No other album has had more influence over my thought process than Goodie MOB's 1995 debut album SOUL FOOD. Their crew brethren Outkast would go on to become the most popular duo in rap history but the Goodie MOB remain the heart of Atlanta. And, Ceelo Green was the heart of the Goodie MOB. He is now an internationally renowned superstar and frontman for the multi-platinum duo Gnarls Barkley alongside producer, Danger Mouse. But in 1995, his straight from the pulpit lyrics, consciously black soliloquies and choir solo choruses made SOUL FOOD my first real cherished piece of art. It was the the first full length CD I ever bought and I played it every single day. This is a selection from the song "Fighting." After his fellow group members have all finished verses of violent storytelling, the beat drops and Ceelo chimes in with a message to his community with the crickets chirping in the background. About this time last year, me and my patna Lorne LaBrie were going over this album track for track shocked out how timeless this 15 year old album is and astonished at how most do not know about Ceelo Green's greatest contribution to date.
As individuals and as a people we are at war
But the majority of my side got they eyes open wide
But still don't recognize what we fighting fo
I guess that's what I'm writing for to try to shed some light
But we been in the darkness for so long, don't know right from wrong
Y'all scared to come near it, you ignore the voice
In your head when you hear it
The enemy is after yo' spirit but you think it's all in yo' mind
You'll find a lot of the reason we behind
Is because the system is designed to keep our third eyes blind
But not blind in the sense that our other two eyes can't see
You just end up investing quality time in places you don't even need to be
We don't even know who we are, but the answer ain't far
Matter of fact its right up under our nose
But the system taught us to keep that book closed
See the reason why he gotta lie and deceive is so
That we won't act accordingly
To get the blessings we suppose to receive
Yeah it's true, Uncle Sam wants you to be a devil too
See, he's jealous because his skin is a curse but what's worse
is if I put it in a verse y'all listen to some bullshit first
We ain't natural born killas, we are a spiritual people
God's chosen few
Think about the slave trade when they had boats with
Thousands of us on board
And we still was praising the Lord now you ready to die
Over a coat, a necklace round your throat, that's bullshit
Black people ya'll better realize, we losin, you better fight and die
If you got to get yo' spirit and mind back and we got to do it together
Goodie Mob means, "The Good Die Mostly Over Bullshit"
You take away one "O" and it will let you know
"God is Every Man of Blackness"
The Lord has spoken thru me and the G-Mo-B!
Ceelo Green, an excerpt from the song "Figthing" off of the Goodie M.O.B. debut album, SOUL FOOD
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