Cee-Lo Green, The Lady Killer

Okay, I'm not a big fan of hip-hop and rap. I'm just too old-fashioned to appreciate lyrics that call women "bitches" and "hos" to project sexuality in songs. The great R&B and soul singers of my generation could make music sexy and sensual and a turn-on without degrading women — Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandros, and Barry White are a few.

Well, add writer/producer/rapper/soul singer Cee-Lo Green to this list with his first solo album in six years. Cee-Lo was the singing half of award-winning duo Gnarls Barkley that had a monster hit with "Crazy" a few years back. Now he's got an even bigger hit with "F...U" getting radio play (as "Forget You") and even being sung by Gwyneth Paltrow on the TV show Glee.

"Wildflower" is an upbeat R&B tune with R-rated lyrics — "wonderful wildflower, oh, open up, let me see...share your sunshine with me." "It's OK" is another up-tempo hit with explicit lyrics, but the three standouts are "Old Fashioned," "No One's Gonna Love You," and "Satisfied" — all potential hit singles about adult relationships.

The album features noteworthy guests doing back-up vocals reminiscent of the Four Tops and Temptations. Cee-Lo takes nasty out of "gangsta" land, and gives it a contemporary soulful voice and beat that turns one on, not off.

• Album: The Lady Killer (2010)
• Artist: Cee-Lo Green
• Label: Elektra/Asylum
• Songs: (1) The Lady Killer Theme (intro) (2) Bright lights Bigger City (3) F...U (4) Wildflower (5) Bodies (6) Love Gun (7) Satisfied (8) I want you (9) Cry Baby (10) Fool For You (11) It's OK (12) Old Fashioned (13) No One's Gonna Love You (14) Lady Killer Theme (outro)