Cee-Lo Green: The Lady Killer

By Michael Lopez Tue., Nov. 9 2010 at 8:49 AM

Categories: Review Roundup

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Unless the rock you've been living under for the past two months is insanely cozy, you've probably heard the hit single from former Goodie Mob-ster Cee-Lo Green. That's "Fuck You."

The vindictive little ditty made a big splash when it hit the Internet in the middle of August, celebrating all things spiteful while showcasing Cee-Lo's inescapably decadent vocals. Perhaps its his Gnarls Barkley collaboration with Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton that made Cee-Lo much more recognizable, or perhaps it was just time the world took notice of the man's singing but, whatever the case, a song called "Fuck You" has propelled Cee-Lo into, oddly enough, households everywhere.

And yet, here I wait, eagerly awaiting the next hit single from Cee-Lo's former Goodie Mob cohort Big Gipp.

What the critics are saying:

Rolling Stone: [Cee-Lo's] a self-proclaimed lady-killer who's roughly as tall as a mini-refrigerator and as broad as a Hummer. He wears pink suits. He put a song called "Fuck You" in the Top 20. He is, in other words, an original: a showman with a penchant for scrambling a variety of sounds.

NME: As anyone with access to YouTube will know, it appears that all he needed was a soulful voice and repeated swearing set to a jaunty tune. The resulting 'Fuck You' to an ex-girlfriend and her new lover is a kiss-off song in the best tradition; and the biggest pop hit the South's had since Outkast's 'Hey Ya!'.

Entertainment Weekly: Lady Killer both honors and tweaks the tropes of vintage songcraft with hefty doses of sweet Motown/Stax   boogie (''It's OK,'' ''Satisfied''), a smattering of Curtis Mayfield superfly (''I Want You,'' ''Bright Lights Bigger City''), and imaginary theme songs for James Bond (''Love Gun,'' ''Bodies'').

Spin: Throughout The Lady Killer, he hits his target cut after butt-shaking cut: no diversions, no filler -- just rhythm and Day-Glo blues quintessence. More than ever, Green is the surreal deal.

The Lady Killer is out now via Elektra.

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