Cee-Lo Green

Infobox musical artist
Name = Cee-Lo


Img_capt = Cee-Lo at a Gnarls Barkley concert
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Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Thomas DeCarlo Callaway
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1974|5|30
Died =
Origin = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A
Instrument = Singing, rapping
Genre = Hip hop, funk, R&B, soul
Occupation = Singer-songwriter, rapper, producer
Years_active = 1995–present
Label = Arista
Associated_acts = Goodie Mob, Gnarls Barkley, Jazze Pha, Dungeon Family, Kilo Ali
URL =
Notable_instruments =

Cee-Lo Green is the stage name of Thomas DeCarlo Callaway (born May 30, 1974) [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gcftxqukldke~T1 allmusic Biography] ] , an American hip hop, funk, soul, and R&B musician. He is a singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Goodie Mob and more recently Gnarls Barkley, and has also recorded two critically acclaimed solo LPs. Among Cee-Lo's solo hits are the singles "Closet Freak" (2002) and "I'll Be Around" (2003), produced by and featuring Timbaland.

Biography

Early and personal life

Cee-Lo was born in Atlanta, Georgia . He started his music career in his church. He's delved artistically into drawing, dancing, DJing, and fashion throughout his life, not wanting to be narrowly defined as an artist. Sierra and Kalah are his stepdaughters, the daughters of his former wife Christina Johnson. Kingston is his only biological child.

His daughter, Sierra, was on an episode of MTV's "My Super Sweet 16 in season 1". She is going to be featured on the upcoming T.V. series Exiled. His son, Kingston, is featured on the intro of "Cee-Lo Green... is the Soul Machine".

Both of Cee-Lo's parents were ordained ministers. His father died when he was 2 years old. His mother was involved in a car crash leaving her quadriplegic and died 2 years later when Cee-Lo was 18 years old and his career with Goodie Mob had just begun taking off. His mother's death led him into depression, as is reflected in various songs throughout his career, including "Free" by Goodie Mob, songs on "St. Elsewhere", and on "The Odd Couple" ("She Knows", "A Little Better"). [ rollingstone.com [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/gnarlsbarkley/articles/story/11123198/gnarls_barkley_the_summers_weirdest_breakthrough "The Acid Nerd Gangsters"] (reprint of an interview originally published in "Rolling Stone Magazine"), published August 9, 2006] [ Chang, Jeff (April 6, 2008) [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/arts/music/06chan.html "First Comes Crazy, Now Comes Odd"] The New York Times.]

Goodie Mob

Along with Big Gipp, T-Mo, and Khujo, Cee-Lo was an original member of the Atlanta hip hop group Goodie Mob. He is the youngest of the four.

During making of the album "World Party", Cee-Lo left the group to pursue a solo career under Arista and the remaining members continued to perform together under the Goodie Mob name with Koch Records. They did however collaborate in combinations in the Dungeon Family album "Even in Darkness". Although the next Goodie Mob album seemed to mock Cee-Lo with its title, "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show", the group expressed that it was more of a jab at Arista and the music industry as a whole.

In 2005, Cee-Lo and Big Gipp were both noted in interviews as saying the entire group is back on good terms and that they have been in the studio working on a new Goodie Mob album. No title or release date have been given for the new project. The song "Hold On" from Big Boi of OutKast's Got Purp? Vol 2 album was the first newly recorded Goodie Mob song with all four members since "World Party". (Khujo later revealed to fans at an album signing for his new album "Mercury", that the song "Hold On" was originally recorded in 1995 before "Soul Food" was released.)

olo career

Cee-Lo's Arista career was short-lived, as he was dropped after only two albums due to low record sales. His first album, "Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections", was heavily in the vein of various other Dungeon Family releases, with southern soul/funk/jazz backings produced solely by himself and boasting appearances by fellow Dungeon Fam members Big Gipp and Backbone.

The album explored his departure from Goodie Mob and his solo growth in the song "El Dorado Sunrise (Super Chicken)", as well as socio-political issues, and showcased his singing. The album did not sell very well, but Cee-Lo achieved some airplay with the single "Closet Freak".

