3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...

Reminiscent of Tribe Called Quest

Really enjoyed this!

Mr. Wendal and Tennessee are really good songs. I like this old-school hip-hip.

Classic 90s hiphop

Super groovy. I can see myself going back to this one.

good 90s hiphop. really funky and upbeat. I liked it

Liked it - particularly children play with earth

trailblazers

Great stuff, perfect for the first hot day of spring. Reminds me of Fear of a Black Planet for some reason. 9

Another where I wish I has .5 stars, 3.5 felt perfect. Wasn't sure on if it was going to tip to 3 or 4 but a day later and it's a 4. Good variety, good bass lines. Between the background crowd and the left channel / right channel switching, a lot of interesting little flourishes throughout.

Love this album! Great music (Brother Larry on guitar really draws me into some of these songs), compelling words, cool production, all with such a sweet feel and positive energy.

9th July 2021 Listened to this first thing in the morning while in bed and while getting ready to go to Costco. Absolutely loved it, had never heard of them before but reading about them they are an institution. Love the messages and positivity of the album.

FUCK THIS IS GOOD! give a man a fish i mean damn.

Very upbeat and catchy, enjoyed most of it! Skipped some repetitive parts.

And now the story of a wealthy rap group who lost everything and the one MC who had no choice but to keep them all together Loved this

Cool, thoughtful hip hop. Not aggressive or abrasive.

Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: People Everyday, Mr. Wendal, U, Dawn of the Dreads Cutting Edge: Tennessee Overall Notes: A pretty fun listen. Sometimes the sound gets a little too all over the place and the tone gets a little too preachy for me but still a good listening experience. A 3.5, but I'll round to a 4.

Except for the radio hits “Mr. Wendal” and “Tennessee” I haven’t heard this album before. VERY pleasantly surprised, especially since this style of hip hop is my preferred style of hip hop. On my first listen I’d put it on the list of best rap albums from the 90s. It fits amongst Pharcyde, De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest. Nothing on this is bad or necessarily dated. It’s experimental and fun, the playful sample filled soundscape is ahead of its time. If this came out tomorrow I’d buy it as a retro styled rap album, feels contemporary somehow. I’m not going to give it the Coveted 5, but it’s very, very close, still an solid A for me.

Great listen, first time I've heard of Arrested Development

it's real good

I liked it. I liked it. A lot.

Great vibes and Mr Wendell alone makes this v close to a five but falls just short cos cos I’ve been dishing out too many 5s of late

Really cool album, nice vibes. Shuffle meant I had to listen to it twice, which was fine by me. I've never listened to it before but recognised a couple of tunes. Influenced Outkast. I mean this one ticks a lot of boxes. 8.5/10

This was probably the first rap album I ever purchased - primarily due to the pop tune “Tennessee”. Its a really solid album and the early 90’s lyrics disappointingly hold up well in 2021. Good stuff.

Love Tennessee!

decent but definitely had some boring parts. 7

Hip-hop muy funky

Compelling enough for me to want to listen to again, and I love the samples/beats throughout. 8

pretty good hiphop

Puro Hip-Hop de los 90. Ha sido agradable volver a Mr. Wendall, People Everyday, Fishin'4 Religion o Tennessee.

Pure 90s sugar rush. Is it actually as good as it seems or just 90s nostalgia hitting.

ok

J’aime la basse le flow et le mix de genre. C’est bon et 1hr a passe tres vite. 4.*

Crazy! I listened to the song "Tennessee" a bunch as a kid, it never hit me that there would be a whole album from this group. This is really smooth alt-hip hop. It sounds '90s, but it also sounds different from the majority of '90s hip hop. It's very bright and accessible. So cool that this is on the list. Favorite tracks: Mr. Wendal, Tennessee, Raining Revolution, People Everyday, U. Album art: Really cool band photo, very spacious. Excellent color contrast between the dead grass and the blue sky. The font is nice too. 4/5

Liked it.

Man I remember this one. This was a big one

Classic hip hop

One of my first cassettes. It's interesting what seemed progressive at the time comes off as behind 30 years later.

Another fantastic album that I would have never listened to otherwise, since the genre is not in my wheelhouse. A solid 4 stars.

Hadde ikke hørt før, men bra tidlig hip hop!

Old school beats with them good 90s vibes. Lookin for a throwback, this a chill one to throw on

That final song hit different. The album in itself is so diverse, though not specifically musically, but thematically.

