Goodie Mob is 'Still Standing' with second CD

Now that the snow is thawing out, record labels want to be the first to get their artists played inside your newly waxed car.

LaFace Records is no exception, throwing Goodie Mob's hat inside the ring. The big question is if Cee-Lo, Khujo, Big Gipp, and T-Mo can swim with the big fish with their "Still Standing" sophomore album.

Unlike a lot of rappers in this industry, Goodie Mob has only slightly changed its image: Now they are all older and wiser than in their socially and politically charged debut.

In other words, it's the same group, but the messages are even deeper and sharper than before.

The best example of this is the flagship song of the album "They Don't Dance No Mo," which delivers a double-edged blow over a slow, bouncy Organized Noize groove.

REVIEW
	Goodie Mob Still Standing LaFace 4 stars Reviewed by Daily Arts Writer JuQuan Williams

On one hand, the song speaks out against people who go to clubs and parties yet do everything but dance to the music. It also says loudly that "Mr. Bojangles" is tired of dancing, making a fool out of himself to impress an unappreciative audience. This is vintage Goodie Mob.

The strong messages continue through the album, from "Beautiful Skin," which tributes the black woman, to "Fly Away" which tells those who don't like Goodie Mob's style or message exactly where they can go.

They pick up the roles they had from last time: Khujo is once again the old man, spitting razor-sharp wisdom without a care for who he insults in the process; T-Mo is once again the loud revolutionary, forcing you to step back and look at the big picture; Big Gipp is once again the street hustler, bringing the pain of life in the Dirty South to a personal level; and Cee-Lo is once again the sanctified preacher, bringing fire and brimstone to the equation.

They are also blessed by the presence of their label mates Outkast on the slick "Black Ice," and by fellow Atl.-ian Witchdoctor in "Ghetto-ology."

Along with Craig Love and superproducer DJ Muggs, Organized Noize returns to provide more cutting-edge music for the Mob to rap over, like on the gritty "The Dam" and on "Just About Over," which is a guitar-loaded voyage into the uncharted waters of alternative music.

Each Organized Noize track fits the theme and mood of the Mob's subjects perfectly. With "Still Standing," LaFace will definitely hold its own with the heavyweights, and may even knock a few of them out of the box.

04-07-98