Considering that they were closely associated with OutKast and released an album as incredible as Soul Food, one could argue that Goodie Mob is a bit overlooked. Of course, Still Standing is also great, but Soul Food, true to its name, is one of the most soulful, heartfelt hip hop albums ever created. There is also the issue of Cee Lo. It is great that he went on to obtain a good amount of fame, however, it is also a bit weird that he is primarily known for dressing odd and pop-soul singles like Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" to those who don't know about Goodie Mob. It would be less weird if his performance throughout Soul Food wasn't so colossal. Big Gipp, Khujo, and T-Mo are good emcees, but Cee Lo's rapping, which can be strikingly melodic, is what puts this album over the top. It is one of the greatest performances of any rapper from any era period. Listening to Cee Lo seemingly freestyle through his stunning verse of "Goodie Bag" is evidence enough of his staggering talent.
Those who appreciate Organized Noize's production on OutKast's debut album will love what the group did on Soul Food. It's full of dark, funky, layered beats that are unmistakably southern. The sounds fit the heavy delivery of each rapper perfectly. This, combined with Goodie Mob's strong southern drawls, makes each member sound urgent, emotional, and compelling. The socio-political and economic struggle of being black and low income in America poetically bleeds through every minute of Soul Food. It's an extremely moving album from front to back. The piano-driven "Guess Who" is a tear-jerking tribute to mothers and few songs dive into the psyche of survival as well as "Thought Process", which has a stellar guest verse from Andre 3000.
While there are more lighthearted moments like the title track, it would be hard to argue that Soul Food is a happy album. It's a conscious record full of justified paranoia ("Cell Therapy"), poverty ("Sesame Street"), and mourning ("I Didn't Ask To Come"). In short, the album is a masterpiece - an undeniable hip-hop classic.
