Arrested Development | |
|---|---|
 2018 Arrested Development promo picture | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1988–1996, 2000–present |
| Labels |
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| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | www.arresteddevelopmentmusic.com |
Arrested Development is an Americanhip hop group formed in 1988 inAtlanta by rapper and producerSpeech and turntablist Headliner. The group offered anAfrocentric, socially conscious alternative to the prevalent gangsta rap of the late 1980s, and gained critical and commercial success with its 1992 debut album,3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of.... The album topped theVillage Voice's Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll and sold over 6 million copies globally. In 1993, Arrested Development became the first hip hop act to win theGrammy Award for Best New Artist, also receiving the award forBest Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
After the commercial disappointment of their 1994 follow-up,Zingalamaduni, the group disbanded in 1996. They reunited in 2000 and have continued to tour and release music independently through Speech's label, addressing themes of racial justice, spirituality, and environmental issues.
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Arrested Development was formed in 1988 byrapper and producer Todd Thomas ("Speech") andturntablist Timothy Barnwell (known asHeadliner). Baba Oje and frontmanSpeech met at theUniversity of Wisconsin–Milwaukee when they were both students.
The group's debut album3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... was the number-one album in theVillage Voice's 1992Pazz and Jop Critic's Poll[2] and inThe Wire's 1992 Critic's choice.[3] The group won two Grammy Awards in 1993: forBest New Artist, making them the first hip hop artist to win this award, and forBest Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. They were also named Band of the Year byRolling Stone. The debut album sold over 6 million copies worldwide.[citation needed]
A few months later, the group was approached by film directorSpike Lee to compose a song for his upcomingbiopic based on the life ofMalcolm X. The group then recorded "Revolution", which appeared on thesoundtrack for the film as well as the second half of its closing credits when the film was released in 1992.[citation needed]
Their 1994 follow-up,Zingalamaduni, sold poorly, and they broke up shortly after in 1996.
The group reunited in 2000, touring and releasing records via Speech's Vagabond Productions, but Aerle Taree did not return due to vocal problems.[4] Today, Aerle is a poet and converted from Buddhism to Christianity.[5] DJ Headliner started his own business named Creative Royalty Group.[6]
In November 2003, the group sued theFox network over the name of the TV showArrested Development.[7] The suit is referenced in theArrested Development episodes "Public Relations",[citation needed] "Motherboy XXX",[8] "Sword of Destiny",[citation needed] and "For British Eyes Only".[citation needed]
In June 2005, the group won the first round of the television series contest,Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, performing "Tennessee" and coveringLos Lonely Boys' "Heaven" and donated the $20,000 proceeds toUNICEF.[citation needed]
The group's follow-up to their 2004Among the Trees wasSince the Last Time, released internationally on September 18, 2006.Since the Last Time was released in the United States on October 30, 2007, on Vagabond Record & Tapes, Speech's boutique label.[citation needed]
In March 2007, they toured Australia as part of a triple-bill, along withSimple Minds andINXS. In 2008, Arrested Development teamed withThe Black Eyed Peas and performed at The Concert for Peace in Jerusalem, Israel, to promote peace among Palestinians and Israelis.[citation needed] Also in 2008, Arrested Development visited and sang withDebbie Peagler,[9] an incarcerated survivor of domestic violence, and the inmate gospel choir that Peagler led at a California women's prison. Their visit was meant to support Peagler's legal battle for her release from prison and call attention to the plight of other victims of abuse and wrongful incarceration. The collaborative performance is included inYoav Potash's documentary filmCrime After Crime.[citation needed]
In 2010, the group released their ninth albumStrong under Vagabond Records and Tapes, and licensed to the Japanese record labelCutting Edge, on December 9, 2009, and had a top 10 hit in Japan with the single "The World Is Changing". In an interview with Songfacts, Speech explained that the track "Greener" takes on the issue of climate change from the perspective of the African-American community.[10] On October 14, 2010, Baba Oje had a stroke.[11]
On January 8, 2011, they performed withEmmylou Harris at the festival first night of theSydney Festival in Sydney, Australia to 50,000 people. In August 2012, the group released its tenth albumStanding at the Crossroads, recorded while touring internationally. The album, given away for free from the group's official website, took a lo-fi approach and was recorded entirely on a Mac laptop.[12] The same month, they announced a new tour throughout the United States and Australia to celebrate their 20th anniversary.[citation needed]
On October 9, 2016, Arrested Development performed at the Delicious Festival in South Africa. A line up that includedThe Jacksons,Macy Gray,De La Soul,Elements of Life,Roy Ayers and local food celebritiesReuben Riffel andSarah Graham. The next day, members of Arrested Development drove to an orphanage inSoweto, then paid homage toNelson Mandela at his home.[citation needed]
In January 2018, Arrested Development performed on the Trumpet Awards television show.[13] In 2018,16 Bars,[14] a documentary that follows prison inmates as they undertake musical projects, was made.[15]
Baba Oje died of leukemia on October 26, 2018. His age was reported to be 86 or 87.[16][17] In October 2018, Speech releasedThe Nigga Factory, a three-part docuseries exploring themes of racism andAfrocentrism.[18] Later that year, they also released the albumCraft & Optics.[19]
On September 5, 2019, Arrested Development was given an award from Black Music Honors, which acknowledges artists that have made a significant contribution to African-American music.[20]
On December 11, 2023, the group released the song Hip Hop Saves Lives featuring Chuck D & Grandmaster Caz. The record was produced by Configa.[21]
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| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [22] | US R&B [23] | AUS [24] | GER [25] | NED [26] | NZ [27] | SWE [27] | UK [28] | |||
| 1992 | 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of...
