I want more black people to educate and inform themselves on other music as well. Because I do. When [mainstream media] getting ready to ask me who I know and what reference points can I address to let them know I’m not just fucking around, I’m versed on it. I listen to everything! And I always have. So it’s not something I’m pretending like, “This gon’ be the new thing, rap meets rock.” It’s not a hybrid theory like that. That’s why I get a little resentful when they associate Gnarls Barkley to Hip Hop, because it’s not in the least bit. [Those songs] are more memoirs than anything.

I had no idea this shit was gonna come pop the way it did. That was the rawest shit I had ever did. But his music, Danger Mouse, it just caused a deep introspection beyond comparison. Even as I was listening to the Gnarls album, it’s truly like an out-of-body experience because I can’t believe that I’ve been that honest. So it’s raw music straight from the heart and soul. There ain’t no cut on it. And it ain’t meant to be commercial in the least bit. But nothing I’ve ever done was really meant to be [commercial]. I’m actually more accustomed to moderate success. I’m fine with those [projects].

DX: Speaking of, The Odd Couple is currently at around 150,000 copies sold, a long way from the platinum plus sales of St. Elsewhere. Is the sophomore effort going to match the commercial success of the freshman outing, or was that just a “Crazy” moment in time?
Cee-Lo: I ain’t really surprised. I hadn’t planned on monkeying around for people for too much longer [anyway]. I’m not about to put on them costumes and feel like I’m here to entertain you like that. And that’s not to insult what we did, I think it was great, but it wasn’t even about that. [But] again, this has to be sucka free. It is underground shit. And if you listen to the [new] album, people love the album. It’s like critically-acclaimed. It’s one of the best albums I’ve ever done or heard. And I make music because of the music I wanna hear. I’m a fan of it as well, so I’m not really trippin’ off of [sales]. It’ll do what it’ll do. But I guarantee you this much, ain’t no [label] foolish enough to drop me. And if they wanted to, they could. They could drop me, and we’ll do it again independently. And we’ll sell that same 150,000 independently. And that’ll be even better! The fact is they’ve already paid me for that album in advance, so now they got to do what they got to do at radio and at MTV and all the political shit to make they own money back.

DX: So you and Danger Mouse as a tag team, that’s forever, it’s another album, or you think this is it for the time being?
Cee-Lo: We got one more album to do. I got one more album to do. I don’t wish to be summed up by Gnarls Barkley either, the same way I didn’t wanna be summed up by Goodie Mob at the time. I don’t wanna be summed up at all. I just wanna do whatever the fuck I wanna do. The only bar I’m trying to meet each time is quality. It may be unique, it may be rare, strange, weird, all the words you can use to describe something different, but it’s gon’ be dope.

DX: Well, I just have to acknowledge my hipocrisy, ‘cause I want you to spit again like it’s ’95, but I love this reinterpretation of Carl Douglas’ classic “Kung Fu Fighting” you did with Jack Black for the new Kung Fu Panda animated joint [click to read]. Once that blows up though I’m just afraid you’re never rap again [Laughs].
Cee-Lo: Nah, I got you, man. You got my word. But that’s what it is, I’m just having fun. First, I’m a fan of Jack Black. I was glad that they asked me to be a part of it. I rewrote the words to where they really mean something to me. And they really fall in line with the storyline [of the movie]. It’s not just a novelty song anymore. It’s a real thing. I’m getting an opportunity to veil a message for the kids, say something positive. I’m all about that. It’s karma, man, postivity dude. It’s gonna be positive when I rhyme again. [So] don’t worry about it, man, I got you.