QLS Classic: Ceelo Green Part 2

Published Dec 19, 2023, 5:01 AM

In part 2 of this Classic QLS, the legendary CeeLo Green describes one of the most incredible career surges of all time. In discussing his solo catalog, CeeLo also recalls the smash success of Gnarls Barkley and how the decorated veteran became a master of reinvention. The Dungeon Family alum also describes working with a young Bruno Mars and passing on an anthem by Pharrell. 

Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio.

What Up y'all? It's like yeah, And this week we are traveling back back back back to June of twenty twenty when we finally caught up with se Lo Green.

Yep, se Lo Green.

He talks about finding his boys, Goodie Mob, Naarls Barkley and all the good stuff. It's so good that it's a two parter. We know you love those. As we queue that up for you, don't forget to make sure you check out our whole Dungeon Family series of interviews. Oh yeah, y'all, from Organized Noise to My Girl Joy to even quests one on one with Andre three thousand. Yep, it happened. So here is part two of se Lo Green on Questlove Supreme.

How does one?

Well, it's actually two parter because you know you said you didn't you really weren't with the direction of the record. Who is the alpha, Who's the Who's who's the alpha?

Goodie?

That one is the anchor that brings everyone together to have a meeting or or discussion about it or My second question is how do you dissolve the situation?

How?

What was what was the process of you leaving the group to start Your Perfect Imperfections and the Soul Machine projects.

Well we had just done not too long ago maybe, like you know, I think in March, you know, our episode of Unsung had added and we kind of touched on that, and you know me, it was me and Timo that discussed very you know, very plainly that you know, after that project, everybody wanted to venture out and do solo solo projects. You know, everybody's always had an ambition to do it, but like we kind of stumbled upon our own synergy and became kind of you know, you know, safeguarded by that, you know what I mean, Like, you know, because we did ultimately have three consecutive Gold Reference but we were only kind of like slated to do just one record, I mean, being that it was just meant to be a compilation. And then also we were friends and and and you know, like and we were kind of, you know, if you will, ganged in like you know what I mean, Like we loyal like down with each other. So it's like, you know, everybody felt a certain kind of way by feeling anything ulterior to you know what I mean, Like, uh, you know, goodie, you know what I mean, like you know, but you know, I had to be true to dying self, you know what I mean, Like you know, because the fact of the matter is I was always poised to be a solo artist anyway, and that that point I really was ready, you know what I'm saying, Like I can honestly say at the beginning, I wasn't. But that after three albums and after touring consecutively and accomplishing what we accomplished, I said, Okay, I think we you know, I think we made out our you know, our our impression. It's like this, so I I knew somewhat, I mean, of what I could accomplish if I applied myself outside of Goodie Mob.

I mean, like you think the Santana record kind of helped you get it?

Did?

Oh?

It?

Did it? Did? I gotta I gotta give thanks and praise to miss Lauren Hill, you know, I mean, like who reached out to me. We all befriended each other on those first tours roots you know, uh, Goody Mob and the Foujis. You know what I'm saying, Like you know, it's so so with that she came and got me, you know, and I didn't even really. I knew that I had a I knew that I could sing, but I wasn't really tripping, you know, but you know it was her. Joy and Erica bad are the first. You know, that's like the holy Trinity, right man? And I'm saying, you feel me like I worked with them separately. I remember going to to New York when Erica wants and she and she wanted me to come out on stage and just sing something. And I said, okay, well what you want me to do? She said, just just do whatever you want to do? And I just hommed and moaned and wailed and then and then I sung background vocals for Joy too.

So still, have you done any so in your in your evolution as a singer, have you done any maintenance on your voice, any kind of coach like, because it seems like as you evolved, got into that Narls bag and stuff, and you started experimenting with the different things in your voice that you know, it was shouting.

Starting to come out. Well, damn question, What was your question? Again? I just want to make sure I get it, you know what I mean?

How did you quit the group?

It was? It was, it was agreed upon, we all had an understanding. Now how it digressed into you know what I mean, like a lot of a lot of the internal riffings and you know, you know they kind of you know, spilled over into the street. I really don't know what I mean, Like I really wasn't emotionally vested in that way. I mean, like because it was my understanding that there was an understand I mean, like you know, I was defaulted and I mean, like, you know, like out of the group because I had always felt like, yo, like we're gonna try these other things and then we'll come back, you know, as we ultimately end up you know, doing.

But yeah, me too, come back.

And come back to it. And I mean so so with that, you know what I mean, I just knew that it was time for me to make a move. And it's funny that man get talking about this recently. He said, Man, well, you know you were right. I mean, like it's not something that we could have foresaw, you know what I mean, like, you know and give answers that the best. On the episode of Unsong, he said, I knew that, you know, that time would ultimately come at some point, he said, But no matter when that time came, it most likely wasn't gonna ever be the right time for me, you know what I'm saying. And I didn't. I didn't know that they cared that much. You know what I'm saying. You feel me like, you know, because I also looked at music as recreation. So when I came out with Closet Freaking did that album, that's just me, you know, having fun, just kind of like peacocking and showing people. Hey, man, like I got other stuff in me, you know what I'm saying. I could do all other kind of shit.

Me my favorite record, oh, my favorite song on that album, Like it wasn't even like a full song, but I love it to death.

Base head Jazz. Yeah, I love that fucking song.

Man.

That was the one for me. I played that shit on repeat for hours.

You want to know something double about bassa jazz And a lot of people say that, man, like the reason why the beat keeps cutting off because it got it got erased and I just left it like that, like you know, so uh, you know me because I produced all of that stuff and a lot of people don't know you know what I mean?

Your own Well, it's that thing.

It's that thing, bro, And I'm gonna tell you question. I know you're trying to get me to dig into it. It's like I will say, around that time, I didn't really I didn't really ask for help. I just kind of thought that help should be volunteered. And I thought that, you know, at some point, everybody would want me to realize my own potential. I mean, like you know, because again I didn't really feel like I was diminishing myself in any kind of way. I thought that it was just a you know, a vetting process or like or like a preliminary you know what I mean, like you know, like you know, you know or you know some sort some some type of you know, incubation kind of process that I was going through to get to a certain point. And that's not to discount or you know, be condescended toward what we did or do collectively. Soing like I love the crew our Lonely show, I only ever show solidarity. And I'm saying you feel me like I'm built like that, Like I'm a team I'm a team kind of guy just like you. Anytime I look at Jimmy Fallon quest, I love y'all because I've known y'all for so long, and I'm like, I'm like, look at that man knowing like that that man you know, his team trust him. You know what I'm saying. You feel me like they honor his word. I mean like they really need to go in to battle with him when lose a draw. You know what I'm saying, You feel me. And when you ask who's that alpha male? I could? I could you know that alpha individual? You know what I'm saying, Like and our collective, no one wants to assume that position, you know what I'm saying. Like, so therefore I will say this honestly and transparence to just so I can give you something wrong. You know what I mean, Like there's a great deal of appeasement that goes on internally. You know what I mean, Like, you know, to make sure that everybody you know that no equilibrium is offset. So I even I put my accomplishments on the shelf, you know what I mean, Like when I come home to the collective. You know what I mean, Like you know, like I'm I'm I'm low. I'm saying like I'm baby brother, I'm a little bro. All that you say you feel me and I love that And I'm saying, like, because I like having og. I'm saying like, you know, I'm a luck that's just that's my hardwinery. You know what I'm saying. You feel soul. I really don't mind, you know what I'm saying, Like, because I know at the moments, notice, I can go elsewhere and behold on command. I can be whole, you know what I'm saying. And I'm only whole because because because I because crew is inclusive, and let me say that too, so the benefit of it is bilateral. I'm not whole without the collective. I love my guys.

So in the time that you leave the group and you start your solo career, of course you know outcasts, you know, they create this this monstrous diamond album that's in its capable to the world as far as an eclipse, and then what happens with you is like, in my mind at least in two thousand and three, thought hey, I would just be a defining moment and that that would eclipse everything. Yeah, and then you come here with a new project with like the most I mean, I would borderline say that the rival of crazy and the the kind of the term viral, viral moments viral like Crazy, I almost feel is the first viral song, at least in the terms of which the word viral started to be used in everyone's lexicon.

And I'm not going to argue with.

