As good as it is to have them back, there was a time not long ago when fans thought this would never happen. Be it their individual goals, separate projects, disbandment or simply the seven years since Age Against the Machine dropped, one has to wonder what prevented this reunion from happening sooner.
“We’ve been through a lot as a crew,” Gipp admits. “I think all four of us individually, we really stomped down Atlanta. So, no matter if we were together or apart, it just seemed like it was always the world against us. We [are] always the strongest when we get together. … When the Magnificent 9 get together, it seems like we make people happy. And I think, as an artist, all you want to do is have your music connect. And I think in this moment, we have finally found the right recipe for our fans.”
CeeLo agrees and, without batting an eye, acknowledges this coming together as “simple pleasures.”
The chemistry between them is so ironic and so easy that they finish each other’s thoughts, quietly cheering on one another with subtle ad-libs and concrete affirmations. The five-time Grammy Award winner then confirms that they have had their fair share of disagreements over the years, however minimal, due to their mutual respect and desire to communicate directly.
“We gotta be confronted with the reality that is,” CeeLo reasons. “That’s what we got to stop doing, stop being passive with each other. Man, confront it. Be honest, man. Win, lose or draw, that’s the trifecta. I don’t want to lose you, but we gotta win. So, even if we break even with the information, at least that’s a starting point. That’s the reset that I’m talking about. That’s what we need.”
CeeLo’s assessment of the group is a clear extension of how its members feel about the community and the Black men who have a responsibility to uphold it. T-Mo gives props to hip-hop heavyweights such as Killer Mike and T.I., both of whom have made significant real estate investments and are working to empower people by creating opportunities and building wealth. It’s a mindset he says Black people must adopt if we are to survive.
“We need to know who we are not,” T-Mo says with quiet confidence. “I think [we need to] find out who we are as a people and [understand] the power of the Black dollar.
“Jeezy, T.I. and Killer Mike … them boys talkin’ the talk and walkin’ the walk right now, and I salute them for it. Goodie Mob’s way of doing it is through our music. We use our platform to enlighten, to try to make a change. The key is what people are hearing. What you hear is going to help to make changes in your life, but if all I hear is bullcrap, then that’s all that’s gonna come out of me.
“This is what we decided to do with our platform and with our opportunity to put our music out.”
Story by N. Ali Early
Images by Javin Foreman – 4Management
