All Things Considered

Goodie Mob: Come And Get Some 'Soul Food'

Published October 16, 2009 10:28 AM

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Rap music may have started in the Bronx, but in recent years, the South has taken over the airwaves. The latest selection in the You Must Hear This series, in which musicians talk about a piece of music they love, is some early Southern rap from the group that coined the term "Dirty South." Rapper Bun B, of the Grammy-nominated group UGK, says that Goodie Mob's debut album inspires his life and music to this day.

I made a very real connection with that album. At the very least, the music was extremely entertaining, extremely enjoyable. But if you really got into listening to the wordplay — the lyricism — it really was trying to make you understand: "Look. The way they got you locked down in your 'hood is the way they've always had us locked down in society."

You actually took something home after you finished dancing. You actually learned something. And there's not a lot of people that can say they can do that in the course of a dance song. I think Goodie Mob are great examples of that.

Soul food is gut food, you know what I'm saying? It's food that sticks to you. We as Southern musicians and Southern artists, I think, we were all raised on a lot of rhythm and blues, and soul music. And we take a lot of those influences and put it into our music. So even though we may be rapping sometimes about cars, there's a lot of times where we talk about real-life things.

So if you want music that's just not being made to get your money, but music that's being made to really inspire you, then Soul Food is that album.

OutKast might just be the most innovative rap group of all time, but its members' success wasn't achieved in a vacuum. In fact, they were originally the product of a much larger alliance of Atlanta-based artists and producers known as the Dungeon Family. Sitting next to OutKast on this family tree is the Goodie Mob, a soulful rap quartet consisting of Big Gipp, Khujo, T-Mo and Cee-Lo (later of Gnarls Barkley fame). While Goodie Mob never quite found the mainstream fame that OutKast did, its resonance within the Southern hip-hop community is immeasurable.

On its 1995 debut, Soul Food, the then-teenage quartet offered ground-level analysis of economic and racial segregation through unapologetically Southern lenses (and accents). At the same time, the group didn't sacrifice humanity for its message, interspersing political treatises with heartfelt tales of family dinners and childhood reflections. All of this was backed by minimalist and organic beats, provided by production trio Organized Noize (who also produced for TLC and Curtis Mayfield). The album went on to influence a generation of Southern rappers; its fingerprints are apparent on current-day stars such as Young Jeezy and T.I. Soul Food had a huge impact on Goodie Mob's peers, as well — especially Bun B and Pimp C of the equally seminal Port Arthur, Texas, duo UGK.

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ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

Rap music may have started in the Bronx but in recent years, it has moved south. The group, Goodie Mob, helped pioneered that move back in 1995. Its debut album, "Soul Food," influenced a generation of Southern rappers, among them Bun B of the group UGK. Bun B says the album succeeds in melding party music with lyrics about hard times and celebrations of family dinners. His commentary is for our series, You Must Hear This, in which musicians share a piece of music they love.

(Soundbite of song, "Dirty South Classic")

GOODIE MOB (Group): (Rapping) One to da two da three da four, Dem dirty Red Dogs done hit the door and they got everybody on they hands…

Mr. BUN B (Rapper, UGK): I made a very real connection with that album.

(Soundbite of song, "Dirty South Classic")

GOODIE MOB: (Rapping) …that Cobras got tha boys on Delowe on they back, Gipp holler at Miss Ann she said they didn't get the trap, Behind tha black, behind green, behind tha red tint, Dealers breakin off that blow up for those woodchips, a lot of faces ain't around, a lot of folks got shot…

Mr. BUN B: At the very least, the music was extremely entertaining. It was extremely enjoyable. But if you really got into listening to the wordplay and the lyricism…

(Soundbite of song, "Dirty South Classic")

GOODIE MOB: (Rapping) We never did our thing when I got grown, that some pee wee sacks had been done took dis town, see life's a trick then you figure out, why you really got dropped in the Dirty South, see in the 3rd grade this is what you told, you was bought, you was sold, now they sayin' Juice left some heads cracked, I betcha Jedd Clampett want his money back, see East Point Atlanta threw this road block, talkin 'bout all this blow traffic got to stop, so the big time players off John Freeman Way, had to find themselves another back street to take, cause back in the day…

Mr. BUN B: It really was trying to make you understand, okay, look. The way they got you locked down in your hood is the way they've always had us locked down in society. You actually took something home after you finished dancing. You actually learned something. And there's not a lot of people that can say they can do that in the course of a dance song. And I think Goodie Mob are great examples of that.

(Soundbite of song, "Soul Food")

GOODIE MOB: (Rapping) My old boy from the point but I'm from Southwest. And every now and then I get put to the test. But I can't be stopped 'cause I gotta come true. Ain't got no gun but I got my crew. Didn't come for no beef 'cause I don't eat steak. I got a plate of soul food chicken…

Mr. BUN B: "Soul food" is gut food, you know, what I'm saying? It's food that sticks to you.

(Soundbite of song, "Soul Food")

GOODIE MOB: (Rapping) Daddy put tha hot grits on my chest in tha morning. When I was sick Mary had tha hot soup boiling. Didn't know why but it felt so good. Like some waffles in the morning headed back to tha woods. Now I'm full as tick got some soul on blast in tha cassette. Food for my brain I haven't stopped learning yet.

Mr. BUN B: We as Southern musicians and Southern artists, I think, we were all raised on a lot of rhythm and blues and soul music. And we take a lot of those influences and put it into our music. So, even though we may be rapping sometimes about cars, there's a lot of times where we talk about real-life things.

(Soundbite of song, "Soul Food")

GOODIE MOB: (Rapping) Everythang that I did, different thangs I was told. Just ended up being food for my soul.

GOODIE MOB: (Singing) Come and get yo' soul food, well, well. Good old-fashioned soul food, all right.

Mr. BUN B: So if you want music that's just not being made to get you money, but music that's being made to really inspire you, then "Soul Food" is that album.

(Soundbite of song, "Soul Food")

GOODIE MOB: (Rapping) Hold up C it's what I write and Miss Lady acting like we in jail. Says she ain't got no extra…

SIEGEL: Bun B is a rapper from Port Arthur, Texas. His latest CD is called "UGK For Life." His pick for You Must Hear This is Goodie Mobs, "Soul Food." And you can hear songs from "Soul Food" at nprmusic.org.

GOODIE MOB: (Singing) Come and get yo' soul food, well, well. Good old-fashioned soul food, all right.

MICHELE NORRIS, host:

This is NPR, National Public Radio. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.

Source: NPR

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