SpeechCrowd_MainHeader.jpg
 

Craft & Optics

I don't see you at the club

Feat. Vaselino Jazz Project

AD Tour

Cover.jpg

Craft & Optics

by Arrested Development

WATCH: Interview with the band on new album

Listen To More Music

Instagram

 
 
Craft & Optics is the new @Arresteddevelopment album. This project has taken us years to create. Every time we are inspired to create new music, we give a piece of ourselves away. We absolutely love you (our fans) for constantly supporting our projects. We hope that you feel the same with this gift to you. 🔥link in bio🔥 ❤️ AD
#ARRESTEDDEVELOPMENT on tour in EUROPE NOW! ADtheBand.com for details! #hiphop #classic #oldschool #90s #positivevibes #conscious #blacklove #blackqueens #sistas
#VOTE @charlesmblow ・・・ This photo was taken in 1965 during the March from Selma to Montgomery. This young man was one of the marchers. Look into those eyes. They speech across the ages. Get up and go vote! #vote
#ARRESTEDDEVELOPMENT on tour now! 🙌🏽🙌🏽❤️❤️ADtheBand.com for dates and details! Get tickets 🎫
#midterms THIS TUESDAY, November 6th in the United States of America, Blacks have an ancestral opportunity to vote to help bring the change that we want to see. Determine today ...WHERE your voting location is, WHAT you need in terms of identification etc. WHEN & HOW you're going to get there. And WHO you want to vote for. Dont be discouraged by long lines. And please don't wait until the last minute, because those that oppose your ideas will surely be prepared to further their agenda. Empower yourself family. Go to the following link for further details: bit.ly/VOTEINFO
👀 out this behind the scenes vlog from Australia. Enjoy! Have you been to Australia? Let us know where you went below. We always need good ideas of where to travel to!👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾 ⚡link in bio⚡
We are speechless to learn that our elder Baba Oje passed on early last Friday morning. His life and legacy deserve so much respect. Here is a snippet of what he meant to @speech__. Link in bio. He is "The Oldest Man in Hip Hop" Rest well Baba.
October 26, 2018. Hip-Hop culture just lost a soldier. #RIPBABAOJE BABA OJE the elder from the 2x Grammy Award winning group ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT passed this morning at 4am after fighting acute Leukemia, he was 86 years old. Baba was the oldest member of any hip-hop collective and his mere presence in rap spoke volumes for the genre and for a generation looking for symbolic wisdom and answers. He was an activist for the homeless, a military veteran, a world traveler, spiritual advisor to the group, strict vegan, dancer, vocalist and avid roller skater. His family & friends are scheduling service arrangements for him next week Friday. We will deeply miss Baba Oje and ask for prayers for his family. I met Baba hanging with the young dudes while I was in college, he was always super cool and always willing to talk to the youth! I gathered up the nerve to ask him to be in my hip hop group, he at first said no. But he later reconsidered when he thought about the fact that a young black man was striving to start a positive rap thing. However, we both found out that this partnership was bigger than we even knew. We both learned later that Baba knew my parents and in fact, was the best man in my mother and fathers wedding way before I was even thought of! That's the spiritual bond we shared, he was literally like family to me, I will miss him terribly. - Speech
My brothers & sisters, this journey of life is THICK! I'm presently in Europe on a 30 day Arrested Development tour! (AD site 4 tour dates) And here in Europe (cuz of time difference) it's already my birthday! (October 25th) But it's hard to fully celebrate, because dear family members of mine are struggling with deep health issues, my friends father in law was found dead in a river yesterday. It's (in many ways) been a very challenging time yet there has been amazing mountain top moments as well! Today I turn 50 years old! I've lived half a century now, and I don't expect to depart anytime soon, but it's definitely a moment of reflection mixed with celebration. There's been a few seasons of transition and that can be hard for all involved. Transition can sometimes be messy. So on this day I wanna say, my intentions are never to harm, demean nor seek revenge. I sincerely love God & life too much to do that. To those that I have had the pleasure of knowing closely, I love you dearly, regardless of how far I may presently be from you in a given moment. I am also grateful for every person God has placed in my circumference and especially those God has placed in my immediate family! I love my partner, wife and best friend, Yolanda Thomas, my beautiful and brilliant children Jahi Thomas and Zoë Reneé Thomas (my "adopted" son Bakari) and of course my parents / relatives with a love that is impossible to explain! I also love my friends, those that have simply listened to me vent, preach, sing, rap or share a moment. I am blessed because of your ear and hearts. Thanks y'all. I pray for healing & peace for those that are struggling right now, I feel your pain! And I THANK GOD ALMIGHTY for another chance at this THICK THICK thing called life! God bless you! 50 years and counting...
A great read on Speech's blog from a fan's reaction to The Nigga Factory. A quick 5 minute read. Go to @speech__ 's bio for the link.
#ARRESTEDDEVELOPMENT @christopher_edmonstone ・・・ The @musicheals_ca #StrikeAChord gala is always one of my favourite events and I am honored they have me photograph the evening. Here is a post show dressing room photo of surprise headliners the legendary hip hop group @arresteddevelopment . What a night!! More photos to come 💥💥💥 #musictherapy #musicheals #vancouver #charity #dogood #musicians #backstage #allaccess #hiphop #grammywinner #awesome #bandphotography #fun #musicphoto #musicphotographer #eventphotographer
#ARRESTEDDEVELOPMENT @townofspectre ・・・ I have listened to this album more than any other in my life. I originally bought it on cassette as a seventh grader in 1992 and, unlike anything else from that period, it and the band's following records have been on constant rotation through all phases of my musical taste over the last twenty-six years. @arresteddevelopment__ has always been on my top ten list as other artists came and went. So, getting the record signed by @speech__ , the man behind the music, was quite special. The occasion was last night’s screening of 16 Bars- a beautifully shot and thought provoking film centered around his time working on music with inmates in a special program called REAL in Richmond, VA. The film’s color and pacing reflect the humanity that we often forget to attribute to those imprisoned. If you get a chance to see it, do so. The intersection of music and justice is a unique spot to start from in order to reflect on the issues of imprisonment and trauma as well as the challenges that face prisoners upon release- and the goodness of people who aim to make it better. The film reinforces so much about what I've respected about Speech and his music over the years. Check out reallifeprogram.org #16barsthefilm
#ARRESTEDDEVELOPMENT @christopher_edmonstone ・・・ @musicheals_ca #StrikeAChord is always a good time and this year was no exception. Got to hang with 1Love and Will from @arresteddevelopment__ @yum_mcgum #musicheals #vancouver #goodtimes #fun #musicians #drinksatthebar #legalize #canada #bc #britishcolumbia

Twitter

 

Latest News

Arrested Development

 

True Hip-hop trailblazers since 1991, Arrested Development has been cultural champions of consciousness and empowerment across the planet. Their representation of eclectic and vibrant African sounds and clothing has produced a unique clash of rhythms and style that continue to contrast the expected look and sound of Hip-hop culture.

Arrested Development have been supporters of important groups and movements like the National Coalition of The Homeless, and the African National Congress (ANC).

With numerous album releases, and world tours, Arrested Development has been ground-breaking in Hip-hop culture. Their album, “3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of…”, earned them two Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Rap Single (Tennessee), 2 MTV awards, a Soul Train Music Award, and the NCAAP Image Award. Rolling Stone magazine named them Band of The Year in 1992, while VH-1 named them one of the greatest Hip-hop artists of all time! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even named the AD smash “Tennessee” one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Sharing the stage with such important figures such as Nelson Mandela, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Hilary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, AD are the categorical definition of legends.