Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine
IfAndreis 3000, then hisDungeon Familycohort Cee-lo Green might be 3074. Green spends his studio time wisely for this sophomore solo release, forsaking current urban-music trends to explore what they might have been--or might still be. The soul-machine moniker fits Green well on "All Day Love Affair" as his addictive crooning complements some perfectly placed strings and a throwback horn arrangement. What Green didn't tell you is that he's also a well-oiled spoken word ("I Am Selling Soul," "Sometimes") and postmodern gospel ("Living Again") machine too. The track that might attract the most attention is "Glockappella," which finds this formerGoodie Mobster dissing his former crew. Outside productions from the likes ofTimbaland, Jazze Pha, the Neptunes, and DJ Premier help Green to capture the full gamut of black music. Sure, Green might be considered an acquired taste for consumers not attuned to the whiny, scat-style rap flows he employs on the mesmeric "Childz Play." And his duet with the Pharrell Williams ("Let's Stay Together") brings together two soul vocalists with few notes at their disposal. Still, eccentricities aside,Soul Machineoffers an enjoyable sampling of one of rap's most underrated talents.--Dalton Higgins