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Jemal Countess/Getty Images for WE tvSunday night’s episode of TV One’s docuseries UNSUNG detailed Atlanta’s Goodie Mob and their influence over Southern hip hop and rap in the mid-’90s. Goodie Mob’s best-known member, CeeLo Green, says he feels fortunate to have been a part of a group that’s had such an impact on other people’s lives.
CeeLo and his bandmates Big Gipp, T-Mo, and Khujo took fans to church with their messages of inspiration and social justice, earning several gold albums in the process. Their irresistible hits include “Dirty South,” “Black Ice,” and their classic debut single, “Cell Therapy,” produced by fellow Dungeon Family members Organized Noize.
The group’s pioneering 1995 album Soul Food was also a huge influence on future artists. David Banner called the album “real old school uncle grandfather [stuff], coming from young men who could have chosen to do something else and it changed my whole life,” during a 2016 interview with Unique Access.
CeeLo compares the effect of the group’s music on fans’ lives to attending a religious service.
“For people who love Goodie Mob, it’s like church and the effect it has upon people is something like a religious experience — or so I’ve been told,” he tells ABC Audio.
And 25 years later, he says it still feels amazing to hear about how his music has reached the masses.
“I’m glad I could be of service in that way because I always wanted to give back intentionally and deliberately because music, of course, saved my life,” he explains. (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
After three Goodie Mob albums, CeeLo released five solo albums, winning a Grammy for “Crazy,” the hit he scored with DJ Danger Mouse under the collaborative name Gnarls Barkley. CeeLo was also one of the original coaches on NBC’s The Voice.
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