Gnarls Barkley was the perfect collision for the mid-aughts. Rotund futuristic soul man Ceelo Green joined forces with underground beat smith Danger Mouse and the result was magical, serving as a vehicle that increased the commercial and critical capital of both artists. They only released two projects together (a third has been discussed for years… Read More “Go-Go Gadget Gospel” by Gnarls Barkley (2006)
“Fuck You” (or, in its radio version, “Forget You”) could have been played for laughs. I’m sure there are some who consider it a “Weird Al”-style yuk fest as opposed to an anguished (with a wink and a nudge) classic soul song. You don’t think someone like Wilson Pickett would’ve written and recorded “Fuck You”… Read More “Fuck You” by Cee Lo Green (2010)
“Crazy” is a high-water mark that neither Ceelo Green nor Danger Mouse was able to reach again, despite numerous and ongoing attempts to do so. I played it at a recent party and someone mentioned that they could relax and enjoy it because it came “before Ceelo got creepy”. I mean, I get it*. But…listen… Read More “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley (2006)
Before Cee Lo Green’s career fell into the toilet thanks to a sexual assault charge and a wacky Twitter defense, he was a respected pop/R&B singer. Before Cee Lo Green was a respected pop/R&B singer, he was a respected singer/MC, arguably the best rapping singer/singer rapper not named Lauryn Hill. Cee Lo’s ATL homeboy Andre… Read More “Big Ole Words (Damn)” by Cee Lo Green (2002)
Common’s 2002 album Electric Circus was met with a lot of scratched heads upon release. The Chicago MC had already engineered a stylistic shift from prototypical boom-bap to full-on neo-soul, and broke through commercially with 1999′s Like Water For Chocolate. Even with that genre detour though, Electric Circus was on some other shit. It was… Read More “Between Me, You & Liberation” by Common (2002)
Five Star Jamz 