Me to the point where like where I mean, even Paris Hilton had her her cover of it. How uncomfortable was it for you to accept what I assume is a very unexpected moment where I would assume that, like Nols Barkley was just like, hey, let's just do a little QT side project with my weirdo friend Brian here and then I'll go do my third record, which, incidentally, I mean, if anything, fuck you probably.

Surpassed Crazy.

I don't know, like numbers wise, what was more inescapable as far as the bigger song.

Was it uncomfortable for.

You to finally get like the overdue kind of accolades due to you, especially from the environment you came from?

Yeah, because you.

Were pretty much Andreeine, I.

Like for real, you know, I mean, yes.

I love it. No, but look man, okay, so no, I thought that it was dope, you know what I mean? Like you know that you know, those two dynamics could come out come out of one crew. So therefore I had always felt like it was, you know, it was faded, you know what i mean, Like and it was and we were favored, you know what I mean, Like you know, I would love you know, I can appreciate more and can benefit more with having him as an alliance as opposed to an opponent, you know what I mean. Like at least we were, you know, alongside of each other, you know what I mean, like pushing our agenda forward, you know, and waving our flag, you know what I mean, Like you know, we shared the same flag. So like it's just like you know, and I know that it's typically just kind of one standout person. I mean, like you got one Jordan on the on the ninety whatever year fucking bulls, the ninety three bull or whatever, you know what I'm saying. And I definitely don't didn't. I didn't consider myself a Pippin, you know what I'm saying, Like, and that's no insult, and so to him, so very seldom, you know what I mean, Like you know, it seems like chemically it would almost kind of blow up in your face to have a Kobe, you know, And can you imagine Kobe and Jordan on the same team. You know, yeah, I think so. I think so. And even when we talk about Outcast being a trio, I kind of actually I could be rational and saying to myself like that might be too much. What I'm saying, you feel me, it might have been too much, you know, And so I'm glad that whatever I could contribute was just enough to signify Goodie Mob in the way that I hated it, know what I'm saying, you know, because I did my partner, and that's all that I'm there to do. So in going forward, you know what I mean, Like, no, I didn't. I felt like everything was happening kind of right on time, you know what I mean. I feel like, you know, as long as I could be a success at being myself, I've got my whole life to do it. It didn't have to be you know, it didn't have to be a facade. I mean, like all a freak of nature, you know what I mean. Like it's like, you know, I got a chance to just you know, be that genuine article, you know, individual account of interpretive arts. You know what I'm saying, You I mean, like that that's it. And what I mean, like you know I got with Danger Mouse and I knew that he was, you know, peculiar and eccentric, you know, much like myself, you know what I mean, like in private, and I knew that. You know, our misery gave each other company, you know what I'm saying. You know, when I heard his music, I think my only misery was the fact that you know, I had not addressed this emotion sooner, you know what I mean, Like you know in my repertoire get Yeah, yeah, you know what I'm saying. But it but it was the timing was you know, impeccable, you know what I mean, because like, but how was the.

Feeling of achieving a zenith and being number one? Like is it a be careful for what you asked for a moment? Like I'm certain that by week eighteen you were tired or seeing that damn song?

Well, I tell I tell you this, it happened because you're right, it's one of those first viral moments, you know what I mean, Like, uh, the first song to go to number one by digital download. I mean, like it's got it's got a Guinness World record. You know what I'm saying, This record, You know what I'm saying. And to be totally honest, it was it was it was utterly uh calming uh and gratifying uh and relieving, you know what I'm saying, like, you know, because the the the the motive, the inspiration for the song was, you know, all of those traumatic you know times that I could recall of being treated and seen and perceived, you know what I mean, like you know, as different or crazy or you know, like all of that kind of stuff, you know what I mean. And and and then I could reflect on how it you know, uh translated you know in my you know behavior at a time, you know what I mean, Like you know, because us that the video for Crazy is the raw shot test. Yes, so I Sir Robert Hale, the director, I had a conversation with him, and this is where it came from. I was telling him about those times when I was in elementary school, middle school, and I would get pulled out of the class and taken into you know, an office or empty room and they would do those tests on me, you know what I mean, Like I didn't know what it means. I wasn't really paying attention, you know, and I didn't know if I don't know if and I honestly can't recall it if I was pleasuling academically, I don't know what I was doing besides the behavior that I can recall that would make motherfucker think that I was, you know, I mean like needed to be prescribed writtling. I'm saying, Yes, so crazy. The reason why it resonated in such a way because it was so real and the resent was so deep in me. I hated being, you know, like called crazy, you know, I mean, like you feel me or considered crazy, and so therefore that's why it cuts so deep for me, and I meant it so much, and I was so sincere, you know what I mean, And at that point I was relieved. It's almost like I could have died, you know what I'm saying.

Well, then I'll ask you, did it sort of irk you a little bit? Once the song ran out of control and everybody in their mom had to cover it. I mean there was country versions and Charactis version and like all these like did it take away from the from the specialness to well, like.

Like Dangel Mouse, he's what's the word, he's neurotic in that way, he's uh what they call it? A purist, you know what I'm saying, Like there's certain things he won't do, like you know, he will take a picture sitting on the left side of the you know, it's he's really pocket protector type, like you know what I mean, Like we're both kind of nerves in our own way, but like like you know, he's he's he's he's a specimen of a person.

Like you know, so what lesson did you learn?

And being in a group with him that you didn't utilize and being with goodie mob that serves you better?

Can I tell you he told me the greatest I got two or three different things that he's told me. That's the end. But he's a sweet guy, and you know, you would think he was like some dude that sucking is a vegan or something like that. But now, like all he eats his pizza and hamburgers. It's so you know, I mean, like right now he lives on the former Connecticut. Okay, but I tell you what he told me when I opened up the door, he said, Hey, so before we get started, I want to say this, Hey, I am you know, I'm obviously a fan of of you know, most of the work that you do you know what I mean? And he's he's that's that's what he says. I'm most of what you do. He said, so, but what I've noticed is there there's a reoccurring thing that runs throughout your work, and there's this this person trying to do uh and say so much good you know, I mean, it's it's it's almost like you're trying to, uh be redemptive for something. He said, so he said it said, so, it's my thinking that anybody trying to do that much good has done an equal amount of bad. And I want you to talk about that. He called me out. He called me out, and I said, oh, okay, you know what I'm saying, and I just let it spill. And I just felt like, Okay, he's a perceptive guy. And I remember when he was first playing me the tracks that ended up becoming Saint Elsewhere.

Uh.

North Barkley debut album A partner, good friend of mine who I use as a baramo, the.

Two Stam's minte. What's going on with He's still home?

He with me, you know what I'm saying. Okay, but but he he walked in the room to get something. He said, excuse me, guys grab this recuse. I think he got some keys or his phone or something in the studio. And then you know, in his in his own unique way, his personality, as he was walking out the door, he didn't look back, and the door was kind of slowly. You know those studio doors, they will go back hard and they'll come back soft. So the door was softly closed behind him. He said, By the way, whoever produced that track is crazy, you know. Basically he could feel the controlled uh chaos in that production. Because I felt like that, I said, God, damn, you know, I didn't say it to him. I said, but damn this this guy is damaged in a genuine way, you know. I mean, like I can tell. I'm like, who makes this stuff? You know? And then why is it speaking to me? So it spoke to my internal you know dialogue, you know, I mean, my internal chaos, and I was able to make some sense out of it, you know what I mean, like, you know, alongside him, and I just felt like he's like a real partner in crime.

So one of my favorite songs in that record, which I always wanted to know, if you'll ever explore more singing in your baritone voice, I was on the line and like, how come you haven't decided to explore your your your little your little voice. When I heard that there's a song that I did with Blow. Since I heard that, I ran to bloud like I was going to get with him in the studio and I played.

It for him.

I said, Yo, dude, like I want you to do this song on your little register because it's just something you never explored before, because everyone expects you to lose your mind on every song that you do. That's right, like a controlled song in your baritune. But yeah, like, how but.

Will you ever my favorite singers? He can sing so goddamn good. He's so he's so trippy. I got just to be out on a couple of different occasions, and I told him. I was like, Yo, sometimes it's my favorite record from you.

Yes, all right, yeah.

