“Soul Food” is the 1995 debut from Atlanta based hip hop group Goodie Mob. Goodie Mob consists of Cee-Lo, Big Gipp, T-Mo & Khujo. Each member has moved on to solo and side projects (Cee Lo’s work with Danger Mouse is probably the most well known example). The entire album is produced by Organized Noize, who have also produced some classic songs with OutKast. This album is representative of an era where the South made hip hop that could rival any region as far as quality. Goodie Mob and OutKast debuted with high quality albums while legends like UGK and Scarface were also going strong (That’s not to say that the South still isn’t capable of this quality, but as we all know, the quality material is mostly overshadowed by what makes the most money). While ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’ is stylized and dealt with subjects like pimping, “Soul Food” is dark and minimalistic with inglorious crime narratives and a street level view of society. “Dirty South”, for example, details the drug game over a raw and gloomy beat (This is also where the term “dirty south” originated).

“Now if dirty Bill Clinton fronted me some weight
Told me to keep two, bring him back eight
And I only brought him five and stuck his ass for three
Do you think that Clampett will sick his goons on me?”
-Cool Breeze

Of course, there is a lot more to this album than cocaine stories. “Thought Process” is filled with contemplation and features an amazing guest verse from Andre 3K. “Cell Therapy” is littered with paranoia and mentions the shadowy subject of a “new world order”. I’m actually confident in saying the whole album is nothing short of great and I love it more than I ever have upon revisiting it.

“Soul Food” can be difficult to take in all at once, mainly due to how bleak the album sometimes is both lyrically and musically. The subjects are heavy, the beats are sparse and the verses struggle to find hope in a cold world. Don’t be too discouraged though, this is still a must listen.

by Kyle