7th Floor - Serengetti

The above song is the opening track on Witchdoctor's sole album '...A S.W.A.T. Healing Ritual'.  An album that went under the radar even for those who called themselves fans of the Dungeon Family in their hay day. While Outkast and Goodie Mob albums were flying off the shelves, heralding the prominence of Southern rap,  several new artists like Cool Breeze, Joi, and Witchdoctor rode in on their coat tails.  With production by Organized Noize, who could do no wrong throughout the 90s, these albums were all solid outings atleast musically even if the artists weren't charismatic enough to bridle the beats.

I'm sharing this song for two reasons.  Primarily because it features one of the most outstanding verses in a rap song by none other than the oft-impressive Ceelo Green before he went all Hollywood. It's a mastery of acrobatic iambic pentameter.  The way he hops in and out of the rhythm so effortlessly is greater than any display by his Dungeon Family brother Andre3000 (who, before he decided he wanted to sing poorly as opposed to ever rap again, was among my top 5 lyricists).
Secondly, even above the agile delivery, Ceelo has always had the ability to to place such substance into his lyrics.  The 90s were a dark dark time as far as rap music is concerned.  It's when substance was blatantly forgone for the sake of self glamorization.  Ceelo and Goodie Mob released their first album in 1995.  Just about the time that Puffy and his shiny suits were reading Hip Hop it's last rites.  '...A S.W.A.T. Healing Ritual' was released in '97.  While everyone else was rhyming about the inches of their rims and the inches of their members The Dungeon Family remained a very spiritual bunch.  None moreso than Ceelo.  This verse is the perfect example of how motivational, humble, and even venomous Ceelo could be when he wanted to be.
I don't knock Ceelo for leaving Goodie Mob.  I didn't see it so much at the time but the group wasn't marketable enough to reach the heights he's capable of.  Honestly I'd only heard his first full solo release which was done before Gnarls Barkley and it was just okay.  But I still consider myself a great fan and supporter even if he (or his label) chooses to represent himself with lead off singles like F*ck You.

A lot of you may not be familar with the humble beginnings so here was the first single of the debut of Goodie Mob's first Album Soul Food.



Those New World Order spouting conspiracy theorists had a-15-year-old-me at 'hello'.