Starting in 1995, Goodie Mob was one of the select groups in Atlanta that began to put the city on the map for hip-hop music. CeeLo Green, Khujo, T-Mo, and Big Gipp were a powerful group that curated hit songs back in the day, such as “Cell Therapy”, “Soul Food”, “Dirty South,” and more.
Almost three decades later, the group is still showing their impact in Atlanta and hip-hop as a whole, and they’re currently on tour as Rock The Bells and Live Nation present the F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live concert, headlined by LL Cool J.
Khujo, T-Mo, and Big Gipp spoke with rolling out about being a part of the tour, 50 years of hip-hop, and why they consider Atlanta to be the Mecca of hip-hop.
How does it feel to be able to perform with other iconic artists during the tour?
Khujo: I can’t even lie; this might be the second or third highlight of my career. Just to even be considered by a legend like LL Cool J, The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z Trip, I think it’s amazing. I’m honored that we were able to do the things we did back in 1995 and it’s being reflected in 2023. Just to even have people reach out to us and consider us is almost like a dream come true.
How have you all been able to inspire the rappers that came up after you?
T-Mo: It’s an honor that God saw it in himself to allow us to be here this long and make an impact and that we even mean something to the youth. I’m honored to see Gunna, Young Thug, T.I., and others that came after us and carry the torch high, make a whole lot of money, and represent the A-Town to the fullest. That’s all I ever wanted to see happen. All I can say is God allowed me to see it in my lifetime. The first rap I ever said with my homeboy Khujo Goodie was “I’m not from Manhattan, because Atlanta is where it’s happening.”
What does 50 years of hip-hop mean to you?
Big Gipp: Out of all the cities that are in hip-hop, Atlanta is the bone. Atlanta is the king and Mecca of hip-hop. We have love and respect for New York in every type of way, but if you just look since we started rapping, it’s been about building a new place and a new stronghold for hip hop, and I think Atlanta did that. With all the music and all the artists, Atlanta hasn’t stopped dropping since we came out. At the end of the day, no city has done what we’ve done. We have millionaires and platinum artists on every side of Atlanta, and the only place like that is New York. With that being said, I think we accomplished a great thing as far as music.
