I was able to catch up to Ceelo part of the stylish, innovative and groundbreaking duo, Gnarls Barkley. He sat down with me to talk about his very beginnings and how it all started for him. We talked about Goodie Mobb, The Ceelo Green Solo albums and of course the incomparable Gnarls Barkley. Ceelo and Danger are two of music’s new pioneers creating new avenues for other artists and like-minded folks to express their insight and visions of the world. Danger has creative and intensified sounds combined with Ceelo’s melodic and hypnotic vocals making the sound of Gnarls Barkley. Gnarls Barkley have become one of the world best revolutionary artists of today’s music industry.
Both artists come from different paths and find common ground, respect, admiration and inspiration for one another, proving there is nothing these two can’t do. They are what is so needed in music today. They are everything that is missing in lyrical content and innovative sound vision and
experience. Gnarls Barkley is a historical duo in the making following great artists of yester-years such as The Beatles, Hendrix, James Brown, The Ramones, The Doors, The Animals, The Stones, The Birds and so on. Gnarls Barkley is all of music and music is all of Gnarls Barkley, so experience what you are missing in music today if you haven’t experienced Gnarls Barkley’s pain, vision, insanity, agony and expression.
Gnarls Barkley Interview:
PR: From Goodie Mobb to Ceelo and now to Gnarls Barkley, how do you see your evolution?
Gnarls Barkley: “As a Tree I am exactly where I am and evolved towards the sky and branched out through the four seasons and I don’t ask any questions, you know what I’m saying? The humble life of a tree.”
PR: So how many layers do you think you have accomplished so far, if you are like a tree?
Gnarls Barkley: “ I pretty dynamic, there are quiet a few layers to me, very in depth.”
PR: What are some of your most memorable moments at each point of you career so far?
Gnarls Barkley: “Well I remember First Avenue in Minneapolis as a solo artist and with Goodie Mob, The club they used for Purple Rain”
PR: How about with Gnarls Barkley?
Gnarls Barkley: “When I can look back on all of it in retrospect.”
PR: What are some of your favorite songs from each of those moments in your career as Goodie Mobb, Ceelo, and Gnarls Barkley?
Gnarls Barkley: “From Goodie Mobb, Thought Process…Evening News from Is The Soul Machine album and from Gnarls Barkley Open Book.”
PR: Back in the Days of Goodie Mobb you had done a Tobacco Label Shirt styled for Goodie Mobb, I had heard that you had to change the design for some reason?
Gnarls Barkley: “We had to shut that campaign down unfortunately
PR: Which song is one of you most motivated and inspirational song for you?
Gnarls Barkley: “I get turned on by a lot of Iggy Pop and The Stooges.”
PR: Really Why?
Gnarls Barkley: “Iggy is awesome, he’s so reckless and I have been listening to a lot of James Brown and Sly Stone, and I make these same reference but I listen to a lot of the same stuff, cause it never gets old like a lot of James Brown music U know what I mean? He takes a lot of different little bits and pieces and it all adds up.”
PR: You did a song with Kelis in 2006, which is one of the most inspirational and amazing songs to me, my question is. Whose idea was it to put you up in the sky as the stars and have Kelis singing up to you?
Gnarls Barkley: “The label at the time would not clear me, so that was the alternative to put me in the video.”
PR: Now that was one of your songs that you wrote for her correct?
Gnarls Barkley: “Yeah, I wrote that.”
PR: Do you think you will work with Kelis again on something new or do a sequel to that?
Gnarls Barkley: “Yeah, actually she reached out to me a little while back and we tried to find some time to do a project together, we haven’t had an opportunity to work together yet.”
Gnarls Barkley - Who's Gonna Save My Soul
PR: Was it Josiah Steinbrick who helped collaborate in the creation of the name Gnarls Barkley? How did it actually come about?
Gnarls Barkley: “I actually wasn’t even around when Danger called me tossing around names or whateva…and a he said a few to me like Barls Narley, Narls In Charge, Prince Gnarls, Gnarls Barkley and at first I was like I don’t know.” Ceelo Laughs. “But you know, it was kooky and we decided to keep it, you know or at least keep it at this point…we was kinda labeled the sections as Gnarls Barkley. You know, initially it was The Gnarls Barkley…and then, I guess the “The” was taken off and it became Gnarls Barkley. Then the leak happened, I had gone for so long and then I very casually asked people, have you heard this new song? I would see how it would just roll off peoples tongues like they had always been hearing it… you know, the disk was down and it shot to number one, I mean it was Gnarls Barkley…I’m saying so it just started out just messing around, you know what I’m sayin? We wasn’t eva taken ourselves to seriously, we were taking each otha seriously, but not ourselves, you know what I’m sayin?”
