He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls Barkley single "Crazy" and his solo single "Fuck You".

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Green came to initial prominence as a member of the Southern hip hop group Goodie Mob. He subsequently began a solo career, releasing two albums on Arista Records: Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections (2002) and Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine (2004).

Green's next project was Gnarls Barkley, a collaboration with DJ Danger Mouse. In 2006, the duo scored a worldwide hit with "Crazy", which reached the top five in twenty countries, including the U.S. and U.K. With Gnarls Barkley, Green released two albums: 2006's platinum-selling St. Elsewhere and 2008's The Odd Couple. In 2010, Green continued his solo career with the album The Lady Killer, which spawned his biggest solo hit, "Fuck You". The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top 10 in thirteen countries. Green has released three further solo albums, Cee Lo's Magic Moment (2012), Heart Blanche (2015), and CeeLo Green Is Thomas Callaway (2020), as well as two reunion albums with Goodie Mob, Age Against the Machine (2014) and Survival Kit (2020).

From 2011 to 2013, Green was a judge and coach on the American reality television singing competition The Voice, appearing on four of its seasons.[a] He voiced Murray the Mummy in the 2012 animated feature film Hotel Transylvania, and also appeared in a few television programs and films including his own show, CeeLo Green's The Good Life, on TBS. Green has appeared in various commercials, including for 7 Up, Duracell, M&M's, and sake brand TYKU. His work has earned numerous awards and accolades, including five Grammy Awards, a BET Award, a Billboard Music Award, and a Brit Award.