Cee Lo Green Talks Success, Mom and Music in New Documentary

Before Cee Lo Green became an eccentric pop crooner, he was just an ordinary guy growing up in Atlanta who wanted to sing. In a new documentary by Absolut Vodka, the rapper-singer recounts his life growing up in the ATL and his rise to pop stardom.

In Part I, Mr. Green talks of his late mother who died when he was 17 years old and how she has inspired him to perform. "My entire career is my mother's work for me," he says. The video segues into his time as a member of the influential southern rap group Goodie Mob and their impact on hip-hop. "I feel like we were fighting for the civil rights of southern hip-hop, says Green of his group.

In Part II, Green discusses writing the ubiquitous hit song, 'F--- You' with Bruno Mars. He recalls hearing the song on the radio before boarding a flight to London and by the time he landed, "it was a hit record."

Elsewhere, the Grammy-winning singer waxes philosophically about the state of music and what it means to him. "True art is meant to be understood by everyone at the same time," he says of his musical output. "Not everybody as an opportunity to make art out of atrocity. But I have."

Watch 'Cee Lo Distilled' Part I

Watch 'Cee Lo Distilled' Part II