PR: After the instant success from the song “Crazy,” Rolling Stone Magazine, stated that you were feeling the pressures to come up with another hit, so you wanted to pass the torch, who would be worthy enough to you to pass the torch too these days?
Gnarls Barkley: “I just kinda ment it like, There’s room for everybody. Let that miracle happen for someone else whose being diligent and dedicated for something. Let something like that happen for someone who has worked equally hard, you know what I’m saying? Quiet honestly, a following like Crazy only happens one time, you can’t predict those kinda things, there’s noformula to it. I mean it’s so far beyond me and so high above me I’m humble to it. Therefore, music is about sharing and relating so why wouldn’t I share that the same way that song shared…I mean like you know, let the success be shared too, you know. We all have our moments, the relevance of it, the glory of it that’s why Gods a church.”
PR: I can tell you are a very spiritual person.
Gnarls Barkley: “Man, I’m gracious, I’m so very fortunate…there’s bad stuff in music and there’s no need for it…that’s my truth and that’s why I am very proud of it and why I’m very vocal about it and have been it’s no secret with me.”
PR: If you weren’t doing music, what do you think you would be doing?
Gnarls Barkley: “I can’t imagine a life without music, but I do have other passions…architecture, engineering, music and the associate school of fashions. If it wasn’t the performing arts then maybe it would be the executive arts…managing or A&R something you know what I’m saying…you know the surely would be no life with out it.”
PR: What was one of the first things in your life that made you want to express things through music?
Gnarls Barkley: “I think mostly it was a hobby and you know hobby becomes habit you know…before you know it becomes heart and soul. It’s a gradual process, but you know I had been out spoken out going and outrageous and you know let m family tell it. My aunts, sisters and grandmother surprised at me.”
PR: Did you sing when you were a little kid?
Gnarls Barkley: “Oh yeah, remember the They Don’t Dance Anymore video from Goodie Mobb when they doing the Michael Jackson dance in front of my parents I had my hand on the little baby body, that’s kinda where that stems from. You know I been putting on shows for my mama for as long as I can remember.”
PR: You always have different ora or persona at the different times in your career, is that because you are in your own persona because of your personal life or because of where the music is taking you?
Gnarls Barkley: “Yeah, I’m assuming that’s just where I am at the moment. It takes a moment to answer in depth, mostly because I consider what happens to me is more of an out of body experience, you know. It’s very compelling, you know, the ability, the opportunity, the abolishment of a granted gift…a purpose that is bestowed upon me. It’s acknowledged, it’s accepted, not only a privilege but a duty as well. So I think at the time during Goodie Mobb you might had seen my Panther Power, I was more pre-occupied with the duty of it…I saw us more as activist instead of more than artists. We was planning for the civil right a set of music and that was important to me and were diligent and effective so we mission accomplished. I guess now I’m much more to me. I needed to start somewhere and with Ceelo Green those two solo records were an arms drop of aspiration and optimism and all that good stuff, you know what I sayin? This is what I do…I can do this and I can do that…I’m a soul machine, or whatever. Then with Gnarls Barkley its such a proclamation.”
Gnarls Barkley - Going On
PR: You and Danger Mouse have such great chemistry, what is it that really makes you both so great together?
Gnarls Barkley: “When I first heard his music, I felt like my life flashed before my eyes. I could feel the torture, it was Inadequate. It was like the sound of my soul, it resembled the control key of his production and what I internalized. I felt like I mentally had some company and as long as I had him, then you know I would be as centered as I need to be as I honest as I was, because at that point we had no reason to lie to each other. We were each others initial audience you know so we more a less impressed with each other and that’s kinda where he comes from.”
PR: Does that influence the melodic and hypnotic vocals that you project during your performance?
Gnarls Barkley: “I do have a chantic quality about it…it’s ironic that its transparent in that way and psychedelic but yet sobering. Reading between the lines I would definitely like people to pic up on the logic and they can walk the line between crazy and content as gracefully as I have. It’s about grace and that context and the grace of God as well.”
PR: Is that the overall influence for your fashion forward style and presence?
Gnarls Barkley: “I let people know I had it in me…I wasn’t stranger to it like you know…I have in the grown in the videos…it wasn’t a stretch…I felt like I was continuing on…other than that I constantly feel it as it comes to me or it would be serious album otherwise.”
PR: I love the Jay Leno performance and the concept that you had regarding funeral attire and being surrounded by lost souls people, Who’s concept in Gnarls Barkley was it to come out like that?