The soul is too daunting of a frontier.

I guess there's some charm to this type of hip hop

I remember enjoying this when it came out but it didn’t really have any staying power, so hadn’t heard it for years. Revisiting it, I enjoyed it. There are some good tracks here, but about by the half way mark I think it loses its way a little. That said, it’s still strong for what it is. It’s curious how they just seemed to disappear and didn’t go on to continue the success of this album. But yeah, a competent debut and nice to revisit.

Hoo boy. This is a fraught selection! I remember Arrested Development coming out in the early 90s, back when I watched a fairly massive amount of MTV, and these guys were everywhere. Heavy rotation of "Tennessee" and "Mr. Wendal." At the time these guys were great - they didn't fit into the typical hip-hop mold, and seemed to offer something more optimistic and hopeful than gangster rap. I went to Wikipedia to see what awards this album won, becuase I remember that happening and - no mentions at all? It won two Grammies! And two MTV VMA's...... Hmmmm Ok - the album, totally out of context, is fine. It is much less "alt-hip hop" than I thought it would be, based on the singles. Like every other 90s hip hop record it is way too long. I had to skip "U" because of the incredibly annoying two-note piano sample behind that one. I tried giving more of my attention to the lyrics than I normally do with these things and - I found Speech's lyrics to be fairly tiresome. He believes he's found the solution to the troubles of all Black people in America, and it would all be solved if only all the other Black people would just listen to him! One of the most humble-braggy things I've ever heard in my life is from "Tennessee" - and I quote - "I ask you, Lord, why you enlightened me Without the enlightenment of all my folks" Like - gimme a break, man. "Oh God! WHY oh WHY did you make me so brilliant? And all these other folks so DUMB!??!" It's irritating. Anyways. It was fine. The singles were great, the rest was pretty decent. A generous - THREE STARS

This one took me on quite a journey. At first, I really wasn't vibing with it; it sounded like the really old-school hip-hop that sounds too dated to my ears, the whole 'I'm MC and I'm here to say!' kinda thing. And then I got to Mr. Wendal. LOVED that song. An old-school classic for me already. And then I started to like the latter half of the album. It almost sounded like you could hear hip-hop evolving in real time with this album. The roots of that old-school dance-y sound beginning to evolve into what hip-hop would quickly become in the next year or so.

not my style but kinda fun

One of the better hip hop albums on the list. Neat!

Mr. Wendell…best track by a long way

when it's actually a song its fun but theres too much talking.

Nothing really jumped out at me about this but it wasn’t bad

Because "3 Years..." was an early success for an Atlanta hiphop crew, they deserve the "must listen" designation. They were not the first to chart non-violent lyrical content--De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest did that so well, and some years prior. Personally, I wasn't a fan at the time. They sounded too much like a supergroup to the ears I'd trained on the aforementioned Soul and Quest, as well as BDP and Queen Latifah. But I was by no means deep into the extraordinary development of hiphop. Live long and prosper, Arrested Development.

Alternative, conscious, thoughtful hip hop album that can balance fun with message and substance - generally a message of positivity, for peace, community, and unity. Tracks vary in tempo but generally have a groove of sampled drum breaks and basslines that can get you moving. The main vocalist is impressive but not often flashy, he’s got a clear, clean, smooth voice and raps with some melody, but is also capable of spitting long, quick, complex bars with a crisp delivery. He can be a bit direct on on the nose though - he just tells it as it is, which can be corny, preachy, or chill depending on your perspective. Overall, it’s got a sound similar to the Native Tongues stuff, and is just a fun and thoughtful album. But I’d also rather just revisit a few of my favorite songs than listen to the full album regularly.

Был норм, но что-то groundbreaking нет

there was some good parts. early rap just isn’t for me though. it’s just so corny. tracks 6-9 is a pretty solid run though, i think

Saved? ✅ Would listen again? ✅ Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? ✅

I always enjoy old school hip hop, this was a new one for me. Funky, upbeat, fun.