| 7 | 3 | 4 | 32 | 30 | 6 | 48 | 3 | |
| 1993 | Unplugged
| 60 | 38 | 18 | — | — | 26 | — | 40 |
|
| 1994 | Zingalamaduni
| 55 | 20 | 34 | 34 | 54 | — | 31 | 16 |
|
| 2000 | Da Feelin' EP
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2001 | Heroes of the Harvest
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2003 | Extended Revolution
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2004 | Among the Trees
| — | — | — | 98 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2006 | Since the Last Time
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2010 | Strong[33]
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2012 | Standing at the Crossroads[12]
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2016 | Changing the Narrative[35]
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2016 | This Was Never Home[36]
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2018 | Craft & Optics
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2020 | Don't Fight Your Demons
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2021 | For the Fkn Love[37]
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2025 | Adult Contemporary Hip Hop
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [38] | US Hip-Hop [39] | US Dance [40] | AUS [24] | FRA [41] | GER [25] | NED [26] | NZ [27] | SWE [42] | UK [28] | ||||
| 1992 | "Tennessee" | 6 | 1 | 34 | 14 | — | 27 | 34 | 12 | 24 | 18 | 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... | |
| "People Everyday" | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | 20 | 6 | 27 | 2 | |||
| "Mr. Wendal" | 6 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 30 | 31 | 42 | 2 | — | 4 | |||
| "Revolution" | 90 | 49 | — | — | Malcolm X (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||||||
| 1993 | "Natural" | — | 90 | — | 59 | — | — | — | 34 | — | — | 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... | |
| "Mama's Always on Stage" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | |||
| 1994 | "United Front" | — | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Zingalamaduni | |
| "Ease My Mind" | 45 | 14 | — | 43 | — | — | — | 11 | — | 33 | |||
| "Africa's Inside Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2000 | "If Dey Ask" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Da Feelin' EP | |
| "Hit the Road Jack" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Heroes of the Harvest | ||
| 2004 | "Honeymoon Day" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Among the Trees | |
| 2005 | "A Lotta Things to Do" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "Down & Dirty (Clap Your Hands)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Since the Last Time | |
| "Miracles" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2010 | "The World Is Changing" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Strong | |
| 2011 | "Living" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Standing at the Crossroads | |
| 2016 | "Up" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | This Was Never Home | |
| "I Don't See You at the Club" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Changing the Narrative | ||
| 2018 | "In 1 Day (Whole World Changed)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Craft & Optics | |
| 2020 | "Becoming" (with Configa) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Don't Fight Your Demons | |
| 2021 | "Vibe" (with Big Daddy Kane) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | For The FKN Love | |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Arrested Development | Best New Artist | Won |
| 1993 | "Tennessee" | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Won |
| 1993 | "People Everyday" | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated |
| 1994 | "Revolution" | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated |
| 1995 | "Ease My Mind" | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Tennessee" | Best Rap Video | Won |
| 1992 | Arrested Development | Best New Artist in a Video | Nominated |
| 1993 | "People Everyday" | Best Rap Video | Won |
| 1993 | "Revolution" | Best Video From a Film | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Arrested Development | Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist | Nominated |
| 1993 | Arrested Development | Favorite R&B/Soul New Artist | Nominated |
| 1993 | Arrested Development | Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop New Artist | Nominated |
| 1994 | Arrested Development | Favorite R&B/Soul Band, Duo, or Group | Nominated |
| 1994 | Arrested Development | Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... | Best R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band, or Duo | Nominated |
| 1993 | "Tennessee" | Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band, or Duo | Nominated |
| 1993 | "Tennessee" | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| 1993 | "People Everyday" | Best Music Video | Nominated |
| 1993 | Arrested Development | Best New R&B/Soul Artist | Nominated |
| 1993 | 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... | Best Rap Album | Won |
| 1994 | "Mr. Wendal" | Best R&B Music Video | Nominated |
| 1994 | Unplugged | Best Rap Album | Nominated |
Media related toArrested Development at Wikimedia Commons| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by | Grammy Award for Best New Artist 1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group 1993 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
