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Biografie
While hip-hop has been a socially conscious genre of music from the very beginning, by the late 1980's the angriest, most controversial and most shocking styles of hip-hop were getting the most critical and commercial attention thanks to the rise of Gangsta rap from the West Coast. This lead to some great music, no doubt about it, 1988 alone gave us both Public Enemy's “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” and N.W.A's “Straight Outta Compton”, but some grew tired of the constant venom and bile spat by the Gangsta rappers, not to mention their fascination with material wealth. Two of the artists sceptical of the movement as a whole were a rapper and a DJ from Atlanta, Georgia called Speech (Todd Thomas) and Headliner (Timothy Barnwell), respectively.#
Having both met while studying at the Art Institute of Atlanta, the duo first came together as Arrested Development in 1988 fuelled by the fundamental belief that the black community needed spiritual rebirth. Over the next four years, Speech and Headliner expanded the group to include everyone from other rappers, to a dancer/choreographer, to an elder spiritual adviser in the form of Baba Oje, and in 1992, the band signed to Chrysalis to release their first album “3 Years, 5 Months, & 2 Days in the Life Of...” which, weirdly enough for such an esoteric band, was an absolutely enormous hit.
The record went platinum four times over in the United States, contained three top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in the form of “Tennessee”, “People Everyday” and “Mr. Wendal”, and netted the band two Grammy awards in 1993 for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo. Ever since then, the band have not continued to enjoy the commercial successful that their first album brought them, but the fact of the matter is that if they did, they would have probably compromised their vision in order to do so. Compromise has never been in either Speech's considerable vocabulary, so while Arrested Development might remain a cult concern to this day, they also remain one of the most vital and genuinely important rap acts of their generation. For that, they come highly recommended.
Live-Bewertungen
Arrested Development is real hip hop. They run counter to the norm of what you get with most hip hop groups with a ton of positive energy and, get this, they're great musicians.
The rhythm of this group was absolutely sick, bass lines surging through and the drummer was clean and filthy at the same time. The vocalists are really tight and good dancers and there's just so much musicality in the performance.
The shows are super fun and will leave you feeling great and energised. Love the positive vibes that come through their music and their lyrics. You should check Arrested Development out for SURE if you're into talented musicians playing REAL funk, hip hop, reggae, R&B, whatever you might call what they do.
The vocalist will rap at times and other tunes are straight emotional R&B or gospel. Some of what they play is just straight funk. I have a feeling they just play whatever seems right at the time, they've been around forever and probably have a huge set list they can pull from.
They can really bring the groove when they want to and always end up with a clean mix. Definitely one of the most memorable funk or hip hop groups I've ever seen and they have something for everyone. Their vocals and their energy will make a positive impression on you for sure :)
The group Arrested Development have existed since the late 80s and since then Speech and co have prided themselves on offering an alternative to conventional hip hop with a very Afrocentric mentality running throughout. They have gained worldwide acclaim for their music and have fans in the genre of hip hop, alternative and world music. They often perform at huge events around the globe and attract large crowds to their upbeat and engaging performances.
With a number of bandleaders and musicians onstage, there is always something going on and something to keep your attention. Speech keeps the whole show pacy and controlled even though it does seem very natural and DIY at times. He is the conductor through the instrumental tracks including 'Revolution' and 'Mamas Always on Stage'. The Grammy award winning outfit have always offered an alternative to conventional hip hop yet when you hear a whole crowd singing along to 'People Everyday' it would seem they are now a universal flavour.
sean-ward
The best show I have seen in years. They were so engaging ... loved the positive vibe. Has the crowd rocking with their hands up!!! Must see them again. Great night for everyone in the venue.
lionelnrose
