CeeLo Green

USA, 1991–now

American singer and rapper from Atlanta (Thomas Callaway), 'the Soul Machine'. First rising with Dungeon Family group Goodie Mob, he blends gospel-soul power with hip-hop and funk, going on to global fame with Gnarls Barkley and his solo hit 'Forget You'.

MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced CeeLo Green and 1 artist CeeLo Green influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced CeeLo Green?

• OutKast — CeeLo came up in Atlanta's Dungeon Family alongside OutKast, whose adventurous Southern hip-hop and Andre 3000's genre-blurring soul are close kin to his own.
• Al Green — Al Green's gospel-rooted Southern soul is a core model for CeeLo's impassioned, church-schooled singing.
• Prince — Prince's genre-crossing funk-soul eclecticism and flamboyance are a clear influence on CeeLo's adventurous, style-hopping approach.

Which artists did CeeLo Green influence?

• Gnarls Barkley — Gnarls Barkley is the duo of singer CeeLo Green, whose neo-soul voice and songwriting are the other half of its sound.