CeeLo Green was indoctrinated into the Dungeon Family in the early 1990s, just as Organized Noize, Outkast and Goodie Mob were putting Southern Hip-Hop on the map. It all started at the Dungeon, a makeshift studio located in the basement of Rico Wade’s mother’s house in Atlanta. Wade, one-third of Organized Noize, died unexpectedly on Friday (April 12) at the age of 52, leaving the rest of the Dungeon Family collective in shambles.
In an act of good faith, CeeLo recently decided to buy one of Wade’s former homes, dubbed the “White House,” for roughly $1 million with hopes of turning it into both a recognized Atlanta landmark and future museum. CeeLo shared the news with his Instagram followers on Monday (April 15) and explained just how important Wade was (and is) to the foundation of Atlanta Hip-Hop.
“Those first few grainy black & white images are us in the Dungeon, the crawlspace basement area of Rico Wade‘s family home,” he wrote in the caption. “We were poor but we were proud. sS a few of us done what we had to do to get that first equipment. Now we got the tools, already had a talent, the team, a good leader and God. Fast forward, we grew out of that place and it was lost in obscurity for years then @bigboi bought it, and refurbished it with a fine tooth comb.
“Then we moved into the ‘White House’ because by unanimous decision, Rico Wade was appointed commander-in-chief of Atlanta music culture. Never the sins, but the wins of the father. Our success bought us all homes of our own and the White House was an empty nest. Mr. Wade decided on something more domestic to raise his new family, which was his quaint and reserved taste in the first place.”
He went on, “This property was poorly kept by the occupants over the years. It came to my attention that it was available and on the market. I then took it upon myself to acquire this monument and landmark. It was too important and invaluable to leave it be. The asking price was around 1 million. I would’ve paid more! I’m proud to say me and my real estate partner… my sister did that for the family! My pleasure. One day soon it will be a museum, archiving our rich musical history. You’ll be the first to know… and if you’re ever in Atlanta on the Southside, come see us sometime and we will take good care of you, the way father took care of us. #facts one time for Mr. Wade.”
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The surviving members of Organized Noize—Sleepy Brown and Ray Murray—issued a statement via Instagram in the wake of Rico Wade’s death that read: “We are devastated by the news of the passing of our dear brother Rico Wade. The world has lost one of the most innovative architects in music, and we have lost an invaluable friend. Rico was the cornerstone of Organized Noize and the Dungeon Family, and we will forever treasure his memory and the moments we shared, creating music as a united team. Our hearts weigh heavy with sorrow, and we kindly request privacy and empathy during this challenging period. Rico’s presence will always have a special spot in our hearts, and in the music we presented to the world.”
Hours later, Outkast MC Big Boi weighed in with a few words and expressed how difficult the loss is for him. He wrote: “This is a different type of hurt …. Slick Ricky Wade .. I know you’re with us STILL … in a bigger role now… Big Angel Energy… the Highest of Vibrations … Praise Yah.”
Rico Wade had just spoken to AllHipHop prior to his passing and was in good spirits. At one point he offered a little bit about the health issues he was experiences, saying, “My heart had ruptured a valve and it was dripping, and they just rerouted it. I have heart conditions on my father’s side. I didn’t really know it. On my mom’s side, she’s got alcoholism. A lot of the Outkast success was great, but after that, I got into a little bit of a depression or whatever, so I was drinking a little bit more than I was supposed to. And I was doing it over 10, 15 years. And eventually, I couldn’t blame anything else for the negative in my life so I cut it out. I feel like I’m so much more clear and confident, and that’s the person that I want to be for the past 20 years.”