Need some Soul Food?

          Alright I'm back in the place to be, I got something to unload on your ass! I was thinking what could I hit you with next, and it came to me. In my previous post I eluded to Cee-Lo. Well here it goes. Soul Food, that’s right Soul Food. I had to do a piece on this album for several reasons, but the most important is that if I had to do a list of most ‘slept’ on rap albums, this would fall in my top five somewhere around #3. And if this one the most ‘slept’ on albums, I would also have to mention that the group that is responsible for the album includes one of the most, if not the most ‘slept’ on rap artist/mc/musicians/singers, Cee-Lo. I also have to mention that this album possess something that I find to be lacking in many rap albums after its release, that would be social commentary, and an accurate depiction of what I call the ‘Black’ experience. So if you’re ready let’s take this journey!
          In order to understand Soul Food, I must run down the list of players. Goodie Mob is a rap group comprised of Khujo, T-Mo, Big Gipp, and Cee-lo. I mentioned in the previous post that the first time you would have heard of them is on Outkast’s Southernplayalisticmusic. In 1995 they released Soul Food. The album was mostly a regional hit, but did branch out of the south. One of the reasons that it reached out of the south is because of their first single, “Cell Therapy” which was accompanied by a video that received descent spins on the video stations. Once you hear “Cell Therapy” you get the idea that their music wasn’t just about rapping for the sake of rapping, but like a good pot of gumbo it was also about taking multiple personalities, mix with social commentary to create something that was not only legitimate rap, but soulful at the same time. I would consider the album to the equivalent of a non-fictional autobiography for what young black Americans were going through at the time, and what they continue to struggle with. With tracks like the intro “Free”, where Cee-lo sings like a deacon on Sunday morning about how we may no longer be slaves physically, but are still slaves mentally! They follow that with what a song that contains “classic”, I do mean “classic verses by Cee-lo, and Andre 3000! The title of the song is aptly titled “Though Process”. I understand I may not mention the other members as much as Cee-Lo, but they do make memorable contributions. For example Big Gipp and T-Mo go off on the track “Dirty South”, which also features Big Boi. Oh yeah as far as I know, and are concerned the phrase “dirty south” was coined by Goodie Mob. The tracks on this album give you everything from how the system is working against us (Cell Therapy, Sesame Street, O.M.N.I, and Fighting) to family concerns and values (Guess Who, Soul Food, I Didn’t Ask To Come, and The Day After). For all the reasons mentioned above I believe this album is a classic, but there is one more element.
          Ok now I will talk about the 5^th element of this perfect pot of gumbo! I mentioned earlier that I may mention Cee-Lo more than the others, and there is good reason for that. Did I mention that on the track “Fighting” I’ve heard that his verse is a complete freestyle, and he stands on his soap-box like he is 20” feet tall. It is in this verse that he proclaims that Goodie Mob stands for the Good Die Mostly Over Bullshit, and if you take one ‘O’ away it says God Is Every Man Of Blackness. Not only does he hit with gems such as that, he has a plethora of memorable lines, and certified hip hop quotables. And don’t worry you will get at least three more reviews that include Cee-Lo, because his classic material doesn’t stop here. I have at least two more reviews for you to become better acquainted with mister Green. Make no mistake; I’m purposefully not going into too much detail, because I want you to go listen for yourself. If you don’t listen for yourself, then what I say will have little meaning. I want my words to spark a discussion on why my opinion is valid; yes I am being slightly arrogant! Overall the album covers where we have been and where we need to go, and I have to say now days too many artist just talk about mindless ignorance without addressing the social ills that plague the listeners of their music. For that reason Soul Food gets my vote for classic material, and once you listen I think you will agree. Just remember the Good Die Mostly Over Bullshit, the Lord has spoken through me and the G-Mo-B!