We all know that it was “F*ck You” that transformed CeeLo from That Guy in Gnarls Barkley to a household name — one synonymous with the brazen lyrics and infectious melodies which are now burned into our cerebellums for at least a few weeks (right now they’re duking it out with that Black Eyed Peas Superbowl debacle).

But how did this seemingly overnight sensation become a media contagion, earning himself guest spots on an otherwise forgettable SNL, and cameos on some of the biggest R&B albums of the year? Almost as importantly, how did he get to be the voice of Prime Cut Miggity-Mo’ Macdaddy Gizzabang Doggy Dog Dog on The Brak Show? Sources reveal a troubled life, as well as a man who’s managed to smile through the sh*tstorm, wear his heart on his sleeve, and never look back at his many missteps.

It seems like there’s two sides to CeeLo. Born Thomas DeCarlo Calloway, he wasn’t raised in a particularly musical family: his father, a preacher, died when he was only 2, and he lost his mother to a car accident years later — right when Goodie Mob was just beginning to get some label attention. It was a lot to take all at once. The breaking point came when his brother –  a pillar for the Calloway family in hard times — moved away.

Calloway later confessed to torturing small animals, and mugging people on the subway — sociopathic behavior which the performer makes no effort to hide. (He’s repeatedly described himself as a ‘goon’ during this period of his life.) And while most PR agents might be wringing their hands at such utterances, Cee-Lo’s made no secret of the effect depression and death have had on him. His lyrics are rife with the sort of pain and anguish that have made him easy to empathize with.

He doesn’t wax existential when it comes to lyrics; “F*ck You” may seem like just bellyaching and bitching, but it’s also a big chunk of bloody heartache (on a diner platter). In the video, we’re not just getting a variation on a Motown theme: we’re getting a 5-minute, incredibly entertaining autobiography. He later pays tribute to his mother and hometown of Atlanta in “Georgia”: “I was told when I was two years old/She swore that I would be special/I took a good look around/and thought don’t worry mama this city’s gonna have you.” The two names are synonymous for both his troubled past as well as his happier times, when Calloway finishes: “and yes you belong to me/When they ask me where I’m from/I’m proud to say that I’m your son.”

So it’s more than just pure raw talent, I think. Which brings me to that second side of CeeLo — the one that refuses to take himself seriously, as that video and song proves. More evidence comes here when CeeLo interviews himself, dressed in whiteface James Lipton makeup and poking good-natured fun at Inside the Actor’s Studio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1oUVlHhFPs

So when you factor in his f*cked up past, besides being an amazing singer, besides him being able to nail those falsettos, besides the fact that his aformentioned not-ready-for-prime-time appearance proved that he even has some acting chops, and that he knows the difference between taking chances and acting up to get attention, I hope we see more of him. He seems to know how far to go without being, y’know, everywhere. And he just to prove that we don’t take ourselves too seriously, here’s a video of William Shatner covering CeeLo’s “F*ck You.”

Words by Jeff Nau