Anyway, yeah, I'm just shouting yes. No. So I was just I was just trying to amuse us because I tell you the story and it's not long, you know. He he came to Atlanta. We had about eight days to go in out of pocket independently, you know, and amuse ourselves. And that's what those sessions were like. You know, we're going through different tracks and this, that and the third. You know, so if I couldn't get anything, like I said that first day I came, I said, let me hear this, blah blah blah blah. And I went home and I wrote something, and then I wrote I think just the thought and Necromancer and something else, and I went back in and and and he would only have these two minute loops, and I was trying to see, can I can I can I complete a thought? Or can I get to a point of realization within those confines? You know what I mean? So that was I had tasked myself in that way, but you know, he had to go off to Iceland, so we were a little rushed, not not really knowing really what to expect of each other, just trying to hope him to get something. I mean, like, you know.

So the whole record in eight days, the whole album much, you.

Know, I mean, like you know, sometimes the best work is done without thinking it, and you just just.

Didn't think, didn't didn't think about it, you know what I mean. Like it was completely and totally unpretentious. I promise it's the most honest, organic thing I've ever done. What I'm saying that worked as well as it did.

Were you a violent fin fin or was he a violent fifth fin Well? I that shocked me. I was like, oh, ship, that was.

Definitely his idea. I was familiar with with with violent him from Blistering the Sun. And then more more recently around that time was a song they had put out called breaking Up. You know, breaking Up right? Yeah? So I like that record. So I don't know what got in him to make him think that that. I don't know what he was doing, but I trusted him in a very uh uncanny way. He said what he said to me, I knew that I could trust him. On another occasion, he told me something else, great he said, he said low. I guess because he was dealing with the executives, and you know, people felt like you know, sometimes when people are dealing with the producer, they think they're dealing with the the texts and balances the math of a situation. Like you know, songwriting is science, and science is subject to interpretation. Math as a matter of fact, it's exact. So therefore they'd rather talk to him than me. Uh So he was dealing with them, and I think he got a notion to say. He said, low, man, everybody seems to be scared of you. I'm saying, like, you know, because I was writing these songs and people not knowing how genuine they are and me like it's like goddamn, Like you know, like this got cool? Is he all right? What I'm saying? You know what I mean? Like, uh, he said, he said, everybody seems to be scared of you, he said, but I'm not scared of you, he said, as a matter of fact, when I'm with you, I'm not scared of anything.

Wow.

You know what I'm saying. So that's that's the you know, that's that's I want to quote him out loud in the world with that. I want that to reverberate. And I'm saying like, you know, like all over because that's one of the sweetest things anybody ever told me. You know what I'm saying, Like and you know, I'm like, I'm like Shrek in my own little way, you know what I'm saying. You feel me like this? You know, I'm like people have taken me to be because because at certain at a certain point, like when we got to the second Nolge Rock the album, you know, then his ego started to kick in a little bit, and he kind of felt like he was doctor Frankenstein, and I was, of course Frankenstein, you know what I'm saying. And I'm like, well, no, you know what I'm saying, like, you know, like you know, I'm smarter than that, you know, he says. And then then I then I always find myself having to assert myself. And then then when I get then when we got a problem.

Was it made the opposite way?

Did you guys spend more time thinking it over and and kind of less the approach that you did with the first record?

Okay, let me say this. He had to leave through through one of those sessions we were doing. We were doing something else where. He came in the studio. He gave me like two copies of the Gray album, which was the mash up, and when that and when that went out, it was like boom. You know what I'm saying Like, it was like wow, And then on then on the on, then on the other side. I ended up writing and producing Don't You for the Pussycat Dogs?

So we gotta get that story.

I've never I always wanted to ask, Yeah, we gotta get that story.

Man like at that time.

Well you know, after I remember and I had the two. I had perfectin Perfections, I had Sole Machine. You know, they were critically acclaimed. Perfect Perfections was nominated for a Grammy.

Uh.

Any Ir ended up beating me out of that Grammy that year. I was dominated for a Grammy for that album. Uh And she's my sister, so like it was a good but I was kind of ready to walk away. I'll fin yo, like because I'm never really tripping about scene being seen or anything like that. Like you know, as as extroverted as I am, I really I don't really care rolling. I mean, like you know, like I could just I could write songs and you know and get quiet money and and checking up. You know, like I don't know, I'm not shifting.

Necessary for Brandy. I love that.

I just wanted to say, for I forget the joint. You wrote necessary Nigga, I love.

That's my face.

Hell yeah, So you know, I'm surprised that she loved that record, but like you I mean, like you know that that's something that I would sentimentally, I would write for myself, but like she that record spoke to her, and I'm like Brandy she's one of the greatest. Say she's I love her voice. Ray J is my man, so like I've known them for years and say, anyway, that's that story. But no, you're right. So like I so I went, I slipped into a songwriting kind of space and I was like, well, I'll just do that what I'm saying you feel me and I won't trip. Uh. But the narge Rocky, I didn't know if it would work, but again, it was just something recreational. I didn't really you know, I didn't care. I mean, like you know, and I wasn't as concerned, you know, But when you're not looking for it, that's when you find it, you know what I mean. And then y'all.

Perfected y'all Live show to like levels of because I remember y'all did the Roofs Picnic and it was amazing, Like.

Yo, we started kicking ass y'all, like you know, and that's what happened, you know, like that that journey that took me on the journey of ten years, you know, between those two albums and touring like you know, and you know, then you're supplying you find it, and then then it's not a dream anymore. It's reality. But then you become you know, preoccupied with the with the demand, you end up having to supply such a large demand. You know. It's ironic in a way of like, you know, you're working hard to kind of make that connection, you know, and then once you make it, you got work three times it was hard to supply. I mean, you feel me like so anyway, no complaints.

I believe you're the only human being I know that. I don't know if it was at the height of crazy or not? Where is it? Did spell this rumor? Were you not in a room with both Prince and Michael Jackson at the same time?

Yes, heard the story? Did you hear what I am telling?

No, I I don't. I don't know where I heard. Maybe I read a blurb or something. But I heard a rumor and I was like, no, impossible.

Of course, I think what happened. You're probably the only bigger Prince fan than me than I. Then I can acknowledge if I have any knowledge of But yes, like you know, princess, like my fairy godfather, Like, yeah, okay, So the story goes, we were in Las Vegas doing something. I don't know what we were doing. Maybe we were on tour, but we ended up at a club and there was this beautiful woman there. She was dressed like what do you call those ladies in the courtroom who's typing and stuff? Okay, she was dressed like a stenographer, half back in a type bond and she was gorgeous and like she didn't fit in whatsoever. Right, So we walked to the back of the club and we're sitting there, you know, Eroding City comes on, boom boom, and we're like, oh shit, Prince, here we go, you know what I'm saying. Next thing, you know, Prince walks through there and we're like, oh shit, that was Prince. And if you know Prince, like I know that, you know, he always does this little smirk like you know what I'm saying, Like, it's just a little smirk and that he does. And I was like, damn, you know, like at first, the girl seems so out of place, I'm like, what is she doing here? So so anyway, it turns out that she was with him and she was some artist that he ended up putting a record out of her. She was gorgeous. I don't remember her name though, but but but but yeah, something like that like, so he he uh, he called me, so he sent the security over. They called me over, and he said that he loved Crazy. He said he listened to the album and uh, he listened to the same else where. He said it, he said, he said, he said, must admit though it scared me a little, and I said, it scared you. And I'm like, I thought that that was so amazing because I'm like, that's how I got into Prins because he scared the she out of me when I was a kid, like you know what I mean. Like, but I was drawn to him. There's a song called Annie Christian that's scared Death. It does thank you right, you know what I'm saying. So that song was unnerving to me. I don't know why, but you know, that's him. That's the that's the magic of him. But anyway, so anyway, we changed contacts. He gets it. He gets in contact with me, and he's doing his Vegas residency at the Rio Hotel in the round room. So this room is made like a circle. Okay, so I'm there. I get invited down there to perform Crazy with him at his residency. Me and Will were cool too at the time. We were talking a lot more frequently, and he said that he was going to be there. So we got there and you know, Will was in Vegas working with Michael Jackson, you know, doing something. So we're there, we do you know, I do crazy with Prince and Will does whatever he does. And I don't know what it was. I don't know if I can't remember what record. It was, just maybe some vamp that they were doing. Prince gets on the base and it looks like the longest neck bass I've ever seen, Like it was funny.