When considered to its time it is good but to my personal preferences its not the cup of tea that id like to go with at hip hop

Thought this album was really fun, counter culture anti gangsta rap with lyrics glorifying spirituality and connection to the earth. Good lyricism and well performed. 3.5 (3) stars

3,5

A solid straight-ahead effort

Fun and different, the obvious stand out songs becoming hits

Not a bad listen, quite enjoyable in places. Certainly on the more listenable side of hip hop

If you want to spend 22 more minutes on Arrested Development, check out this very entertaining episode of Todd In The Shadows' "Trainwreckords": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqKPkVzJnN8&pp=ygUodG9kZCBpbiB0aGUgc2hhZG93cyBhcnJlc3RlZCBkZXZlbG9wbWVudNIHCQk5CwGHKiGM7w%3D%3D

And the review goes mild.

7/10 - Its a really fun album. Catchy, and dance-able. I want to listen to this in a dark room and read along with the lyrics. I get glimpses of some really deep topics Fav Tracks: U, People Everyday, Mr. Wendal Heard before? ---–- ❌ Saved a Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? --–-- ✅ Will Listen Again? -- ✅ Album Cover -------Where's Mr. Bateman?

Another quite fun album. I like this kind of 90's hip hop. Favorite Songs: People Everyday ; Mr Wendal

3.5

3.5

Production is great, delivery is good. Everything works and has aged well, but I can't get over the lyrics. Points for doing positive stuff, but it's just so preachy.

I would like to give it a 3.5 but I don't feel like rounding up to 4 I like the sound but for the most part it's not super catchy to me, I also would like to be surprised more, songs sound interesting but get a bit boring imo, as much as I can enjoy long songs I don't have the same patience with repeated samples tbh fishin 4 religion is my favourite track

Quite a bit of fun. I really enjoy the production, especially how it sounds now (where it is a bit lower resolution).. it's a dusty sound but in a way I hadn't heard before. It's a new type of old, and that's exciting. My excitement waned over time.

This is fun, great beats and bombastic sound. Some of the religious messaging is a little too strong for my taste but not enough to stop me from enjoying the record.

There are a few classics on this album. Really different to a lot of things that were out of the time and still stands out.

I'm going 3 stars even though playing the same folk fest twice 15 years apart makes a hip hop group look real corny

yeah it's fine

Some was pretty fun, but overall I wasn’t that captured by it.

I liked listening to it. I’m not a big hip hop guy but I really enjoyed the soul influenced beats. Speech also had some good observations about the world. I was a little tired by the end, feel like it could have used some trimming.

..

Cool for someone who likes african rap

I didn’t mind this one. It was innovative in its time and I appreciate they were contrasting from the early 90s gansta rap stuff which is a big positive straight up. I remember Mr Wendel well and even Give a man a fish did moderately well even in Australia. Good effort

The singles are great but the rest of this album suffers from really thin sampling: "Here. Have the same hook 150 times in 3 minutes."

Ich mag das Album eigentlich sehr, die beats und der Vibe generell machen einfach spaß. aber die Lyrics.. puh.. ich weiß nicht