His second Arista album, "Cee-Lo Green... is the Soul Machine" brought a more branched-out sound and more deeply explored southern rap music. This is evidenced by collaborations with Ludacris, T.I., and Pharrell and production from Timbaland, The Neptunes, and Jazze Pha among others. The only other Dungeon Family member that appeared on his second release was Big Rube.

This album saw Cee-Lo delve into other styles besides traditional rap (see Technique). Timbaland proved to be Cee-Lo's single producer as their song "I'll Be Around" received mild airplay. They performed the single on an episode in the second season of "Chappelle's Show". "The One" featuring Jazze Pha and T.I. was also released as a single.

On the heels of the success of Gnarls Barkley, Arista released a 17-track "Greatest Hits" collection of Cee-Lo songs, "". It features predominantly Cee-Lo solo tracks and several "Goodie Mob" songs.

Gnarls Barkley

Along with DJ Danger Mouse (of "The Grey Album" fame), Cee-Lo is currently part of a collaboration called Gnarls Barkley. They first met when Danger Mouse took second in a talent contest and opened for OutKast and Goodie Mob at a University of Georgia concert in 1998. Afterwards, Danger Mouse gave Cee-Lo an instrumental demo tape and told him to call him if he was interested. They didn't make contact again until Cee-Lo was contacted to be featured in a remix of the Danger Mouse and Jemini song "What U Sittin' On?" from the album "Ghetto Pop Life". They worked together again on the 2005 Danger Doom (Danger Mouse and MF Doom collaboration) album The Mouse and The Mask on the song "Benzi Box" where Cee-Lo sings the chorus.

Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo's first collaborative album, "St. Elsewhere", was released on April 24, 2006 in the United Kingdom and May 2, 2006 in the United States. "St. Elsewhere" entered the charts at #1 in the UK, as did the first single "Crazy". "Crazy" is the first single to go straight to #1 in the UK based on digital download sales alone. The album is Cee-Lo's greatest selling venture yet, currently having shipped over 1 million copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.

A new album by Gnarls Barkley, titled "The Odd Couple", was released in March 2008. Its first single released in January called "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)".

Future projects

Cee-lo is collaborating with producer Jazze Pha to release an album called "Happy Hour" on Jazze’s record label. The songs "Happy Hour" (as well as the remix with Bun B, Snoop Dogg & Tone Tone), "Man of the Hour", and "Disco Bitch" (featuring The Pussycat Dolls) from the album have already been released as singles and B-sides. Jazze Pha has produced numerous hit singles with many artists, but this project is his rapping and singing debut. Cee-Lo is co-producing the album with him, so both artist and producer share equal roles in vocals and production.

Although previously shelved, the album is expected to be rescheduled for release after the success of "St. Elsewhere" by original label Columbia Records.

Formally named "The Heart Attack", Cee-Lo teamed up with Plantlife's Jack Splash to form this group. "The Heart Attack" project is due out later this year. Very little is known about this upcoming collaboration, but a CD sampler was packaged in some of the early copies of "St. Elsewhere" with '70s-influenced songs like "Gangsta Boogie" and "Right Now." "Gangsta Boogie" was recently released on the Disturbia soundtrack.

Discography

Goodie Mob albums

*"Soul Food" (1995)
*"Still Standing" (1998)
*"World Party" (1999)

olo albums

*"Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections" (2002)
*"Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine" (2004)
*"" (2006)

Dungeon Family albums

*"Even in Darkness" (2001)

Gnarls Barkley albums

*"St. Elsewhere" (2006)
*"The Odd Couple" (2008)

Collaborations

*With Common
**"A Song For Assata"
**"Between Me, You, & Liberation"
**"G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition)"
**"Heaven Somewhere" with Omar, Bilal, Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, and Lonnie "Pops" Lynn

*With Cool Breeze
**"Watch for the Hook"

*With Danger Mouse
**"Benzie Box" by Danger Doom
**"What U Sittin' On? (Remix)" by Danger Mouse & Jemini with Tha Alkaholiks

*With Diddy
**"Everything I Love" with Nas
**"Everything I Love (Remix)" with Nas and Jadakiss
**"Reverse" with Shyne, G-Dep, Redman, Busta Rhymes and Sauce Money

*With Outkast
**"Call Of Da Wild" with T-Mo and Khujo
**"Git Up, Git Out" with Big Gipp
**"In Due Time"
**"Liberation" with Erykah Badu and Big Rube
**"Reset" with Khujo
**"Slum Beautiful"
**"Speedballin'"
**"Wailin'"

