Relevant Classics: Outkast – Jazzy Belle
Outkast – Jazzy Belle by ineptique
Outkast – Jazzy Belle
16th Aug2011
5 Comm
08th Aug2011
28th Aug2010
Audio: Cee-Lo Talks “Tears Of Joy”, Return To Rapping On Upcoming Goodie Mob Reunion LP
Cee-Lo said “Tears of Joy” almost represents a “homecoming” for him in the eyes of some fans to his soulful roots, first introduced with Outkast and his group Goodie Mob. Cee-Lo also argued that he’s actually never left those musical beginnings; he’s just simply ventured out and experimented on such projects as Gnarls Barkley’s two LPs to show his peers and the fans how far hip-hop could go and to express his different sides.
“It is a continuation of the same revolution I have always talked about,” he insisted. “It’s the fact that people don’t know me completely. I’m just now telling you more about myself. I’m a book, not a magazine.”
Cee-Lo’s next album, Lady Killer, comes out later this year, and he’s also working on the next album from Goodie Mob.
“The solo album is something completely different. I got that mixtape out there, Stray Bullets, which is a prequel to the album Lady Killer. That’s got nothing to do with what I do with Goodie, besides quality. But Goodie, man, that’s what ‘Tears of Joy’ represents. I hope people can see the bigger picture. None of that is lost in me. I ain’t got so rich and famous that I separated from the soul. That’s me, that’s what I’m about. It’s on the tip of my tongue at all times. It’s people wanting that and needing that, that’s all the incentive I need. That’s what makes my life worth living, especially when I remember there was time I ain’t have nothing constructive to say. So any time I can do it, I feel like I’m further ensuring good favor in my rights of passage, being pleasing in the sight of my maker. It truly means that much to me. My pain runs deep. All of that is behind what I got to sing.”
For anyone wondering when Cee-Lo will make a full-throttle return to rapping, he said it will be on the Goodie Mob reunion LP, which doesn’t have a release date yet.
“When people be asking why I don’t rap no more, it’s not that. … It’s gotta come,” he explained. “I’mma isolate that to the Goodie Mob. That’s all I care to rap about. Rappin’ is like a contact sport. It’s an attitude. So the only thing I get angry about is the calls [about me not rapping]. That makes me wanna fight. As far as somebody stepping on my shoes, because we standing too close to each other, I don’t have that problem. Nobody does what I do. I don’t have no conflict. So I can do what eases my mind. I do believe that music is not meant to agitate; it’s meant to soothe the savage beast. I’m one of them beasts. It soothes me. I’m impressed, because I can separate myself from it and give credit to a higher power. It ain’t really me. To be able to sing is a blessing to me. But really, you hurt so bad, sometimes I can’t even rap about it. I gotta sing. That’s why it always hurts a little bit no matter what I’m singing. There’s pain in it. As far as Goodie goes, I got that. That’s all I’m trying to tell y’all.”
25th Aug2010
The Maine Covers Outkast’s “Roses”
As part of Billboard’s mash up series, Arizona-based rock band The Maine covered Outkast’s chart topper.
The Maine (Myspace)
The Maine (Twitter)
18th Jun2010
26th Apr2010
Trap Or Die: Tracing Young Jeezy’s Road From BMF To Billboard
By: Dell Frost
With hip-hop heavyweights like Outkast on hiatus and T.I. serving time, Young Jeezy has officially taken the top slot in Atlanta’s pecking order. Of course, Jeezy’s ascent to the upper ranks of hip-hop would not have been possible without the assistance of the now infamous Black Mafia Family. The curious relationship between Jeezy and BMF is newly explored in the book BMF: The Rise & Fall Of Big Meech And The Black Mafia Family by Mara Shalhoup, and what the author uncovered is simply unbelievable. After only a few minutes of conversation with her, one thing becomes clear: this was a wild ride rivaling anything you’ve seen in a Hollywood crime movie.
Jeezy has long won over the listening public with his dope-boy anthems. The impending sequel to his landmark street album, Trap or Die, represents a bit more than something to ride to this Spring. In a way it brings us full circle to the beginning of Jeezy’s career, when the blueprint for the original Trap Or Die was laid. In that era, Jeezy rode with a crew called The Black Mafia Family, or BMF, who were later outed for running a drug trafficking organization that pulled in an estimated $270 million dollars by the federal government.
Bonus: (more…)
27th Jan2010
The Untold Story of the Dungeon Family
VIBE put up this extensive, two-part story about the Dungeon Family, which touches on the Outkast rift along with some information on Andre 3000’s upcoming album.
Link: Am I My Brother’s Keep? The Untold Story of the Dungeon Family | Part Two
(Part 1 is 10 pages; Part 2 is 8 pages)
Download a podcast with the author here.