Prince is also like five foot zero, so exactly.

So he walks out into the room and this is before I knew Michael Jackson was there. So he walks out and the spotlight is on him and he gets right in front of Michael Jackson's table, and I promise you the the tip of that base was touching Michael Jackson's nose. And he said, there he slapped that base by two or three minute. Bank bank bank bank bank. Michael ain't no pump. And so that was that.

But what did Michael's face look like? Because he ain't no pump.

He like, I'm Joe Jackson's son.

Hold up, Michael Jackson ain't no pump and that's a fact, you know what I'm saying. Like, but I guess he was kind of looking like he was like, Yo, this dude just won't quit. Man. You know this has been years, Prince. I don't got no problem with you. I don't want no smoke with you, little man. But I met you know, so that was like my second physical time meeting Prince. The first time at that club. That like the meeting, the meeting agreement with him at the show. But that was my first and only time meeting Michael Jackson and Michael Jackson when he stood up Michael Jackson. For those who don't know, he's like ten feet tall.

He's tall.

He's tall with huge hands. He's like an alien dude like you, I mean like he looks like the Predator. This is a big dude. I got another crazy for Surry too.

I tell you it, run it.

Oh no dude, Okay. So one time it was you know, he would do these after Grammy parties and so you know, this was this was the year that I did the I did fuck you, Uh. I did it with Gwyneth foul Trail and had on the chicken suit.

You remember, like.

I was. I was my homage to the el Joint. Okay. So I was sitting on the audience watching the rest of the show, and he had somebody come around tapping different people who he felt like, you know, he wanted to invite to the house. So we ended up we got we got the address. Yeah, so we got the address and we ended up going over there. Like I remember Maxwell was there, Dave Chappelle was there, and you know, so you can hear the music downstairs, and we were just kind of talking, you know. I didn't rush right downstairs, and I'm looking around and see Prince. He's like, well, he's down there playing music. So we get go downstairs. And as soon as I come in the door, it's like a path that's made for me and Princess directly in front of me. But he's playing bass. He's like, come here. He's justice to me to come here. He says, pick us. So anytime he's ever been depicted a certain kind of way, like Dave Chappelle doing him on on show, that's exactly how he is, you know what I mean. Like she said pick a song, I'm like, okay. So it's this big book, this big book of song lyrics printed out, and you know, I picked something easier that I knew, and it was Superstition. So I sang Stevie Wonders Superstition, you know. And so in the process of me you know, that song was four minutes long, you know what I mean, like, you know, give or take. And in that process, he got off the base, got on the drums when it mixed my vocal, and did some other shit. What I'm saying, you feel me? So I was like, damn, you know what I'm saying. And so so I had some friends with me and he was gracious enough to have us there. So as the night went on, we're partying, you know, and you know, people kind of started thinning out. So we ended up staying all night, you know what I mean. Like, so I sat and talked with him and blah blah blah and you.

Know, convert you to to hand down jo Joel Witness. Yeah, you fell on the track. Whenever he starts that, I'm like, I'm out.

That's what. We sat there and talking about Jehovah's Witness. I said, okay, you know, so so that was that. And then look, so this is run of the time question. I'm sure you'll know. He had that little two door black Cadillac, look like the black the Batmobile, remember that one. It's it's it's six or seven o'clock in the morning. It's that it's that real hazy looking like Hotel California. You know what I'm saying, Like coming out, you know, we drunk and been high and all that kind of stuff. You know what I'm saying. So not not him but us.

Yes, I know, trust me, everyone knows.

So with that, we're coming out of the door. And then my homeboy says, yo, did y'all see Prince? I said, no, where is he? He was jumping into the car. So the garage door was up. You could see the car, the Cadillac he gets, he said, he said, he just got their Cadade right there. Okay, so imagine if we're parking immediately across the street, so the driveway is here, you know, the car is right there, the mailboxes right here. He takes off out of the garage. He almost runs us over. Man, Look, I wish it could be it's kind of crazy that I'm saying it, but like it was funny for us then because it was just amazing, like what is he doing? Where's he going? In this his house? Where's he going?

It's all right?

So but he wasn't trying to hear the us. But so he cuts out of the driver real quick. Woo. He makes a left, and we're parked like facing up the hill because we only know of one interest into that subdivision, right we I don't know what he was going, if he was gonna make if he was making.

A left, you know what I'm saying, like, right, where could you go?

Where are you going? Man?

The right? Why is he going to the left?

I just think the reason why. It's just cool because I just think that it was just to give us kind of something to be talking about right now, you know, twelve years later. I mean like he just he just gave us a little question mark, a little mystery. It was great.

He always does that, does weird ship just to I know it'll be a story later.

He did a shit to us once where I think the last time I saw him he changed his outfit twice?

Did he for no reason?

It was literally just he had one outfit on, came back in, had another outfit on, and then like ten minutes later, came back with another outfit on as if as if it were nothing, and yeah, that was the strangest ship to me. So he's going to get you your your newest album. Okay, now you this this is produced by From the first of all, I hear a lot about Memphis, Tennessee. Brian Danger Mouse himself has try to sell me on how amazing it is in Tennessee and how there's a music community down there and how there's all this, you know, the songwriting community and musicianship and studios and vintage studios.

So yeah, why why the the move to record in Tennessee.

Well it's Nashville actually, and uh he we befriended each other because they they came and supported us and checked out the show. One year we were doing south By Southwest in Austin, Texas, and that's how we befriended the Black Kids. And then and then shortly thereafter, uh, Danger ended up producing their album Brothers Alone. Uh you know, so that he produced that album with them or for them or something like that. So anyway, I ended up bumping into him some years later in London. We both were performing on Jules Holland if you're familiar, Yeah, so we were doing that and we exchanged numbers because his set was so cool. He had this all female mariachi band and I was like, great, yes, I befriended them too, you know what I mean. So so with that, then he reached out to me maybe like you know, six months or four months something later, and just asked me to come to Nashville, you know, to write, he said, He said, I really I appreciate you as a songwriter, you know what I mean, and maybe we can get together, get in the room, collaborate on some stuff. And you know that's basically you know, the gist of it. And then I said, okay, cool, this is this is damn from the black kids. I mean, like I dig them. You know. You know, the time was right, I was available. You know, it's a thirty minute flight from Atlanta. I was like cool. I mean, like, so I went and it was strange because I wasn't really sure, like you know, but you know, everybody was there at it.

You know.

Check in was like eleven o'clock in the morning, of which I've never recorded anything that early in the day, you know what I mean. Like, you know, so I'm like, okay, eleven o'clock. But we will only go from like eleven to four, you know what I'm saying, eleven to four or five. And I didn't understand, you know what I mean, And I kind of was getting a little little irritated with it for the first few days. I'm like, I don't really know what's going on. We just kind of, you know, so we would sit around the table and you know, of writing songs and recording voice memos into the phone and you know, with either with a ukulele or an acoustic guitar or warletton, you know. So you know, it was really quaint, you know, I mean, like you know and simple, you know, country living. What was the approach, you know, and so so over the over six months, I would make maybe like a week about four weeks total, so maybe like a month out of the six months. I went and sat and went down there for a week and I asked him, I said, yo, I said what I said? What I said, what's what eleven o'clock in the day, And like, I said that like the magic hour or like what's that? Then he was like no, he said, well, all of these musicians, man, you know, they're in there the seventies. You know what I mean, he said, so like you know, he said, man, he said, they're quite frankly man, like you know, they like to be done early. And uh, you know, I kind of got to, you know, need to try to get as much as I can get out of them. Man, you know, we don't have them forever, I'm saying. I was like, God, damn, I didn't realize that because I didn't really realize who they were, because he didn't really give me any disclaimer that in his mind he was recording the greatest soul album of all time on se Lo Green. You know, so he only told me that he wanted to write songs. So I'm thinking, I'm like, yeah, we're gonna get some of this country music money and blah blah blah. You know, I'm thinking of it like I'm thinking of it like that, you know. And and again I was again at another point in my career where like, I don't want to be I'm tired of being Selo Green. I just kind of want to be me. I mean, like you know, like you know, I'm older, I'm an older statesman, you know, you know, I want to be refined in a way of where now you know, I could just go by my name. So I had contemplated doing the Prince and not being referred to as Selo Green anymore. I'm like, I'll just be I just be Calaway and said, look the way that my granddaddy was called, like you know, I mean Thomas Caliway, I said, because you know, it's about legacy. Now, anything I do from this point on is about legacy. And you know the legacy isn't last name, you know what I mean. So I've been telling press that Thomas Calloway writes the songs that CeeLo Green sings. So I only went as Thomas Callaway to be a writer. And then so that last week he said, hey, man, I was thinking, you know, we've got some good ideas. You know, you think maybe you could come back and maybe, like you know, cut cut a few of them, just kind of see how your voice sounds on him. And I was like, you know, that's not really what we discussed, but I'm like, cool, you know, I'll sing them. And I'm saying, you know, why not. You know, I mean, I went down and unbeannoys to me. He's got a studio full of all of these great legendary Nashville muscle shows, you know, musicians who played on all of this wonderful music, you know what I mean. And I really didn't know because he didn't give me any disclaimer you know, about who they were, nor did he give me a disclaimer about that he was secretly recording an album on me.