*With Seeed
**"Aufstehn"
**"Rise and Shine"

*With Trick Daddy
**"In Da Wind" with Big Boi
**"In Da Wind (Ride Out Mix)" with Big Boi
**"Sugar (Gimme Some)" with Ludacris
**"Sugar (Remix)" with Ludacris and Lil' Kim

*With Twista
**"Hope"
**"Say Say" with Jazze Pha & Big Zak

*With Others
*"7th Floor/The Serengetti" by Witchdoctor
*"All I Know" by Field Mob with T.I.
*"Beautiful Fool" from Soundz of Spirit
*"Blackberry Molasses (Remix)" by Mista
*"Bragging Rights" by Bad Fathers
*"Control" by Tori Alamaze
*"Curse On You" by Sleepy's Theme
*"Caved In" by Cunninlynguists
*"Chuch" by Da Brat
*"Paid Dues" by Eightball & MJG
*"Do Something (Remix)" by Macy Gray
*"Do You Like The Way" by Carlos Santana with Lauryn Hill
*"Don't Cha" by Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes
*"Foxy Lady" by Power Of Soul - A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix
*"G.O.S.P.L.E" by Frank Real
*"Gone" by Esthero
*"Groundhogs Day" by Mayday
*"Groupie Sex" by Dave Ghetto
*"Held Down" by De La Soul
*"I Told Ya" by Ali & Gipp with Bun B
*"Less Than an Hour" by Nas
*"I'm The Work" by Mr. Marcello
*"Insp-Her-Ation" by Da Ranjahz
*"Kung Fu Fighting" by Hans Zimmer with Jack Black
*"Like That" by The Black Eyed Peas with John Legend, Q-Tip, and Talib Kweli
*"Lil' Drummer Boy" by Lil' Kim with Redman
*"Lil Star" by Kelis
*"Long Time Coming" by Jazze Pha
*"Lookin' At Us" by Black Rob
*"Lord Have Mercy" by Backbone with Joi
*"Middle" by The Fixxers
*"Momentinlife" by Musiq
*"My Time 2 Go" by P.A.
*"Organized Bass" by Kilo Ali
*"Ophidiophobia" from
*"Pieces Of The People We Love" by The Rapture
*"Playerz" by Ying Yang Twins with Kurtis Blow
*"Politics" by Royce Da 5'9"
*"Pretty Please (Love Me)" by Estelle
*"Quite Simply" by Tori Alamaze
*"Rap Star Status" by Big G. with DJ Wil, Kool Ace, and Walla
*"Right Tonight" by Society of Soul
*"Sexual Chocolate" by
*"Smilin' (You Caught Me)" by Sly & The Family Stone with Big Boi, Scar and DJ Swiff
*"Something Wrong" by Cognito with B-Legit
*"Storm Chaser" by Rehab with Big Gipp
*"Superbad" by Sophia Fresh with T-Pain
*"Suzie Q" by Skillz with Pharrell & Jazze Pha
*"Take Control" by Amerie
*"The One (Part 2)" by Daz Dillinger with T.I.
*"U.N.I.T.Y." by Rahzel
*"Walk This Way" by P$C
*"We're All Gonna Die" by Everlast
*"What Is This?" by Scar
*"Where We Wanna" by C-Murder with Goodie Mob
*"You Know" by Heavy D

ongwriting credits

*"All Dressed In Love" by Jennifer Hudson (co-wrote)
*"Don't Cha" by Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes (co-wrote, produced)
*"Don't Cha (Original Version)" by Tori Alamaze (co-wrote, produced)
*"Like This" by Backbone with Blvd. International & Oddball (produced)
*"Necessary" by Brandy (wrote)
*"Take Control" by Amerie (co-produced)
*"T.O.N.Y." by Solange (co-wrote)
*"Sandcastle Disco" by Solange (co-wrote)

References

External links

* [http://www.jazzephaandceelo.com Official Jazze Pha & Cee-Lo website]
* [http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com Official Gnarls Barkley website]
* [http://www.slate.com/id/2149183/?nav=tap3 Crazy for Crazy] Slate.com article about Gnarls Barkley