Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere (Downtown)
Former Goodie Mob rapper Cee-lo Green and hip hop producer Danger Mouse hooked up for this startlingly original set of what they call “psychedelic hip hop,†adventurously blending hip hop with soul, rock, electronic, gospel and lots more. Cee-lo sings far more than he raps here, and his creamy, Al Green-influenced vocal style brings some reassuring warmth to Gnarls Barkley’s unsettling world, where madness reigns (most of the songs touch upon mental illness of one form or another). Danger Mouse provides a wide range of distinctive beats and eclectic soundscapes on what’s easily one of the most imaginative hip hop albums in a long time.
KEXP AND THE UW
iTunes and KEXP
You can now find KEXP under "Eclectic" in iTunes after the demise of the "Public" category, to better represent the diversity of our daytime variety shows and numerous specialty programs.
2 Comments
This has definitely been one of my favourite albums that I have listened to so far this year.
People will say, ‘but it’s not hiphop’, but that’s the great thing about hiphop right now- it’s melding, or ‘mashuping’, with other genres right now and that album is very soul inspired. As is the new Roots album. Love em both. New is good.