May 14, 2007 @ 4:21 pm

Radically Inclined

by: Mosi Reeves

Cee-Lo Green launches new label with a circus fit for the A.

When Cee-Lo and his longtime manager KC Morton publicly announced their new Radiculture Records venture, they did it in grand style and threw Le Cirque Fantastique, an elaborate launch party consisting of two VIP-only affairs. The first event was held at the cavernous Lambert Place Reception Hall. After picking up a black Radiculture T-shirt (on the back read the motto, "We don't compare or compete, we co-exist), revelers wandered through a bizarre greeting room decorated like a scene out of Beetlejuice, complete with ghoulish, pasty-faced ushers. In the main room, Gnarls Barkley videos were projected on a white curtain while DJ Menelik played everything from Prince classics to ATL smashes like the Shop Boyz' "Party Like a Rock Star." Dozens of Atlanta power players (among them Yung Joc, Jazze Pha, Avril Lavigne's producer Butch Walker and BME Recordings co-owner Vince Phillips) and Dungeon Family homies like Sleepy Brown and Khujo of Goodie Mob networked and drank mojitos. The afterparty, held on the second level of Lotus Lounge, was attended by Gwen Stefani and the Harajuku Girls, who just happened to be in town on the "Sweet Escape" tour. Perhaps Cee-Lo and Stefani talked about collaborating in the future? (Or maybe they sympathized over Akon's troubles: the Atlanta-based singer, who's also on the "Sweet Escape" tour, was noticeably absent.) "We definitely want to encourage options and alternatives," says Cee-Lo during a brief break from the festivities. "We strongly believe the game needs balance. It's not an insult. It's just an observation. I just think that balance is the natural law and order, and the balance is off as far as the industry is concerned. We want to show that healthy, creative, unique and original pieces of art can be commercially viable as well, my being a prime example." Of course, Cee-Lo's referring to his massive success as a member of Gnarls Barkley and his penmanship on "Don't Cha," the 2005 hit that launched the Pussycat Dolls. "The successes we've had recently put us in position of negotiating and bargaining power," he notes in a matter-of-fact tone. "Who can argue with us at this point?" Radiculture Records has an astonishingly diverse roster of rappers, soul artists and pop starlets. Cee-Lo says he secured a deal with Interscope for two of his artists, Hawaiian R&B vocalist Jewla and Atlanta female rapper Prema Lanay. "Jewla's doing a collaboration on Interscope Records called the Crazy Horse Girls. She's going to be featured on lead," explains Cee-Lo. "They're almost like the anti-Pussycat Dolls. They're the bad girls." Meanwhile, Prema Lanay's first single will be "He Beats Me," a cheekily-titled homage to the power of the DJ. "We're mixing it now, so you should hear that soon," he promises. Radiculture isn't all about crossover pop, however. Dressed in Sean John and Brooks Brothers gear, Atlanta's Eddy Fontane is a dapper and eclectic vocalist/songwriter/producer in the mold of Cee-Lo circa …and his Perfect Imperfections. "What I do is a fusion of all types of music, like soul and rock," he says. "It's kinda like my own thing." Also breaking the mold is Shakur, a female rapper of Egyptian descent. She's not a distant relative of Tupac, though. "Shakur actually means 'to be thankful.' It's my birth-given name," says the LA-based MC. She describes her style as "mainstream international ear candy. It's just a real good feel-good vibe." And for the fans of Cee-Lo's hip-hop joints with Goodie Mob, there's AK, a rap prospect from Atlanta's Decatur area. Other acts on Radiculture include Honeymoon, the nom de plume for Kentucky-to-L.A. pop singer Jessica Piatt; and the urban alternative band Good Time Guys. "We're out to endorse individualism," says Cee-Lo. "Expect the unexpected." Finally, what's the word on the next Gnarls Barkley album? "I'll be finished with the second Gnarls Barkley album in a month or so," says Cee-Lo. Gnarls Barkley is expected to drop before the end of the year, but Cee-Lo won't cop to any song titles or an official album title. "There's a gang of songs and a working album title, but I'm not sold on it just yet," he says. As for his long-awaited solo follow-up to 2004's Cee-Lo Green is the Soul Machine, he says, "I kind of just do that at my leisure. That's on the outskirts of something that's formal like a deadline or something."

Article tags: Radically, Inclined 

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