It’s been well over a decade since we heard from pioneering rap troupe Goodie Mob. After breakout star Cee-Lo left the group, the remaining members soldiered on (releasing One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show-guess who that title was directed towards) while Lo slowly but surely turned into a superstar. After two well-received (if not monumentally successful) solo albums, he hit pay dirt with Gnarls Barkley, then had a breakout solo hit with “Fuck You,” then turned into a television personality. However, true heads never forgot that before there was Loberace, there was Cee-Lo, one of the most underrated rhymers of his day, and Goodie Mob, who along with OutKast, made Southern hip-hop respectable.
Now, they’re back (Goodie Mob, I mean. Not OutKast. Although, if that actually happened? Whooo!) “Special Education” is the first joint from their upcoming Age Against the Machine LP, and it proves that T-Mo, Gipp, Cee-Lo and Khujo have not lost their ability to spit intelligent, potent lyrics. They’re joined by kindred spirit Janelle Monae, who provides an appropriately eerie hook. In a year that is turning out to be one of the best for new music in quite some time, this album is going to be a certified gem. Welcome back, gentlemen.