CeeLo Green

The fiery and immensely talented CeeLo Green has consistently delighted and surprised music fans. Few would have suspected that this portly Atlanta rapper would evolve into a dynamic performer capable of bridging hip-hop, soul and pop. CeeLo first came to public attention as one-quarter of Goodie Mob. Even on its classic 1995 debut, Soul Food, CeeLo was clearly the most talented member. After an acclaimed follow-up, 1998's Still Standing, he began collaborating with other artists, most notably with Lauryn Hill on Carlos Santana's Supernatural, and writing songs for others, chiefly the Pussycat Dolls' smash "Don't Cha." CeeLo began his solo career with 2002's Cee-Lo and His Perfect Imperfections and 2004's Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine, yet despite critical acclaim, both discs proved to be sales disappointments. His big break came when he paired with Danger Mouse for the Gnarls Barkley project; their debut single, "Crazy," was one of the biggest singles of the 2000s. By 2010, CeeLo was ready to try a solo career again, and he hit the ground running with his first solo Top 40 hit, the cheeky "F*ck You." A third album, The Lady Killer, dropped at the end of the year.