The Deal: Yet another Down South hip hop icon jumps into the mixtape game but this one’s a little different.
The Good: Who else can have Goodie Mob and The B-52’s on the same project? Seriously.
Part Gnarls Barkley, part Curtis Mayfield-y, part Kurtis Blow, part classic soul and 80’s pop, this collection of songs was all over the place with Cee-Lo somehow shining on every song. Whether it was pulling out his best 70’s pop/lounge singer voice for “You Don’t Shock Me Anymore” or “Talking To Strangers” where you could picture the muted orange or avocado kitchens or the era or promoting the joys of … whispering eyes with The B-52’s on “Cho Cha The Cat” at no point did you feel like putting on.
Seamlessly crossing genres, tracks like “I’ll Kill Her” and “Super Woman Theme Song” who usually appeal to completely different audiences but work because of Cee-Lo’s broad appeal and phenomenal artistic range that.
After the initial shock of trying to figure out what you’re listening to exactly, it’s really enjoyable and can anyone complain about new music from Goodie Mob (“Night Train”)?
The Bad: Shizophrenic. Even with the artistic leeway Cee-Lo has earned over time, this random mashing of songs is about as random as it gets. “Goldschläger” is jarring right out of the gate but grows on you, while “The Stranger” was dope but it was no Teddy Pendergrass.
The Verdict: Musical potpourri. Diverse and creative, for artists claiming to be different this is different. With his third album, Lady Killer, on the way, this mixtape gave us a taste of what to expect — the unexpected. Maybe no “Closet Freak” or “I’ll Be Around” this time around but I’m excited. It will take multiple listens to appreciate.
INFO
Release date: June 5, 2010
Download Cee-Lo’s Stray Bullets here.
Tracklist (Production Credits):
1. Goldschläger (Produced by The Grey Area)
2. You Don’t Shock Me Anymore (Produced by The Grey Area)
3. Cho Cha the Cat (Featuring The B-52’s) (Produced by The Teddy Bears)
4. I Like It (Produced by The Grey Area)
5. Little Black Book (Produced by The Grey Area)
6. Talking To Strangers (Produced by The Grey Area)
7. ChamPain (Produced by Doc & The Grey Area)
8. Night Train (with the Goodie Mob) (Produced by The Grey Area & Anthony Kronfle)
9. The Secret (Produced by The Grey Area)
10. Sophistic@ted B!$ch (Produced by The Grey Area)
11. I’ll Kill Her (feat. ME & LOnan the Destroyer) (Produced by ???)
12. Is It? (Produced by The Grey Area)
13. Super Woman Theme Song (Produced by The Grey Area)
14. Night Cap Outro (One Last Shot of Goldschläger) (Produced by The Grey Area)
This article appears in Jun 8-14, 2010.
just for the record, this isn’t his solo debut…actually his third album.
This shit is raw and deep….it’s a mixtape so it ain’t supposed to flow together necessarily. My favorite joints are Little Black Book and Is It. Cee-Lo is a monster! A-Town musicians are the most diverse out there….Andre 3000, B.O.B., Big Boi (shutterbug is official like a ref with a whistle).
I just can’t stop listening to this album…at work…at home I’m giggin’ and singing along to it. Favorite tracks are “You Don’t Shock Me Anymore”, “Night Train”, “Talking to Strangers” and of course “I’ll Kill Her” MAN Cee-Lo made that Soko song even more beautiful! Meow!!
Something tells me this collection was accumulated over the years. The musicality of it throughout, and the composition is stellar, and down-played, but STRONG is the writing. My favorites are: You Don’t Shock Me Anymore, Talking To Strangers, ChamPain, Night Train, The Secret, I’ll Kill Her, Super Woman Theme Song
But the hit of the mixtape and easily a hit single is “Is It?”
I had this tape for a while and just started playing it in heavy rotation.
Talking To Strangers and ChamPain I hope they make the Lady Killer CD