Cee-Lo Green’s ode to a gold-digging ex-girlfriend has become a lauded track since the release of its lyric video last week. As with most hits in hip-hop circles, it didn’t take long for a rapper, namely 50 Cent, to create an unofficial remix. While some artists might have felt offended that their work of art was bogarded without consent, Cee-Lo had no complaints.
The Gnarls Barkley member felt adulated over the G-Unit leader’s efforts. “It was flattering that he would take the liberty of joining in so quickly,” Cee-Lo told Entertainment Weekly. “I thought it was really cool.”
Since the release of the song and its accompanying clip–which features lyrics moving about willy-nilly–the video has racked up more than 1.7 million YouTube plays. An official “F**k You” video is in the works but the singer is staying mum on the details behind its premise. Cee-Lo did reveal that a PG-13 version of the song will be released to radio though. Titled “Forget You,” the track is profanity-free and is “politically correct,” according to the rotund artist.
The masterminds behind “F**k You” are Bruno Mars and Phil Lawrence, of The Smeezingtons fame. The duo, who have crafted hits like Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire” and B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ On You,” had a rough version of the original track and were unsure of what direction to take it. But when Cee-Lo heard the record, he was floored, adding his own personal touches to the song’s final version. “When Bruno first sung ‘F—- You’ to me, they were still a bit indecisive on whether or not it could work at all,” he says. “I was like, ‘I like it. Let’s record it.’”