Gnarls Barkley: “I guess it doesn’t matter who initiates an idea as long as others acknowledges the idea as good or bad…it’s team work, but it was Dangerous idea for that particular getup…it was a good idea though.”
PR: Your presence was amazing; completely different from the album you have such a stronger presence about you in this performance.
Gnarls Barkley: “Yeah, it that’s the version of it man, there’s something about that organ…that’s the version we do in the live show…I mean it’s just ill, it’s an ill song.” Ceelo Laughs. “I don’t know what to quite say about it, I can’t believe it belongs to me.” Ceelo asks me,” What did you think about the video version of the song?”
PR: “I loved Who’s Gonna Save My Soul, especially the heart walking on the counter…I think it’s a groundbreaking video.”
Gnarls Barkley: “That was Chris Milk who directed that video, it was just the most shocking, you know treatment out of a stack…it wasn’t the only one…it was just the one we liked, you know.”
PR: Now last year you did a song with the Foo Fighters, a collaboration of Prince’s Song Darling Nicky, which still has a buzz, is there possibly going to be a single of it coming out or collectors download for Itunes?
Gnarls Barkley: “I don’t know if Prince would allow such a thing, but you know he has recently been quite cool with me…I don’t know maybe he would. The Foo Fighters had already covered it on an album or soundtrack they was telling me. It was just the coolest for me and I already know the song so we didn’t have to practice it so we just did a classic record Darling Nicky.”
PR: Since Gnarls Barkley is such a crossover hit worldwide in all genres, do you think it may lean in more rock or hip hop or start a whole new style of fusion based music?
Gnarls Barkley: “I would think anyone and everyone should be educated in all, it’s all about music in its entirety. You know, just because something’s are or not accessible it’s one of the things to do. I would like to open up an avenue but its good to be respected like that. I wouldn’t want it to be so convenient to where it becomes congested and commercial, because again that’s not even the new thing. I go about it painfully and I don’t all of a sudden just listen to an album you know like, listen to a Beatles album or a Rolling Stones album and all of a sudden be like we rock or whateva. Just really be that, you know what I’m saying? That’s my answer to you. I want people to be that, broaden their horizons musically and
Gnarls Barkley - Run
creatively, like there is so much to offer them, so much music to listen too. Music is awesome man, there are so many better ways to establish yourself, connect yourself. How can we be roped off from the same song and band, it‘s awesome how much music that is out there. I want people to grow…I’m not saying I want to be followed, I want to people to be inspired. In the end though, definitely do you by all means. ”
PR: Do you feel you are creating a new genre?
Gnarls Barkley: “Yeah I do think we have been going forth making a place for those who are like minded you know…I do believe that. That’s another reason why the costumes make sense, it’s not about what I got on…I’m not trying to promote no name brand…no label no nothing.”
PR: Overall what would you want a Gnarls Barkley fan to get from a Gnarls Barkley live concert experience.”
Kelis ft. Ceelo - Lil Star
Gnarls Barkley: “Salvation, stability, you know stillness solitude, submission, simpliment.”
PR: It was stated that Gnarls Barkley was only going to do one more album? Was that an accurate statement?
Gnarls Barkley: “I actually think its cool because people come to me and say man you just getting started, but to clarify the statement I ment it like this, There is one album left with our current agreement with Warner/Atlantic Records…that’s what I ment, we have one album left before we negotiate or go our separate ways. That is the full length of my original comment. It’s a great feeling that people are feeling that way about it. I mean, its a great deal more incentive to keep on going, because of course you know me I’m not one to be necessarily rushed and summed up by Gnarls Barkley. You know me I’m not ready to be summed up by anything at this point. It’s too early in my career if anything I want to master, is the art of the multi-task, you know what I mean. I want to be able to more then a few things cause it takes all that I can do is coexist and be created by that one person. That’s what I want so you gotta get in and do that one thing and do it well, you know what I’m sayin?”
PR: What are some daily words that you, Ceelo live by?
Gnarls Barkley: “Perception presentation” Ceelo Laughs, “ I guess those are formal but there’s a song by the Animals that in the hooks says I’m just soul whose intentions are good, but don’t let be misunderstood…you know Lil Wayne sampled that…yeah that means a lot to me. We used to do a Doors song Scared too on our first tour.
In closing Ceelo sings “Love me two time’s b-a-b-y…Love me twice tonight…Love me two times g-i-r-l…da don don da da don da don da da don…” Ceelo laughs.
Gnarls Barkley’s album The Odd Couple is available now.
Gnarls Barkley’s album The Odd Couple is available now.