David Rode, Bobby Wood, you know, I know Bobby Wood played on Chris Yeah exactly stuff and uh yeah, Russ yeah as well.

Yep, yep, yep. So so with that, you know, that was my first time recording with charts. So I was I was familiar with all of the songs that we had written over the last three weeks, you know, but I had never sung them besides those kind of voice references you know, in his phone. But you know, he had went and printed out sheet music, I mean, charts and everything. I mean, like, so by the time I got there, you know, I'm looking at the songs, I'm like, okay, look I remember this one. And then so I got one eye on the on the paper, the lyrics sheet, and then I got one eye on watching them play it all down flawlessly, you know what I mean. So it gave me my disposition was really humbled. You know, as opposed to going in there with any airs or any ego. I mean, so, like, you know, this album is completely unpretentious. That's why I like it so much, you know what I mean. So it's basically like Dan, our best gift to me.

So you made it down without knowing you were making a record.

Absolutely, and I recorded that album in two days because I just sung the songs we had. It was just like do I wish I could do everything like that?

Man?

I wanted to ask you always about Straight Bullets. That's one of my favorite projects of yours.

Man, come on, bro, you knowing about that?

Come on man? You singing over the Stero ship the like, dude, man talk about that? What was record?

I was just talking to my management. I said, like, yo, I need to re release Straight Bullets.

Yes, like people didn't hear it, okay, So what it was where I found out that Zelo I mean that see that, uh, that Kujo could play the sacks because you had him.

Anymore?

Well, I got I got to ruin it for you because I was just teasing. I said that because at that time, you know, we were kind of all estranged from each other, and Kujo was just dealing with the accident, you know what I mean. Yeah, So I just was I was loving on him in that way who's wild sack sy'all, you know what I'm saying. So I went to London to do Lady Killer, that record, you know, and it was all of this northern blue eyed soul, you know what I mean, the kind of like sold by numbers. I didn't particularly enjoy it, nor did I really you know, did I think it was good?

I mean, like you know, but the biggest hits came from it.

No, absolutely, No, I was wrong.

I was totally wrong, by the way, like like, what was the impetus of that? You just said? I got a great song type of fuck you, and the label was like, yes, we see it, this is a hit.

Okay, now I'm gonna tell you. I wanna tell you about that too, so check this out, all right. So I tell the first story. You know, I was trying were recorded for like three years trying to get that record, you know what I'm saying. And I had done all of that stuff. So when I was like straight bullets, I got that idea from a a Devo album called Greatest Missus instead of Greatest Hits. You know what I'm saying. And Straight Bullets was just like, Yo, I'm just gonna bust these off, you know, like and they hit somebody. You know what I'm saying. You feel me? But I had I had done a lot of music and I really wasn't getting that. I wasn't having it reciprocated. I mean, like by the label the way that I wanted. And I'm just like, damn, y'all ain't fucking with none of this. And so I put that mixtape out to spike them of all of that material because it was the last album it was supposedly you know at that time with Atlantic, you know what I mean, But they ended up kicking up the option. I ended up doing one more album with them, heart Blunch. So I just said like, well, yo, I mean like I just do a mixtape and I just leaked it. You know what I'm saying. You feel me? And that's why I didn't really get any kind of That's why I'm surprised you even mentioning it. But Tyler, the creator loves it too, you know what I mean, Like, that's one of the dopest projects I ever did. So I found all of this public domain library music, you know what I mean, like to why it wasn't really you can really have any copyright in friends with like causes and something like that. So I just did songs to that stuff, and just you know, they're just amusing myself, no different than I put out a project called TV on the radio to.

The ship you sung over the Peanuts thing.

I love that your quest I'll send it to you man, Like you know, some of it is out there like on YouTube, but they snatched it down because of course you know, I didn't clear it or nothing like that. And I'm saying, like it was just ingenious, you know what I mean. Like I just and sometimes I have to almost like that's my little sparring match with myself to kind of get something out before I try to, you know, be so subservient to what they you know, all of the many cooks in the kitchen with the major label ship, Like I didn't enjoy it. So I'm much happier, you know, being an independent artist again. Last time I was independent, you know, Narls and don't you and all that kind of stuff came from being able to have enough space, you know what I mean, like to do what I want to do.

What happened with the record.

So you had a project, You had a bunch of other side projects that I won't ask you about. You had the heart Attack, a heart attack heart Attack with Jack Splash, but then the Jazzy Faye record.

The I had it. It was the Happy Hour, had the joint to enjoy yourself with you, Jazzy and Nate Dog.

Yeah, look that project is. I love that album so much.

I told him them today.

I called and I said, you like yo, since everybody is going on zoom and ship, I said, like, let's.

Do Let's go on and call it out the Happy Hour and just play the unreleased album. You know what I mean we're supposed to do. He might he may still be up for it, but we didn't do it. But anyway, I'll tell you what happened with that. I was recording that at the same time as I was recording Narles Barkley.

Oh okay.

So he had to deal with Capitol Records. That was supposed to be for a solo album with him or accompliation album Jazzy Fair and Friends. And then we met up in Miami and we did a couple of songs. He was like, oh, shit, like, no, this is the this is the move. So he switched it out and said, like now I'm gonna do a Selo you know, Me and Celo album or this, that and the third. So the album is so dope, it still holds up even after all of these years. But what he did was, you know, we recorded it all just at our leisure, but we never signed it. We never signed a deal for it, you know what I mean, Like, you know, by the time we had a whole album done, we wanted a promo tour, We did sol trained, we shot a video, you know, but we never signed a deal. And but and so, so I'm going across the street. I'm leaving those sessions like going to see see Danger Mouse for a couple of hours, you know. And I always get a little get a little irritated with it because, like you know, after a while, you want to go into it optimistically and diplomatically, but like you know, sometimes I'm just like like yo, like I don't know what I'm saying. You feel me like, you know, I don't want to you know whatever I mean.

Like, So that was that.

But when when Narlsbrocky hit because it remember it just hit all of a sudden, it was like boom, and then they had they had to shelf the project because it was no deal, you know what I mean, Like and quite frankly, it just couldn't compare. I mean like that now to ask a question about fuck you? All right, So what happened was when I was in La, I recorded Lady Killer in Miami, La and London. They gave me a blank check to do whatever I wanted to do after crazy. So I was everywhere trying to get that record and we ended up getting it, you know what saying. Like, So Mike Karen introduced me to who's now known famously as Bruno Mars. At the time, they were introduce to me as Phil and Bruno. That was how they were kind of circulating. Phil Lawrence was his writing partner at that time, you know what I mean. So I was working at night Bird Studios at the Sunset Marquis in LA. They came over and I'm like, what's up, you know what I mean? Like, you know, I didn't really know them, I didn't know what they did, and I just was kind of let them hear some of the stuff that I was working on. My brother. They're like you know, maybe you could try this. So this sir, blah blah blah, I'm like, man, who the fuck is yall that sound like? You?

See?

