Preview
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Wenesday, February 25
Coyotoe’s
When they entered the public consciousness at the end of the ‘80s, Arrested Development were hailed as the birth of a new, conscious hip-hop – hip-hop with a message, thoughtfulness and philosophy that smashed through the colour barrier and brought the art to the masses of the North American public, who, until then, had really only embraced white and watered-down rhyming (think Vanilla Ice and Will Smith).
More palatable on a wide scale than Public Enemy, and the leading edge of a new southern hip-hop movement – that rich and unpredictable vein that spawned Outkast – Arrested Development were a sensation, pumping out unprecedented, issue-driven hit singles like "People Everyday," "Mr. Wendal" and "Tennessee."
"I think the Southern States are the most interesting part of the country, because of its history," suggests frontman Todd "Speech" Thomas. "This is where the slaves were brought, and slavery was the biggest single print on American culture. Gospel, blues, rock, all have their roots in slave culture.
"I mean, all American blacks come from the south… The musical legacy of the South is huge, and that richness shines through the bands from around here more clearly than in West Coast or East Coast recordings."
But despite Speech’s passion for what AD does and their clear effect on the rhyming legacy of the last 10 years, hip-hop is not a game for the old or the passé. In a game where Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are to current artists what Chuck Berry is to Matchbox Twenty, being hailed as the forefather of anything does not guarantee that anybody will remember your name at the ticket office or the CD store. When they left the game last, Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. were news, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were declaring their unstoppability, and LL Cool J and Bobby Brown were havin’ a big ole hump-off.
So for Arrested Development to be back on the stump with a new album, roughly nine years after their last release, is an act of some bravery. Their hiatus in 1995 occurred amidst rumours of strife, jealousy, artistic differences – in fact, all the usual things that beset a big band that never really expected to be big. The truth is, as always, somewhat more complex.
"Arrested Development has always been a communal group," says Speech. "We have 19 permanent members – we’ve got singers, dancers, rhymers, turntablists, graffiti artists… we encompass many different kinds of media."
So when AD’s first album was a surprise hit, essentially the media view of the band was a 2-D snapshot of something much larger and harder to label.
"That was one of the things that stopped us from recording any more back then," Speech says emphatically. "Suddenly it was Speech’s band. I was thrust out front in a way that wasn’t fair to the rest of the members who contribute equally."
Despite insistent rumours of various members having left AD (most notably Dionne Farris, for a solo career), Speech insists it just ain’t so.
"Members participate in different AD projects depending on what else they’re doing, you know? When we were in Europe, we just took an acoustic version of AD across, because that made the most sense, especially in terms of cost. The show we’re bringing to Canada is a much more complex show, with all the stops pulled out."
But as AD re-enters the hip-hop arena will the bling-and-booty obsessed hip-hop crowd care anymore? According to the response Speech has seen from the crowds on tour – yes
"First of all, the crowd is 18 to 26, which means this is not a nostalgia show, you know? And the shows have been consistently sold-out. These people see a void in hip-hop they’re hoping we can fill.
"The thing about hip-hop is that it used to contain a more obviously colourful palette," Speech continues. "The golden era at the beginning of the ‘90s – hip-hop culture had such a huge foundation to build on. Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Public Enemy, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Dr. Dre – what people had access to covered the spectrum.
"Now it seems like all you hear, all that gets exposure are the Jay Zs and 50 Cents. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the colours aren’t still out there. They’re just not as publicized.
"The reason we’re back is because of the fans. No matter what we all did or where we went, we were asked the question every day – ‘when will AD put out another album?’ We all would have done music in any form at all. The fans have demanded AD."
Speech pauses for a minute, then adds boldly, "To be out (of hip-hop) for 10 years and still have a relevancy is almost unheard of."
Still, if any group can pull it off, it’s Arrested Development. For hip-hop’s sake, let’s hope so. |
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