CeeLo Green on Gnarls Barkley’s Atlanta-inspired final album: ‘I feel relieved’
CeeLo Green doesn’t care to get philosophical with you. On spirituality. On his creative process. Or even his past controversies.
On a Tuesday afternoon, the Grammy-winning Atlanta native entered a Zoom call with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution under the username “Mothership.” It’s a befitting moniker, given Green’s funk-inspired artistry that’s helped fuel several musical eras: one-fourth of legendary rap group Goodie Mob, one-half of alternative pop duo Gnarls Barkley, that made him a Grammy winner, and a solo career that yielded three more Grammys and a stint as a judge on “The Voice.”
“I consider myself to be a provocateur, an escape artist, an impresario,” Green said.
Now, Gnarls Barkley is back with its first new album since 2008. The duo, which also includes producer Danger Mouse, released “Atlanta,” its third and final album, Friday.
The pair‘s debut 2006 album “St. Elsewhere” boasted the megahit “Crazy,” which became the first song to reach No. 1 in the U.K. on downloaded sales alone.
Two years later, they released their Grammy-nominated sophomore album “The Odd Couple.” The duo eventually focused on separate projects (Green released his debut solo album “The Lady Killer,” and Mouse produced for the likes of Gorillaz, the Black Keys and Beck) and paused new Gnarls Barkley music.
In 2013, Green teased the pair’s reunion. But those plans were halted the following year, as Green pleaded no contest to providing a woman with ecstasy. The drug charge stemmed from a 2012 incident in which the woman claimed he drugged and assaulted her at a dinner party. Green was cleared of a rape charge and was sentenced to three years probation.
The ordeal and his subsequent erroneous posts about sexual consent (which he has since apologized for) loomed over a possible Gnarls Barkley reunion. But about nine years ago, Green and Mouse reconnected at California’s Joshua Tree National Park to accelerate progress on their long-awaited third album.
“We had the notion that it was probably time to start recalibrating creatively,” Green said. “So that was it. There’s not a lot of bureaucracy as far as me and Danger Mouse are concerned about Gnarls Barkley.”
More delays followed because of the pair’s respective creative interests, with plans solidifying last year.
Now, “Atlanta” is finally out. For 13 tracks, the act grapples with mourning the past and reckoning with present struggles and perception, with Atlanta serving as a sturdy backdrop to unpack it all. While soulful songs like “I Amnesia” and “Sorry” center existential dread, “Cyberbully (Yayo)” shines for its psychedelic rap production that sparks experimentation in Green’s Southern rap delivery — so much so that he almost sounds unrecognizable. The Southern soul-themed “Line Dance” will likely be added to cookout playlists.
There’s also lead single “Pictures.” On it, Green conjures memories of him being a troubled student at Ralph J. Bunche Middle School in southwest Atlanta. There, he was often excused from school because of his poor behavior, finding solace in long MARTA train rides. The song is reflective of the duo’s doubling down on their Atlanta roots for one last time.
“It should be attributed that, yes, (Gnarls Barkley) was born and raised in Atlanta,” said Green, who still resides in the area.
The AJC caught up with Green for an exclusive interview to talk about the new Gnarls Barkley album, the duo’s legacy and, yes, his recent performance at Mar-a-Lago that trended online.
This Q&A has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Q: What’s going through your mind as Gnarls Barkley releases its last album?
A: This has been a long time coming, so I feel accomplished. I feel relieved, exacerbated but excited. I guess it’s a range of mixed emotions because I also feel calm and confident. I’m just ready for the world to be able to experience it.
Q: Why was naming the album after Atlanta important to you?
A: Both (of us) being from Atlanta, we wanted Atlanta to finally be able to claim Gnarls Barkley as its own. I think that there was a bit of separate-but-associated disposition (regarding) the success of Gnarls Barkley. It’s not general knowledge that it was established in Atlanta.
Q: Tell me about the time you and Danger Mouse spent in Joshua Tree. What was that like?
