Big Gipp

Pioneering, eclectic, and always ahead of his time, Big Gipp is someone who takes what he does very seriously. As a founding member of the revolutionary hip-hop group the Goodie Mob and a card-carrying member of the extended Atlanta-based collective known as Dungeon Family (which counts OutKast in its ranks), together, these two forces have helped re-shape hip-hop by always being a step ahead of everybody else. Gipp's clever, politically charged raps (and astute fashion sense) make him a key player in a universe dominated by flashy characters with the gift of gab but little substance. On Mutant Mind Frame, his spectacular debut album, Big Gipp makes it clear that he can be as biting and distinctive as a solo artist as he can be with the Goodie Mob. "People always considered our music and our presentation different than everybody else's," he explains. "If people go back and listen to OutKast's 'Get Up, Get Out,' which is the first song the public ever heard Gipp on, I call myself a mutant in that song and it was something that just stuck with me because I felt like we were outsiders in the music business who weren't geared to what New York and Los Angeles were doing at the time."Fortunately, Gipp continues to set trends in his music rather than follow them. The album’s lead single "Steppin’ Out," showcases Gipp delivering a smooth-flowing knock-out punch of a flow that will be embraced by hip-hoppers around the world. Aided by a velvety chorus courtesy of long-time collaborator Sleepy Brown, "Steppin’ Out" is the perfect showcase for Gipp’s player-inclined lyrics. The rapper earns points for diversity throughout Mutant Mind Frame. "These Times," for example, illustrates the struggles Africa-Americans endure in America and provides some solutions to right these wrongs. On "History Mystery," Gipp gets philosophical when he raps, "I'm sick and tired trying to figure out what's truth and who lied/Some walk through life like a king and some slide/slide/slide."Gipp gets sensitive on the moving "Creeks," which features Dungeon Family member Witchdoctor. "It's a tribute to Atlanta's missing and murdered kids," Gipp explains. "I look at a lot of things in our society right now. We're always giving memorials to people that have died in wars and battles, but we ain't never given a memorial to all the kids that's been missing and murdered in this country every year." Elsewhere, on the Cadillac Anthem "Ham Sandwiches and Coupe De Villes," Gipp shows that he's as much about fun as he is about serious topics. The track features E-40 and Big Boi from Outkast. Another fun-filled song emerges in the strip club anthem "All Over Your Body," which features 8Ball & MJG.One listen to the masterful Mutant Mind Frame and it should come as no surprise as to why Big Gipp and the Goodie Mob made the South one of hip-hop's most significant regions. After members of the Goodie Mob appeared on songs with friends OutKast, the group's first album, 1995's Soul Food earned rave reviews for its wide-ranging subject matter and its soulful production. From there, the Goodie Mob developed into one of rap's most respected groups-- a crew that could release important material, while at the same time, keeping a tongue-in-cheek approach in its delivery. Indirectly, Goodie Mob and OutKast paved the way for a slew of other Southern artists (many of whom would go on to graduate to major label deals). Examples that come to mind: Master P's No Limit empire, Cash Money Records and Three 6 Mafia. Through the years, Big Gipp continued to thrive by appearing on albums from such disparate artists as JT Money, RZA, Mr. Cheeks, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz and Ying Yang Twins.Recently, along with founding members Khujo and T-Mo, Gipp helped form Goodie Mob Records—the collective has signed a deal with KOCH Entertainment. Cee Lo, the group's other member, is contractually bound to Arista Records. With a new recording home, a new album and the same type of progressive music that has made him a fan favorite for nearly a decade, Big Gipp hopes to stand as an alternative for rap fans hungry for music that’s both pioneering and important -- just as he did with Goodie Mob. "At this point, I'm just trying to come out and be a beacon," he says. "I ain't never changed my tune. It's always been the same and always been for our people. I'm political with my music, but you know what, we need that right now."