The Africana QA: Cee-Lo Green: "What's the current situation with Goodie Mob?
Well, it's definitely in better standings than it was a while ago. We are in the process of reconciling our personal differences and kind of trying to salvage our personal relationships. I don't know if artistically we'll come back together any time soon, I simply just don't know. It's not something that I would pretend, or attempt to pretend just for the sake of doing a Goodie Mob album. If the feeling is right and we're all on the same page. It was never ever really anything personal with me; it kind of festered into something personal. To begin with, it was more artistic, I was just ready to move on and do some other things. So it's unfortunate that our dirty laundry got aired but we're working through it man, no hard feelings.
But what about the name of Goodie Mob's new album, One Monkey Don't Stop No Show? Being called a monkey is a hurtful racial slur.
It hurt my feelings that there's even an insinuation that the album is pertaining to me. I may have been the initial monkey, so to speak, but in the South, we say 'monkey' as in regarding to an obstacle. So if you were to talk to Khujo, he would tell you that his accident [that resulted in the amputation of Goodie Mob member Khujo's right leg] was also a monkey that didn't stop the show. You understand what I mean? To begin with, I was taking it personal but I will say that my leaving the group in itself is a monkey that didn't stop the show. I guess that's cool. They're supposed to feel like that and have the ability and musical attributes to go on without me.
But I do think that some degree of it was a little negative. I'm sure the insinuation gets people to wondering and gets people to inquire about what's going on, but to some degree I feel that it was jumpstarted off of a supposed beef between us. In that sense, it's not truly honorable but the fact that there are other circumstances that are also relevant to the title caused me to be a lot more levelheaded about it, but to begin with, it was just disappointing. I had and I have more empathy than I ever had anger.
Outside of the South, most people wouldn't have known about that slang. Some consider it racially offensive.
It is shocking to hear. And of course, in some regard it's a ploy. It's supposed to shock you and be like 'Damn!' and hey, you might end up buying that album because of it. So it's one of those more or less trump card type of situations. I felt like maybe it was due to some degree of vulnerability or insecurity to begin with that they would have to lean on such a thing to try and sell that album and not just selling it off of the product alone. But I have talked to the guys about it and I let them know how I feel about it and it remains to be seen. People ask me about it all the time and I'm like 'hey, we'll see!' Then they ask me if we'll get back together and you know, after a statement like that was made, I got to see that come to pass first or else it would be pointless."