A: We just kind of listened to some tracks. Certain things kind of jump out at me immediately, and other times I have to kind of wander off and discover the storyline or how does this track make me feel. We just kind of hung out because we hadn’t seen each other or been in the same room or talking creatively or talking about music or even being friends until we come together. So it was just kind of hanging out (and) laughing, talking about old times, eating food, listening to music.
Q: What’s the creative synergy between you and Danger? He seems more reclusive.
A: To be totally honest, the formula that has worked best is to be left to our own devices. Because once he produces something, it’s done. It’s not like I have a say in it. All I can do is either agree or not. Typically, I may not say something back. If I like it, I may answer back with a song. … We don’t talk lot. We don’t even really talk a lot throughout the process of recording. We very seldom even recorded together. So going to Joshua Tree was a first for us to go to a remote location and kind of be isolated. Other than that, we both are juggling a number of different endeavors.
Q: A lot of the album seems existential and about questioning your place in the world. Are any of those themes personal to you?
A: The music of Gnarls Barkley is for people trying to figure it out. … I think we’re all on those plights of trying to seek the knowledge of ourselves and our purposes for being here. But it can be quite a rabbit hole to go down. In “I Amnesia,” there’s the line that if I come back alive, will anybody remember me? Well, this album is released ( Friday). It would have been 18 years since the last release, so that’s a long, dormant sleep, and to have been slept on. That’s what that lyric is alluding to. But if I come back out, will people even appreciate the music?
Q: How did the lead single “Pictures” come about?
A: When I heard the track, I said, typical Danger Mouse. It’s slow and dreary, and it almost (sounds) like it’s raining somewhere. There’s something magical about his music because it’ll just cause me to become deeply introspective and thoughtful. I mean, I won’t have any choice. I have to confront it.
Q: Because the song is about the many times you’ve spent on the MARTA train alone as a kid after getting in trouble at school.
A: My mom didn’t know that I was out of school and I had nowhere else to be. So the train became a safe haven, and I would just ride the train to the furthest stop then turn around and come back. I maybe had to do it two or three times. I’d sit and talk to myself, imaginary friends. I spent a lot of time as a kid to myself.
Q: When the album was announced, I saw people (online) commenting in frustration about your past controversies. What would you say to people who question why they should listen to you at all? Do you care? Recently, an image of you performing at Mar-a-Lago circulated online, upsetting some fans.
A: I definitely care. … We’re all human beings. I’m not here to be perfect. I’m here to be honest. I guess in that, I can allow people to have their opinion. … This is my purpose. I have to live in it. I would hope to be forgiven for indiscretions or misunderstandings. Mar-a-Lago was a major misunderstanding. One thing I want people to understand about public figures (is that) we’re not always involved in the logistical half. That’s management. My performance there was circumvented through a number of different entities, and I got there through a totally separate relationship: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which I’ve supported for years (The official title of the event was the annual Curetivity Gala, hosted by the Eric Trump-backed nonprofit of the same name, which helps raise funds for St. Jude).
Q: Thanks for answering that. What else are you working on? You’re returning to “The Voice” in a limited capacity this season. Last month, you and your son Layke, who’s also a musician, went viral for your rock outfits on the Grammys’ red carpet. Are you all working on music together?
A: His production made me want to rap. It woke me up. The more time we spent together, it was like, let’s do a project. It’s just the bond of father and son. We get a chance to be together, build together and create legacy together. He’s a best friend to me. He’s into rock the way that I was around his age, so there’s a shared interest there, aesthetically and sonically. That stuff will be showcased on the album that we’re doing together. The group is called Lagoon, and the name of the album is called “Like Father, Like Gun” (which doesn’t have a release date) because he’s the son of a gun.
About the Author
DeAsia is a music and culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She focuses on the intersection of arts, culture and diverse communities, as well as how emerging social trends are being expressed through the lens of the Atlanta aesthetic. DeAsia's work can be seen in Pitchfork, Essence, Teen Vogue, Elle and more.