1 - Man's Final Frontier (some dramatic spoken word opens this album. Then, almost like tuning to a different radio station, we get a classic boom bap beat; easily my favourite section of this album. The spoken returns almost to offer some breathing room. This intro really shows what this album will be about; jazzy alt rap instrumentation with conscious lyrics. A good start) 4/5 2 - Mama's Always on Stage (this one sounds vaguely familiar though I had never heard of this group before that one Trainwreckords episode about their sophmore album. I must say it's the first time I've heard a hip hop beat with a blues harmonica backing it. This one is so joyous and full of life and genuinely has the feel of dancing around a campfire) 4/5 3 - People Everyday (the title might be a reference to the similarly named Sly Stone song. It has a mid-tempo groove for an instrumental, closer to the gangsta rap than the group - who very publicly opposed it - would care to admit. Any trace of such an influence is entirely erased by the overt Sly Stone interpolation on the chorus. There's a lot of "African this, African that" so far and we're only 3 songs into this; I can see why they sometimes rubbed people the wrong way with the Pan-Africanism... this is still a solid song though) 4/5 4 - Blues Happy (a short rambling interlude featuring Speech raving about everything and nothing with only some spare guitar chords to accompany him. It's fine I guess) 3/5 5 - Mr. Wendal (brave of them to start such a fun song with that scream. Speech is mixed oddly low on this compared to those snare hits which overpower everything. This song is once again about the struggles of Black Americans. Quite a bit of this song is devoted to the internal conflicts many of them face regarding stereotypical depictions of them, yet the band uses the "magical negro" trope as the central metaphor which I found sort of ironic. This one has an unmistakable energy yet I find it's too preachy once you really get into the lyrics) 3.5/5 6 - Children Play with Earth ("the way kids are living is 100% European" is the line that jumps over the tumbling beat to start this one. I have to say I kind of agree; children are way too restricted in their early years and are often deprived of formative experiences. However, I've seen that to be an American phenomenon, though I suppose "European" is used as a synonym for white here. This one talks about keeping a connection to the natural world and the mother Earth. It's a fine song though a little long for what is, on the surface, an interlude) 3.5/5 7 - Raining Revolution (I was expecting a huge bombastic song with a title like that, but this song goes for a lowkey vibe. Like Mr. Wendal before it, the already-down low drums overpower the rest of the mix which makes it feel like a lo-fi beat more than anything. Most of the song is sung-rapped which is somewhat different from the straight-ahead stylings of the album so far. This one talks about racial equality with the metaphor of rain causing revolution leading to a harmonious rainbow, which is actually pretty nice as an image) 3.5/5 8 - Fishin' for Religion (another scream starts this one but it's much more measured and James Brown-esque than the last one. 8 songs in and the album FINALLY has a foot-tapping, get-up-and-dance beat. This is what I feel the group was trying to go for but they chose to go serious a few too many times. This one talks about the blessing and curse that religion can be, with some finding genuine solace while others use it as a weapon for control. Overall this has the best energy out of the album so far and it's certainly a highlight in my eyes) 4/5 9 - Give a Man a Fish (and it will follow a song about Fishin' too. This feels like the part 2 of the previous track given the similarity of their titles. This one is equally as upbeat but has more conscious lyrics about mass incarceration and freeing convicts in for petty crimes rather than punish them endlessly. It's got a catchy outro too; this is the strongest pair of songs on the album if you ask me) 4/5 10 - U (not to be confused with the Kendrick song. The intro beat and the woman shouting over it communicate this indescribably positive energy, and the screams mixed in with the trumpet and electronics make this one of the best songs instrumentally. Speech's flow finally speeds up and sounds animated in contrast to the stern preaching style he has gone for this entire time. It goes for 5 minutes but doesn't really feel that long, meanwhile, I felt every second of the previous 9 songs) 4.5/5 11 - Eve of Reality (this one consists of some ambient songs mixed with some tribal percussion and psychedelic effects. I would have expected this on any other artist's album but not this one; quite the interesting choice! It's an instrumental interlude that doesn't overstay its welcome) 3.5/5 12 - Natural (here's a song that tackles unrealistic beauty expectations, especially from men to women. Of all the song types I expected from this album, a "pretty girl" song was fairly low on the list. Overall the song is fine, anchored by a piano and a low-key, sensual(? trying to be anyway) delivery from Speech) 3/5 13 - Dawn of the Dreads (the most readily living, breathing song on this album. That bassline is worth the price of admission almost on its own. This is the closest they got to a conventional Tribe Called Quest-styled boom bap song. It's a little slow and goes about a minute too long but it's a strong track nonetheless especially for how late it is in the album) 4/5 14 - Tennessee (this is probably the song Arrested Development is best remembered for, since it's likely one of the only song that fully and perfectly pulls all their myriad influences together. As the song progresses it just gets higher and higher until its running starts leads to full on flight by the time the "won't you let me, help me" section comes in. The high point of this album for sure) 4.5/5 15 - Washed Away (this one is incredibly sparse and kind of whiplashes the listener considering they just came from listening to Tennessee. There's some sparing keyboards and more watery, tribal percussion. Speech is back to his hushed and serious delivery, and the only real additions to the instrumentation are some odd flute-like sounds. The wide melismatic backup vocal adds some much needed density and variety to an otherwise overlong closer; not entirely sure what they were trying to do with this one. It's unique at the very least) 3.5/5 OVERALL - 7.5/10

Pretty cool beats, uses of samples and melodies. Nothing really standout but might give it another go.

