Laced with a hint of the sacred, Cee-Lo's impassioned, nasal singing and rigorous raps have made the founding member of Goodie Mob and Dungeon Family one of hip-hop's most dynamic vocalists. His freewheeling approach t... more »o music blends hip-hop, gospel, rock, and soul on his solo debut, which finds the wordsmith preaching messages that are both inspirational and straight-up funky. Check out the sanctified bounce of "Closet Freak," which, like many of the songs here, embraces the spirit as well as the streets and finds redemption in the rhythm. Infused with a joyous, musically expansive vision, Cee-Lo creates Southern-fried hip-hop/soul that boldly colors outside the lines. --Amy Linden« less
Laced with a hint of the sacred, Cee-Lo's impassioned, nasal singing and rigorous raps have made the founding member of Goodie Mob and Dungeon Family one of hip-hop's most dynamic vocalists. His freewheeling approach to music blends hip-hop, gospel, rock, and soul on his solo debut, which finds the wordsmith preaching messages that are both inspirational and straight-up funky. Check out the sanctified bounce of "Closet Freak," which, like many of the songs here, embraces the spirit as well as the streets and finds redemption in the rhythm. Infused with a joyous, musically expansive vision, Cee-Lo creates Southern-fried hip-hop/soul that boldly colors outside the lines. --Amy Linden
What imperfections?.............too close to perfect!!
dOc | Atlanta, GA | 04/29/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Any GoodieMob or 'Kast fan or just anyone who has heard CeeLo spitt over anything, knew he had an extraodinary voice and mental gift that forced him to stand out. ... Deep doesn't even describe what's on this 4 & 3qtr inch plastic disc. More like a daily mental, musical vitamin that the finest doctors can't prescribe. When he first introduced "closet freak" on 106&Park, (I didn't hear the song until then cus' I just don't listen to mainstream radio) I was like ...!!.....Ceelo done perfected the true meaning of "SOMETHING DIFFERENT".....the preacher robe, long curly wig, platform shoes......yeah! Ceelo was way out there. A couple of weeks before the release date underground radio ... played "gettin grown" and "young man". I was convenced then that I needed this. You can't find another artist other than Andre3000 & Outkast with his approach to hip-hop and the way it should be evolving over the years. There is nothing on this CD you've heard before or heard anything like. That's the most beautiful thing about it.......like it or not.........your music collection has just gotten a whole lot better. Gems like "suga baby" and "under the influence" should be rockin your radio station right now.......but thats asking a lot from radio. JaRule has'em all blind! Get spiritually, mentally and lyrically blessed.....Amen!!...stand out gems:
~big ole words
~super chiken
~one for the road
~spend the night in your mind
~suga baby
~bass head jazz
~under the influenceoNe"
Put the Jay-Z and Nelly down kiddo!
Peter Divito | Pittsburgh, PA United States | 04/25/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Soul. Easily something that has been missing in hip hop recently. Bling blingin, cars,houses, killing, pimping and other mindless [stuff] is what controls the art form today. Time for a change. If you are a fan of Outkast, then you know who Mr. Cee-Lo Green is. He first appeared on Outkast's debut album on the song "Git Up,Git Out" He dropped a verse in that song that foreshadowed Outkast's own spiritual and lyrical evolution. I recently read a review of this cd that insinuated that Cee-Lo was a copy of Andre from Outkast. If this reviewer knew what they were talking about they would probably realize that the two are extremely different. And if you can see how Outkast's music has changed you would probably look at it the other way around. Goodie Mob's first CD, Soul Food, is a classic and if you enjoyed that cd then you will also enjoy this. This album contains various grooves and actually contains more singing than rapping. Cee-Lo has a unique voice and says what others in hip-hop are scared to talk about. Cee-Lo does not glorify an ignorant lifestyle and will not be popular among those who like hip-hop that promotes a lifestyle that they will never have. CD's like this give me hope for the future of hip hop and I highly recommend it. Stand out tracks:Closet Freak, Suga Baby,Bass Head Jazz, Country Love, El Dorado Sunrise. Truly worth your money."
He makes it sound like it's easy...
MrFly | 03/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Woah! This dude is on some next level material. And I knew that when I picked this CD up (it was dripping with funk), that I would have a good time listening to it, especially if the stuff he did with OutKast and, of course, Goodie Mob is any indication.The lyrics are deep, sometimes too deep, and the beats are stupendous and innovative. He definitely knew what he was doing when he released this, because it sounds like he put a lot of time and effort into it. This album is Al Green, Jimi Hendriks, B.B. King, and Blues Traveler all rolled into one very entertaining set. Best tracks (to me) are as follows:
1. Bad Mutha (Kind of an intro, but not really, a great way to start off an album)
4. Closet Freak (do I need to say anymore?)
6. El Dorado Sunrise (Super Chicken) (you have to hear it to believe)
8. One For The Road (simplistically awesome)
11. Suga Baby (awesome club track)
15. Under Tha Influence (an explosive track)
16. Medieval Times (Great Pretender) (very dark)
17. Country Love (just a great song, period)
18. Awful Thing (the best track on the album, a really really good song)Basically, this album is a friggin' masterpeice. If you're still a big Goodie Mob & OutKast fan even after they funked it up, then you will love this album."
Outkast, Soulquarian fans alike buy or burn this album:
spanishjose | Denver | 04/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is a mixture of voodoo chant, gospel rant, and hip-hop re-invent, ya'll dig...Cee-lo like the tattoo on his back is about the revolution-revolution for redefining hip-hop. Listen to "Big Ole Words" [I am internally evolving / entirely extensive / eclectic, expressive / eloquently, instantly innovative / courageously creative, I'm driven / this god-given gift it comes naturally to the native] I am left to borrow the words of those in the studio booth "damn." I was a fan of Cee-lo since "Soul Food" and Outkast's "Get Up, Get Out, and Do Something" yet this album places Mr. Green far above those classics. "Bass Head Jazz" is just filler to this album but blends melodically `getting high, they say damn' I am so impressed by this and wonder why Outkast was excluded from this album. Though Outkast is truly not needed here, because this album is solid. Need more of a sales pitch, listen to "Under the influence (follow me)" this track/recording combines layers of funk, soul, keys that will have you thinking that you have heard this track before...you have it's the reincarnated soul of African-American music of the past."
This is the best cd you gonna get this year...fareal...!
R. Davis | louisville, ky | 04/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"...this album is the natural progression of what 70's SOUL MUSIC shoulda become...there is so much funk on this thang here that i jus might stop playin my zapp-II album altogether! (at least for a while anyway!)...man, i put an extra 30 miles on my car jus drivin around my subdivision because i kept waitin for a weak song to come on so i could go into the house - IT NEVER HAPPENED! brother cee shows his roots with this, some rock, some funk, hip-hop of course...THESE ARE THE MOST INTELLIGENT LYRICS I DONE HEARD IN A LONG, LONG TIME...this thang is somethin pure! if this dont go platinum then there aint no hope for us...for the best sense of what yall are gonna get with this, then imagine brother al green being the front man on your favorite p-funk album! that's how serious this is...enjoy it..."