CeeLo Green and Danger Mouse have reconnected as Gnarls Barkley and released the long-awaited new album, Atlanta. The GRAMMY-winning singer stopped by our ATL studios to talk with The Big Tigger Morning Show about the project, his philosophy on creating music, and the possibility of more music to come.
LISTEN NOW: CeeLo Green on 'The Big Tigger Morning Show'
It took the duo 9 years to create the 13 songs that make up Atlanta, Gnarls Barkley's love letter to the city, all done in servitude to the music, according to Green. "I like to consider myself an escape artist, and I feel like I help other people," he shares. "I help the consumer escape the reality, you know what I mean, like for 23 minutes at a time."
"Music for me is like civil service and social service," he adds. "I'm a first responder to that feeling and I share it."
"It's been about 9 years for us working on this project, you know, happily distracted with other things that took precedence in those times." CeeLo says of the return of the pair. "We just always kept in touch and wasn't really sure what we would do or when it would happen for us, but, he called me one day and I was like, 'wow,' I said 'I know it's real if he calls me,' because Danger is very, very demure and quiet and detached if you will, and so I'm like, 'OK, you calling me, you wanna do something because I'm always ready to get busy,' you know what I'm saying?"
To hear more about the return of Gnarls Barkley and other music from CeeLo Green check out the full conversation above.