CeeLo Green deserves respect on his name. The soulful singer slash rapper has held it down for decades, from the Dungeon Family to his solo tip to Gnarls Barkley. Now, even suburban radio aficionados are familiar with his gospel, singing along to the G-rated "Forget You" en route to soccer practice. Yet remember, this is all "Child's Play" to the legendary CeeLo, who has held his own on the mic with seasoned lyricists on more than one occasion. His roots run deep; few can attest to a friendship with the legendary B.I.G. In fact, CeeLo kicks off his Breakfast Club interview with a somber reflection on the untimely assassination of Big Poppa, who died twenty-one years ago.
Chopping it up with Charlamagne, Angela Yee, and DJ Envy, CeeLo opens up about his friendship with Biggie, stating "I met Big in 1994. Our history goes back as far as Dunegon Family and Big Boi...Diddy directed "Playa's Ball" for Outkast...I wrote for Puff...We just befriended each other. I remember OutKast's first listening party, the first we all came to New York as a crew...I hadn't met Biggie before, and he was in the front of the stage, doing my verse to "Get Up, Get Out," like top to bottom...He pulled me to the side and said was like 'I like your style kid.'"
The praise ultimately led to an invitation to appear on Ready To Die. While the offer never ultimately came to fruition, it's clear the Biggie co-sign had a profound effect on Green. "That's just always been a really fond memory," reflects CeeLo. Unfortunately, the conversation takes a sad turn when CeeLo opens up about his passing. Still, if you're feeling melancholic about Biggie's passing, be sure to check out the full interview below.