So I told him, I said, you know what, bro, I'd be right back. I'm gonna good, I'm i gotta use restroom. So I went upstairs to the room and I just never came back. And I just left him in the studio. And I've said, I've said this a couple of times because I was being really rude. I didn't really know. I didn't know them, I didn't know them to respect them. But but then we rectified that we got back together. Brue had a lot of love for me, and you know, kind of looked at me as a mentor. And if you guys pay attention, you will realize that, you know, he was kind of built off of my back. You know what I'm saying. You know, because you know he wrote just the way that you are for me? Well, yeah, because I didn't. I didn't, you know, I didn't. I didn't think it was for me, but but I didn't see it for me, no different than you know, he started to fuck you. And then we we ultimately, you know, me and Phil came in because he had to the the're the session, and we went over and saying like, yo, I got this idea. He said, Man, you know it's a little little crazy, but just bear with me. And it was like, you know, it was just a hook. I see you driving around time with the good I love and I'm like fuck you, and I'm like okay, But see, at that time, this is bring straight bullets back into the conversation. At this time, I was trying to piss this three years later and I'm like, yo, I can't get no satisfaction. I'm so ready to say fuck you to the label, to everybody. So to me, fuck you was essentially a protest song to the label. You know what I mean?

I thought it was.

I thought it was ridiculous enough for them to drop me. That's why I was so enthusiastic. It was. Can I tell y'all how quick it worked, bro, I'm gonna tell you. We had to go to London to do some fucking promo or something. They and I think you may have been the first song to introduce lyric sheets with printing out the lyrics at the with the music. I had never seen it. Yeah, so so with that I think. I want to say it was the first one, Brom. You know, I'm not tripping, but but.

It came, it came fast, and it came so fast, Bro, it came like okay, so we had to get on a plane and go to London.

By the time we landed in London, it was a hit.

Wow.

So that's eight hours. So like basically like in eight hours, that ship was a hit.

When you talk about songs that you you know that you didn't think were for you, is there a version of you singing happy but for real?

It is? Okay? So we were you know.

Yeah, my homie Amir a mere Wyndham, he was working with for other time.

But I heard that I wasn't heard that it was originally Pharrell wrote it for you, and so I always wondered if if there was a version of you singing it of a reference or whatever.

I tell you the story man Pharrell been friends and collaboratives, collaborators for a long time.

Yeah, he was on the second album, he was on the on the Machine so with that, he he.

Was doing Despicable Me Too. And I was in the Bahamas in Eluthra recording heart Blunch. That's I think Lenny Kravitz owns that island because he was there. He came by the house.

Yeah, I know, I know he lives there.

I don't know if he owns it, but so we was there and he came down on his own dime, you know, to to kick it and be a part of it. And he played it for me, and you know me, it was just he played for me with the disclaimer that it was about to be a part of a Disney Pixar movie, you know what I mean, Like, you know, I wasn't really I didn't see it like for what it became. But there is a version of where I sang it, you know, and the and the version that you hear is the demo that he made basically his emulation of my voice.

You know.

So I don't know if I sound like that, but maybe I do, maybe, you know whatever. So yeah, we got that version. Yeah, but I said, you know, in the press, I was just like, I know that for real has had a you know, some solo success as an artist, but you know, mainly as a producer. But for what that record ultimately end up becoming, I'm like, you know, and he was about to be generous enough to give that record away, I said, So I believe that that's the universe rewarding his selflessness, you know what I'm saying, you know, because he was you know, he was definitely pushing forward for to be my record and the late. But the politics behind it, I tell you, Atlanta Records they wouldn't clear it for whatever reason. I think because we were about to go with another single, and you know, I think Despicable Me wanted single rights for it at the time, and they didn't want it to conflict. So you know that it was logical their decision, but of course you can't you can't win them all, you know what I mean. Like, and that's really what happened, you know what I mean. And so I guess he decided to just put it out and then it kind of you know, it worked as a record on the soundtrack, But then I guess when he shot I think he said when he shot the visual, that's when the record it came.

That's when because he had had and then he had people all over like the world kind of doing it like.

Twenty four hour video that's for our joint. Yeah yeah, man, yo yo, it was a record. I wanted to ask you that is the ship record that.

Had been mine. Oh by the way, you think so, it would.

Have been over killed.

It would have been oh thank you.

I wanted to hear that much happiness from se Loan.

They would have hated me.

I knew it.

I knew. I'm so glad. I'm so glad. I just remember to say that I said, I said, I'm glad it's not mine. I said, that's his record, that's his record.

The things that Pharrell had to do around that record, like the promo, the stage that he had, I was.

Like, he was a lot, a lot.

I'm sure he probably doesn't enjoy doing that record to this day. I'm sure he.

Record.

Yo, man, tell us about the record you did with it just came out. I think like last year intentions you big boy and uh sleepy.

Man. Dude, all right, I need more of that. I love that fucking song.

Okay, so check this out. We were all in the room, the entire Dungeon Family, dre three thousand included. You know, he was about to come on board to do another Dungeon Family album and we were going to do it. But exactly we were even like fingers crossed, Like really, Trey so after that, La read and everybody we want to do LA read and hit call. So I'm telling, I'm telling. I'm telling this story for the first time. So we were all that everybody's there, you know, and so just to you know, on good faith, you know, after La left the meeting, you know, Ray organized started pulling up some tracks like we all at the studio, we all up at stink only you like playing some tracks. And I said, oh, what's that like the Stueper Brown said me yo? He said, actually, I got a I already got come like a little idea today that he got in my ear, like yo.

Right, So I said, okay, I said, I like that. I said, like I said, let me let me, let me let me dance with you on it.

Know what I'm saying.

That said, I got I got something someone going to just just rock real quick. So just off the top of the head because it felt like loose ends.

To me, you know what I mean, cold blooded by Rick James like that, right.

So that's how I ended up having those two parts on there. I had the uh, the top part and then the end verse. Yeah, we but we thought that it would probably just kind of it was a little instant to for the Dungeon Family project. I'm saying, like, you know, but Sleepy Brown and Big Boy were working on the project simultaneously called The Big Sleepover at the time, and that's where that's where the original idea came from. So all of a sudden in days times, you're like, yo, were gonna shoot the vehicle to make this to say, I'm like really, I'm like, then we've just sucking around. But I'm like, but okay, I'm glad y'all like it. And that's kind of where it came from. And then we were we were we were slated to do the Dungeon Family album. But then again, you know, I think Drake ended up having to go off and film It's a show that he's that he's.

Doing dispatches from everywhere.

Yeah. Yeah, they kind of that took the It kind of took the win out of the sales. I gotta say that.

But he was already slated to do it, you know what I'm saying, the Sleepy Brown understand that people want more to be Brown in their life. Does he really understand that? Like because he put that one album out and maybe he didn't get the response he wanted, but like people fucking love Sleepy Brown.

No, for sure, he's a leisend man. Like you know, he's he's a part of so many iconic things. Pretending to Goodie I mean, excuse me, pretending to dungeon like you. I mean, like that's big grow what I mean, Like, you know, I loved it. But he's one of my close friends.

But he just needs to know tell him the people want it. I'm just saying I'm.

Gonna tell you, I'm gonna let him know.

Yeah, yeah, all right.

I'm going to tread on very careful ground with this last question, okay, because this is sort of a comeback for you, and yes, not to mention, I guess the motif of your life is kind of series of second chances or another chance or another you know, like you escaping situations because we live in a time right now with what's going on in the world today, and you know, we live in the era of cancel culture. Yes, and it's almost it's almost like what it seems is though, Like I guess the idea of cancel culture is like, well, you can never come back or you can never redeem yourself, where you could never return to your your prominence to what it once was.

How are you able to navigate the last ten years of your life?

Just in terms of because usually when when a person has to go through that process, and it's a nightmare, Like even now, I wake up every morning at five am just to look at trending top is to make sure I'm not on that list, Like.

No, because I'm thinking, like this, is there an interview I did? Is something that you know? And I know you know, but that's literally how you.

Know I'm not exaggerating when I'll say at least five times a day, I gotta.

Check this to make sure, Okay, no, I got you, I got you good, got you so and.

And and it's and it's stressful and it's stressful, but it's it's very real.

How are you how are you able.

To navigate your life in the last ten years with your loved ones, with your family, with yourself.

To get to this place? Like what have you learned in the last ten years?