Went back and forth between 3 and 4 for this one. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it quite a bit for an album/artist that I've never heard of. That being said none of the songs really stood out enough to me to be a huge fan of it.

for me, this is very much a part of hip-hop history, but it is important to view it as such. This isn't comparable to Lupe Fiasco which I had straight after this, and it certainly cannot be looked at in the same lens as 2020s HH. I like it, but conscious rap that makes you very aware that they're not like one of those guys, a pick me, does and will always grate. Great sounds and textures but this isn't as fun or adventurous as it likes to think it is.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: People Everyday, Give A Man A Fish Good beats and okay rhyming/lyrics, but maybe a little too socially conscious. Or maybe it's just most of the songs seem increasingly particularly relevant these days :/ God, reality is so depressing. I don't exactly consume and listen to music to escape reality, but this is nearly an hour of decently heavy shit to process: homelessness, religion, making ends meet, motherhood, however you conceptualize the story being told in People Everyday, with a guy and his girlfriend having to confront a group of.. disrespecting hooligans, while trying to mind their own business, the raising of children with certain ideals (or not). I don't dislike or hate this, but I am not in love with it either. I think I would rather go listen to A Tribe Called Quest, Atmosphere (Slug and Ant), De La Soul or Mos Def.

This album was goooooood and made me feel like dancing!!! It also really reminded me of Digable Planets

Fine

this was a lot, but it was mostly good?

Funky and precise in it's sound, this album is squarely in the middle of 90's hip hop. It pushes no boundaries and sounds exactly like one would expect for a band/production agency trying to create an album for broad appeal. It stays inside its lane and doesn't exert itself to make a strong point or convey a controversial message. Some of the songs are little too long and overstay their welcome, but overall it was a fun album to hear.

Parts are kind of funky, and get me vibing along. But then, a lot of the songs, and especially lyrics, are just super dated and corny. I was not alive when this came out, so I don’t have a nostalgic feeling for the record. To me, a lot of it starts to sound like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme. I get what they were going for, and it’s certainly not terrible. I did really like Mr Wendal. But, as a whole, it’s pretty dated and doesn’t hold up. 2.8/5.

Lidt i stil med Public Enemy. Hvis det skal være sample-scratchy rap, er det sådan noget her, der er festligt nok at lytte til.

This was the perfect album for a nice warm spring weekend in the UK. I remember the album coming out in the early 90’s and it not really being my thing. I think Mr Wendal was everywhere, all the time! And that sort of got on my nerves but it was very refreshing to hear the song again after 34 years and it still sounded great as did the album. Maybe a touch to long…

For me, this album is to music as a documentary is to movies. It’s the kind of thing that I’m not going to listen to over and over again, but I enjoyed experiencing once to learn a different perspective and be challenged

It was creative but i js dont like the repetitive loud drums thats in every song

Hip hop with a message

Mommy, I want to listen to A Tribe Called Quest. We have A tribe Called Quest at home.

Never heard of this band but this was kind of fun. Wholesome feel good funky rap. Nothing blew me away, but I quite enjoyed it. Almost four stars.

Day831 - mr wendell and tennessee were nostalgic listens. the rest of the album wasn’t as good as i remember

I've long loved Mr. Wendal, Tennessee and People Everyday (unfortunately the single version is much better than the album one) but the rest of this album let me down. I appreciate the positive vibes but a little preachy and weak at times.

Sure, it's ok.

Pretty relaxed and positive hip hop, I like that in general. I actually knew "People everyday" before Sly Stone's original and found it great. It's much too long, though, and the lyrics are too preachy and religious for my taste. Still like it way better than anything by Kanye, Biggie or all the other mysoginist guys.

This was genuinely great. You can feel the groundwork being laid for bands like Outkast and Black Eyed Peas, but less pop-y. Really good stuff.

Favorite Track: Tennessee

softer rap

ok

64/100. I liked the overall meaning behind the album. An interesting record that moves at a surprisingly slow pace for hip hop, even by the standards of its time. It leans more into message and atmosphere than energy. Thoughtful and respectable, just not something I would listen to again.

I like it. Great vocals, simple, peaceful lyrics, with a touch of pride, angst, and humor. I could do without the god priase, but I enjoy the vibe.

It felt preachy in 1992 and it feels preachy today. The production is fun, but repetitive. There's a couple of bops.

