Goodie Mob
Atlanta quartet of CeeLo Green, Big Gipp, Khujo and T-Mo whose 1995 LaFace debut Soul Food helped define socially conscious Southern rap and the Dirty South.
Dungeon Family roots
Goodie Mob formed in Atlanta in 1991 with Thomas Callaway (CeeLo Green), Cameron Gipp (Big Gipp), Willie Knighton Jr. (Khujo) and Robert Barnett (T-Mo). The four belonged to the Dungeon Family circle that gathered around the production team Organized Noize in Rico Wade's basement studio, and like their friends OutKast they signed with LaFace Records.
Soul Food and the Dirty South
Their debut “Soul Food” (1995), produced largely by Organized Noize, peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. The lead single “Cell Therapy” reached No. 39 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The title track with Sleepy Brown reached No. 64, and “Dirty South,” featuring Cool Breeze and Big Boi, reached No. 92; that title became common shorthand for rap from the region.
Peak and split
“Still Standing” (1998) was the group's highest-charting album, reaching No. 6 and including “Black Ice (Sky High)” with OutKast, a No. 50 single. “World Party” (1999) peaked at No. 48 and, like the first two albums, was certified gold, but CeeLo, unhappy with that project's direction, left to pursue a solo career. The remaining trio released “One Monkey Don't Stop No Show” on Koch in 2004, which reached No. 85.
Reunion and legacy
The full lineup came back together in 2006 after appearing at a Gnarls Barkley concert, and returned on record with “Age Against the Machine” (2013), issued through The Right Records, Primary Wave and Atlantic, which reached No. 30. “Survival Kit” followed in 2020 through Organized Noize. Offshoots included Ali & Gipp and the Lumberjacks, and the group remains a touchstone for thoughtful, spiritually minded Southern rap.
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