I've learned the circumstance of celebrity and fame and fortune. All of these things are very fragile and precious. You know, it must be handled with care and consideration and cognizance that I mean, And so it is an intoxicating experience all throughout, especially to succeed in that space. And it's a surreal it's a surreal experience, and you know, it could be dizzying, and you can oversite things that are you know, or things that could very well possibly put you in commiser positions, you know, because you know, famous celebrity is a compromising position, you know what I mean. That's what that's what it qualifies as you know. What I've learned, you know, over the last several to ten years is to be still, you know what I mean, Like, you know, I reconnected, you know, with community. I reconnected with the these social conscious themes and and aspects of myself that were purifying and refining, you know, and I realized that success had taken me so far away from those things. You know, I spend an awful lot of time. But my son, you know what I mean, Like you know, I'm I'm really making up for a lot of lost time with him because you know, soils he's nineteen, wow man, Yeah, you know, so the spoil, the spoils of success, you can share in the wealth, you know what I mean, Like monetarily materially, you know, but it does not equate to tangible time, you know what I mean. And so I just got close to family, I got close to calls uh philanthropists, you know, philanthropy and charity, and associated myself with different causes that I was passionate about, and started to lose sight of myself uh or the or share the celebrity skin, you know what I'm saying, and give myself away to those things that I deemed to be greater than what I had even accomplished, because you know, it's not it's not an end all, be all to be alone, you know what I'm saying, Like to be you know, accomplished, or the loan and alienated, you know what I mean, Like I did not. I did not start out on this journey to look back and no one be there and no one to share it with, you know what I mean. If anything, if anything, I had experienced, you know, far too much alienation as an adolescent, and the music was a way to express and and make and make myself relative, to connect to people, to be to finally be counted as a part of a collective, you know what I mean, like or a community and belong you know, you know what I'm saying, because I wouldn't really make me feel like that as a kid. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. So I just I just reconnected with those things and was really and and and if you know, like even with we mentioned beautiful skin earlier, you know what I'm saying, like in a way that that was effective in Philly. It's like I was really expecting people to know me and know my history and where I'm coming from and know that like I don't got nothing but love in my heart and decency, you know what I'm saying, and humanity and humility. I'm one of the most well rounded and grounded people you'll ever meet. You know what I'm saying, Like loving and generous and selfless. You know what I mean. And I could only hope that it translates in song. You know what I mean, Like you know, and then I'll go in the extra mile what I mean, like you know, for good measure to make sure you know that I'm under the skin. I mean, like you know of those that you know to whom it may concern, I mean, like all of my music has just been a love letter to those to whom it may concern, you know what I mean. So I'm glad for and I'm very fortunate for it to start off as a you know, pretty much a black nationalist, you know what I mean, Like damn near borderline racist, you know what I'm saying, Like with goodie mob, you know what I mean, Yes, you know what I'm saying, you know, but to ultimately uh evolve into a you know, that universal appeal, you know what I mean, Like you know, like and I'm telling you it's not it's it's almost impossible, you know, to to fake it, like to you know, to fake that. Then. So like with these audiences that I've encountered and that I've acquired, you know what I mean, like your.

Good you feel like your goodie mob audience holds you accountable for things in a way because probably the Noll Barkley audiences a you got different audience.

Yeah, Well, the thing, the thing of it was I just should have just dealt with I should have just worked in double shifts like that's that's kind of That's kind of what I was meaning earlier when I said I had to go out into the world and supply that large demand. You're talking about I could have moved to London. If you go to London, you know all they gonna all you're gonna hear is you know, from everything from Amy wine House to Edda James on just regular radio and not even categorized like all in one mix. It's just like open format radio. Chus knows I'm right, he knows I'm telling the truth. So so I love it. I loved it it in London. And when I got there and I got a chance to spend a considerable amount of time there, I understood why they loved me. And I said, God damn it, like this is where I belong. And I heard Lenny Kravitt say years ago in an interview, he said, Man, like I know that I've accomplished a great deal. He said, but if there's any one thing that I can say that I truly wanted that would make me happy is to make music that my own people. And I'm saying I can appreciate, you know what I'm saying. And that's what I felt like, I mean, like because when it was time to be black, you know what I mean? Like, you know, I felt like I would me goodie mob, you know, beautiful skin, I feel like we was making the blackest music you can make.

I was about to say, but don't you feel like you had that privilege over Lenny in a way because you usher in your goodie mob audience to everything that you did. Everybody didn't come, but a lot of people did, which is the difference between you and Lenny in that way, right, because they have no audience evolved with you.

It's true, it wasn't. It wasn't a definitive separation of church and state. It was a bridge between church and state.

Absolutely, and I'm fortunate for that.

I'm very fortunate for that. So it's no different than fuck You is the leadoff single. But I got two Grammys for Food for You with Melandy.

You know what I'm saying.

That's the big homie salam Remy, you know what I'm saying. So the way back album started it was it was it's supposed to be my big black R and B record, Fuck you bodies, Uh, you know, food for You and I get some of the stuff that you heard on you know, That's that's what it would have been like, you know what I mean. But again, I don't have any regrets in retrospect because like it all worked out so well, you know what I mean, And I and even questions to to to cap off the question, you know, like even with everything that I've been doing through you know what I mean, like, you know, good, bad, and indifferent, I have very few complaints something like because there's truly no testimony without the test.

Not even marriage boot camp what about.

Well, you know what, guess what though, Marriage boot Camp was almost kind of like a re entry point for me, and people got a chance to see me, you know, in a light that they had not them saying like you know, like you know me domestically and with my woman. Like you know, I'm gonna say this straight up to y'all, like you know, there was a period of time when people maybe I was gay or something, you know what I'm saying, you know, like because of the outfits and the wigs and you know, stuff like that.

The over masculinity of hip hopa yeah, over massiminization of hip hop, yes.

But.

A little bit a little bit no, I mean because it's well, I mean for starters, I never thought that Selo was gay, you know what I mean.

But to me, when I saw the big outfits, it was just like you know, it was like you know, earth wind and fire.

With different people. He might have had a moment like what the fuck that ain't you know, but see the thing of.

It was, it was just like people. And that's the love and affinity people have for Goodie Mom and that era of my career. And it's like, you know, they ain't letting that ship go easily because we were affected. We touched people, and that's why, you know, that's why I always return to it, you know what I mean? Like I could never I could never sleep easy, arrest well, and letting any any any of my extended family down. I got to just do it all, you know what I'm saying. And that goes back to what I was saying basically, like I just the only thing I didn't do right is just work double ships. Make sure that both sides of the brain what tended to and both sides of the spectrum were satisfied. You know what I'm saying. You know, because I got so overwhelmed and preoccupied with such a big deal on one side of it that it just took the scale one way. And that's what happened with me.

Well from a family sectim, I'm gonna tell you. We just happy to hear that you admit to that, like that's the absolute Oh, I was just was.

That an alienating time for you?

Like how like when you have an incident and then you know everyone is just you know, you kind of go through the cancel culture thing when you're by yourself, you know what's going through your mind like during all of that.

To be totally honest, I mean, you know, I didn't really it was embarrassing what I'm saying. Like, you know, I mean like I wasn't completely overwhelmed because I was innocent.

For one, and what I'm saying you feel me, gotcha.

But I was always you know, I was humbled and appreciative for such a grounding experience, you know what I mean. Like, and I just felt I just felt renewed in my faith in feeling like, Okay, I have deliberately and intentionally done the good I have done, you know, I mean, uh, to guarantee in some regard, you know, I mean a victory, a greater victory in my personal life and professional life, and be a means of motivation and inspiration and other people of whom are my passion and whom I care about what I'm saying, you feel me more so than myself, you know what I'm saying. I you know, that's why I said I was all willing to die a revolutionary because I wouldn't given my life.

I did not I didn't value my own life in that way I value you know, I'm saying, the legacy of a people, you know what I mean, Like you feel me dis enfranchised? I mean like you know, and I just felt like those things that were put on my heart and on my spirit to speak on, you know, and and the fact just the real fact that I was being affected and people.

