's "Things Fall Apart," and netted them a Grammy nomination for rap album -- to add to the three they got for "Wake Up!," a collaborative album with John Legend. On Sunday night, "Wake Up!" took all three of those awards: R&B album, traditional R&B vocal performance for "Hang On in There" and R&B song for "Shine."

So, the seventh-annual Roots Jam had an even more celebratory vibe than in previous years. The group moved the venue from the Key Club to the Music Box, and with it, a larger crowd that continued to pour in past 2 a.m. as the Roots jammed on. In an almost self-effacing decision, the jams have historically featured the Roots playing other people's songs, and at times, it felt like guests were watching the world's greatest wedding band with the most expensive guest stars that money could buy.

The event kicked off with Fallon doing a spot-on cover of Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair," as performed by Neil Young. What followed was an all-star lineup that not even the producers of "Glee" could've wrangled.

Well, it's the morning after the Grammys and we all survived, despite some close calls. Eminem raged onstage with burning flames in the background and didn't crack a smile once, even after he won best rap album. Confounding the major label system, a Canadian band on an indie label won album of the year, smoting out Lady Antebellum's hot streak. But thankfully, most of all, the Bieber ninja drummers didn't attack downtown Los Angeles, as some predicted. It's a good day!

As just reward for your perseverance in the face of such dangers, we recommend catching up on the slew of coverage we provided for you on Pop & Hiss, Awards Tracker and Ministry of Gossip. Some specific links for you to check out:

Critic's Notebook: A night of bold moves and noisy risks at Grammys

Arcade Fire shocks Streisand, the universe, with Grammy win

Esperanza Spalding's win adds up to a big night for jazz -- mostly

Dylan, Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers bring an acoustic fury

Happy Valentine's Day! The bromance between Usher and Justin Bieber

Barbra Streisand stars at MusiCares concert, R. Kelly stars at Clive Davis' party

Aretha Franklin promises to be at next year's Grammy's

Lady Gaga has all eyes on her egg

Red carpet photos

Don't worry, we won't judge you if you click only on the last link ... but you'd be missing out, that's all.

— Margaret Wappler

Photo: Lady Gaga. Credit: Los Angeles Times.

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK: A night of bold moves and noisy risks at Grammys 

Wow. I think it's fair to say "wow." Here I was, all ready with the bile, ready to rip on the Grammys for giving the trophy to Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" or a Lady Gaga EP. 

Yet no...the Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" was named album of the year. Repeat. The Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" was named album of the year.

We're going to say that one more time: THE ARCADE FIRE'S "THE SUBURBS" WAS NAMED ALUBM OF THE YEAR. 

The Grammys got a lot of things wrong tonight, and this was a total shock, considering the band lost the alternative album field. Even Barbra Streisand seemed to struggle in saying "The Suburbs."

Yet the act with the most complex, thoughtful and adventurous album actually won the Grammy for album of the year. When was the last time that happened? Maybe 2004, when OutKast won for "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below." 

But this shows a few things: One, that the Grammy Awards is finally recognizing independent music in its top categories. Two, a band that has sold 484,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, can actually compete with performers whose albums have all sold more than 1 million copies.

Performance-wise, the show was the usual Grammy mess, but for the first time in years, I can say the Grammys got the top prize and best new artist right. It's a step forward.

A shame, however, that they cut Arcade Fire off on the band's second song.

-- Todd Martens

Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

Eminem's "Recovery" took the award for rap album, and in accepting it Eminem noted the role Rihanna played, as "Love the Way You Lie" brought more attention to the album. "I wanted to thank Rihanna too, to helping propel the record to where it's at now," Eminem said. Then later added: "What up, Detroit? Stand up!"

As for MusiCares honoree Barbra Streisand, my colleague Ann Powers attend her tribute on Friday, and will soon have more to say on her, I imagine, so I'm off the hook. You should be happy with that, as I've always been a fan of Streisand's humor, and I will take Streisand over a bunch of people who pray to her altar (looking at you Manilow), but she sounded good, and if you grew up with "Evergreen (Love Theme from 'A Star Is Born')," then it meant more to you than me.

--Todd Martens

Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

I could now, but it it's just going to be mean, as her "Not Like the Movies" misses the Land of Serious and goes straight to the World of Boredom. So ... just watch some previews for "The Mentalist." You should be watching it anyway. It's good. Trust.

-- Todd Martens

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding wasn't the favorite to be named best new artist, but she's perhaps the most adventurous artist in the crop. Justin Bieber really never had much of a shot, as Grammy voters stay away from teen stars. Drake was deserving, as he released some of the more emotional hip-hop of the last year, and the debut from Florence + the Machine, "Lungs," is full of highs and lows, but beyond hit single "Dog Days Are Over," much of it is an album for fans only.

So it's rare for a jazz artist to win: In 2008, Herbie Hancock’s “River: The Joni Letters” was named album of the year, the first jazz title to lead the field in approximately 50 years, and Norah Jones, who leans decidedly more toward pop, was named best new artist in 2003, one of the few talents with a jazz background to lead the field. I woulda put my money (except not, cuz betting, it's bad) on Mumford & Sons, as the folksy act seemed more like Grammy artists, but Spalding, three albums in, has had the critical and industry support for a few years now.

So it's not her first, but she's an artist deserving of more recognition, and one the Grammy Awards should be highlighting. So....Grammy voters, congrats. You got this one right. 

As for Mick Jagger paying tribute to Solomon Burke, there was nothing not to like in his take on "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love." Jagger was raised on this sort of bluesey-soul, and he brought the crowd to his feet like few others. Personally, I would have liked to have seen him dig a little deeper and go beyond the big hit that's been covered by dozens, and give a performance that really would inspire people to check out Burke.

-- Todd Martens

Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

I like to think that the Recording Academy headquarters in West Los Angeles has a signal. Chief Neil Portnow goes to the roof and turns a Grammy logo into the clouds and -- BOOM -- John Mayer swoops in from wherever he is. Apparently, he was thought to be a good enough guitarist for a few verses of Dolly Parton's "Jolene." He didn't add anything, he didn't ruin anything, he just reinforced the old adage that Grammy = John Mayer, but we could give a list of 750 guitarists more suited. Likewise, Norah Jones sang, with slightly more roughness than usual, which would be nice if she'd explore on record. 

However, the real crime here is Lady Antebellum winning song of the year for "Need You Now" over Cee Lo Green's "... You." The latter made its mark as one of 2010's defining songs, while "Need You Now" has shown that Lady A can pen a hit about a bootie call. Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me" also would have been a better choice, as well as Eminem's overdramatic "Love the Way You Lie" with Rihanna.

But no one really watches the Grammys for their always misguided award handouts.

-- Todd Martens