Were listening, and people were being changed because of it. You know. I felt like you know, when my when my my mothers and fathers, the associate pastors would say to me as a child, you're going to be a minister. You know. I felt like prophecy was coming to pass because of music, you know what I'm saying. So I felt like I was doing Yeah, I felt like I was doing what I was always meant to do, you know what I mean, Like you know, I just wanted, you know, I wish it was just some kind of way that I could remind people to refer them back to what I had done. I'm like, man, please don't please y'all, don't forget about what I did. I did this, you know, like for no money. You know what I'm saying. You feel me want no money? And what we were doing as good as mind we we were writing songs about Marshal Law in nineteen ninety five.

What are you doing that I talk about Atlanta?

Oh shit, you are in Atlanta.

Yes. I wasn't trying to say nothing, you know what I'm saying, Like, we weren't doing nothing. We're trying to share, you know what I'm saying, Like and be out and be our highest selves. You know what I mean with that opportunity because we all had a deep sense of appreciation. H And you know, hey, man, I was married to a black woman, got a black son. You know what I'm saying, Like you know my mother was one of the first several black firefighter fire women in Atlanta, Georgia. And I got some wonderful, some gigantic women around me who I come from, you know what I mean, Like then, I would never do such a thing, you know what I'm saying.

How did you the conversation with your son?

Because I get Well, he's nineteen now, but I mean he was, you know, a little younger at the time. How how do y'all have that conversation in terms of what it was you know, just you know, it was hard, man.

It was hard than when they were younger, man, because they become victimized. And I'm saying, like you know, and and the guilt by association, just the embarrassment man, Like you know, you can you can't even I can't even really put that into words. It's just to time, you know what I'm saying, Like you know what I mean, like time and and tangibility of just me being there me we haven't been able to touch and feel what I'm saying, like you know. And you know a lot of people would say that, you know, hey, man, my kids know me, but you gotta gotta.

They really don't.

And they've been watching you to think I've learned just in fatherhood, Like they've been watching the things, the things that you don't think they see or like like you've been telling them one thing whatever, but they've been watching everything else. And they've been picking up on stuff that you might not even think that they was looking at. And it's like damn you absolutely, you know what I'm saying, No, no, man, but but my son, y'all, y'all watch for him too.

Man, Like he's been producing me, you know what I'm saying, like as of Blake and he is he is. Uh you know we we we did. We did on my I G you can check it out. We did like some Callaway Family band posts, you know, like he taught my fiance Sean how to play bass and guitar. Wow, we would. We were doing that a lot throughout the quarantine. So no, he's accomplished and he's dope. And I mean like so like he's like me when I was a kid, Like I like Judas Priests and Motley Crue and Black Sabbath when I was a kid. So he's like he likes System of a Down and Slip Knot and stuff like that.

Just produce their name.

His producer name is Points Setup. His I is Points center Guard And he doesn't he don't really post a lot. But you know, like he's a quiet kid and he's reserved, but like he's a he's really talented.

So is he with you? Like full time? He's with his mom? Like how do y'all work that out.

You know, any place I got, he got you know what I'm saying, So like you know any you know, I would never get a one bed room somewhere. Like it's like I'm make sure I got to so he got some.

U how that go?

Hey?

So well, anything can happen in hours. That's that's the times that we live in right now, anything could happen. How what do you feel like right now seeing what's happening in Atlanta, Georgia.

Man, it's kind of like what we was talking about, you know earlier, men, just like with the music and the way that you know, activism had always been, you know, our unified front. You know what I mean. I feel saddened, and I feel disappointed, and I feel angered, and I feel but I feel impassioned, and I do feel like you know, you know, you know we're worked against you know what I mean when I said when I say we, I mean in terms of like conscious music, you know what I mean, Like there's really no outlet, there's no platform, you know, I mean, like you know for it. It's like but but that's what we're supposed to be thriving, you know, I mean, like there hasn't there hasn't been a movement, you know, of an era of a generation where the music didn't reflect the sign of the times, you know what I'm saying. And I believe that there's just a large disconnect, you know what I mean. It's like, but how can we make not only those protest songs, but like those those historical timeless songs, you know what I mean, like that that last you know, uh, that last, you know? And going forward? I mean like because I do see that people addressing the issues with sound bites and uh, montages of the current events and things of that nature. You know, you know what I mean. But like sometimes it's a little disheartening to me because like you know, I hate for any of us as as as artists to have to be you know, conveniently black or you know what I mean, Like you know, you know, you know, in any kind of way, man, Like I really would like for that to be you know, our disposition, you know what I mean, Like in our narrative, you know, going forward, you know what I mean, Like, you know, we've got to we've got to create counterbalances, you know what I mean, Like you know, like for our culture or else we will be defined you know what I'm saying, like you know, like you know, as it stands, you know what I mean, And so I have my opinions, but you know, like it's it's it's it's sometimes it's you know, I hate to cop out and by saying like it's ultimately what the people want, you know what I mean, like you know, giving people what they want, you know what I mean, it's just like just.

Because I think people are looking at it here as you talk about you know, you have a nineteen year old son, and you a black man, and you were in Atlanta and we just saw what happened with Raynard, and that's you thought that George Floyd was going to be.

The you know, do y'all know that I was coming home from a meeting, and you know, I just saw that the traffic was grid locked, and I knew, I mean, like I know it now in the traffic, I'm like this, I said this same movement, But I didn't realize what had happened until I got home because I was coming through the city and I still had like another forty five minutes to travel to get home. And then I realized the incident, you know, in the tragedy that had just taken place and they were rioting right there. So like you know, I mean seventy yeah, you know what I mean, Like university, Yeah, man, like you know that's you know, that's that's damn it. You know, that's home for me, you know what I mean, Like I'm from here, you know what I mean, So like you're seeing it firsthand. You know, we've had you know, even going back, you know a few weeks to COVID in March, you know, since Shanni and my fiancees, you know, her her father and her uncle passed within days apart. You know what I mean, due to unrelated health issues. But we took I mean, like we've taken real losses. You know what I'm saying. We continue to take losses.

Amount of time right now.

Yeah, I'm just like, damn, you know what I mean. So like we can't go back to perpetuating and celebrating our stereotypes and our and reveling in our ignorance and our you know, inaccountability. You know what I mean. You feel me like we've got to be responsible, you know what I mean, Like you I mean, like about the things we say and the images we portray and going forward. I mean like and you know, I don't know we needed, but like you know that kind of music, that kind of content, you know what I mean, Like that's that's independent action. I mean, like it's apost certainly not affirmative action. So we have to we have to support you know, that balance, you know, I mean, like you know, and sustain that balance for ourselves because I mean literally our lives are depending on it. I mean, because music is you know, it is in my opinion me being an artist, I consider it to be a central work, you know what I mean, Like I believe that should be considered as a central workers.

DJs have been getting people through this shift like all that, like for real, for real, you know, well, thank you, uh brother brother, see, thank you very much for your time.

This is epic, all of your time the year.

Appreciate that, amazing man and just as and as just from MC to m C and just you know, you were just a huge inspiration and still are, you know, Huger inserration for me just to transition to using your singing voice and just hearing you talk about it like it's it's so many parallels to my career and I just thank you just for the inspiration and for the work brothers for real.

Well, you've callted me so many times in this interview. Man, I really can't believe it. Man, I had no idea that you you know you you you cut that as we said, you cut that hard for me. Man, I really it was a pleasure to meet. Sure, you look just like a good friend of mine named Kim Uh Steve, you know, and and of course the almighty Quest Love. You know what I mean. Thank you for having me. You know. Thank I got more bluff of y'all. So I hope you know that the content that we got here is of some of you. It's not just an.

This is a typical episode, but not so much because it's you.

And I hope that you enjoyed your experience too.

I hope you did.

I did. I thank you'all for having me. Man, I didn't. I didn't have no idea. I just knew I was talking to Quest.

Today, so I will say she will. Thank you very much, uh for doing our show. This has been long overdue. I hope you enjoyed this. Yes, so on behalf of sugar Steve, you cool sugar Steve.

Yes, Yes, I am thank you exactly. Bill.

Bill's over there, just yeah, I'm doing pretty Cain over there.

Pretty great, yo, y'all. We will see you on the next proground of Quest Love Supreme. We appreciate you. Stay safe, all right, see aladays.

Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

Questlove Supreme

Questlove Supreme is a fun, irreverent and educational weekly podcast that digs deep into the storie 
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