2.5

This album is just straight-up fun to listen to. It made me feel happy, hopeful, and kinda proud all at the same time. There’s this warm, groovy energy that runs through the whole thing — funky samples, live percussion, and those sunny soulful hooks that make you want to nod your head and smile even when the topics get heavy. It’s not really a strict concept album with one continuous story, but the whole record revolves around Black life, African roots, and the everyday struggles people go through. Speech and the crew talk about spirituality, family, homelessness, respecting women, staying connected to nature, and fighting for a better way without ever sounding preachy or depressing. Instead, they wrap it all in this positive, uplifting vibe that feels like a celebration of Black culture and resilience. Tracks like “Tennessee,” “People Everyday,” and “Mr. Wendal” hit different — they make you think but also keep the party going. The production is so alive and organic compared to a lot of hip-hop from that era. It’s funky, soulful, and full of life. In a time when gangsta rap was taking over, this felt like a breath of fresh air. It still sounds fresh today. If you need some music that lifts your spirits while reminding you what really matters, put this one on. Pure joy mixed with real substance.

I remember owning this at the time, it was probably one of my first albums and I may have even owned on cassette tape. Mr Wendal remains a great song and is worthy of a revisit alone. People Everyday is also good but it sounded different to how I remember it which confused me but I later realised the single was a remix. This has many plus points but at the end of the day, there must be a reason why it’s been a good 30 years since I last listened.

Tough record to review. I liked the first half a lot, while it started to feel repetitive in the second one. I love modern conscious hip hop, but i didn't know this retro classic. It feels a bit outdated, but I'm glad i gave it a listen.

I can't believe I had never heard these guys before. This is right up my alley for old school rap. I liked Mr. Wendal for sure.

A good time

this is super fun! i like the laid-back feeling...maybe due to the southern genre? i really enjoyed listening to the lyrics too. i don't think the beats here were the mooost compelling of some of the hip hop albums we've heard especially from the 90s, but this was also 92 so I have to remember where things were at the time and this might've been more interesting comparatively back then.

Donc, aujourd'hui, c'était 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of..., d'Arrested Development. Donc on parle ici d'un groupe dont je n'avais jamais entendu parler. Si j'en crois la description de Wikipédia, c'est un album qui a grandement participé à populariser le rap du sud des États-Unis, avec un style et un état d'esprit un peu différent. Je sais pas si mon écoute a été influencée par cette description, mais j'ai senti cette différence. Le ton était plus positif, plus joyeux que ce que j'ai pu entendre jusque-là. Est-ce que c'est ça que j'étais censé entendre comme différence ? En tout cas, c'était fort sympathique !

Meh

cooler hip-hop, jedoch teilweise etwas eintönig.

I liked a lot of this but the preacher sitting backwards on his chair vibe kind of killed the momentum to higher rating.

This feels like attending a fun, education-based party where I don't fit in at all and everyone is wondering who let me in. We covered lots of important topics like parenting, social justice, income inequality, the environment, geography, and religion. But we did it all while shaking our learning butts to a positive and groovy beat. I wake up the next day wondering if it ever happened at all or if it was just a fever dream but I'm suddenly nice as fuck to my fellow citizens and believe in god. 3.9

Fun

I saw this band well past their halcyon days in a double bill with Chumbawamba at a festival. They shared the stage, like at the same time. It was such an odd pairing but more entertaining than it had a right to be. Both groups were surprisingly talented and mixed well together. Anyway, I don’t find the songs here to be all that memorable but the vibe is mostly positive. This is acceptable music to put on and feel good.

Pretty fun, liked Mama’s Always on Stage.

Expectations were low coming in. This wasnt bad! The samples were really cool. Lots of James Brown. Some corny “clean rap” stuff, but I found it mostly refreshing. Mr Wendal was cool. I liked U.

I appreciated the samplings and my wife was bouncing around the room to this album. And there's really nothing wrong with that, quite frankly.

Great message. Good album.

I don't know much about hiphop but quite liked this fun album which has great beats. It also aged pretty well. It's a bit too long though as it's usually my problem with many post-90s albums.

High quality early hip hop. Every song is fun, but the lyrics are just so cheesy on a lot of them that it’s hard to get to a 4. Good album though.

3 out of 5. Didn't know what to expect but didn't hate it either.

2.71

Okay very good songs at the end mix was bad on some songs

mm idk, this didn't do much for me personally. It's certainly not bad! The production is light and funky albeit pretty dated. It's just that outside of "People Everyday" and "Tennessee" there wasn't much here that really stood out to me. "Teach a man to fish" had a decent message but also was a bit too repetitive and a little corny for me to take seriously. I think at the end of the day there just wasn't much for me to connect to, as a white atheist.

Funky but dated in parts.

3/5, cool. Some pretty interesting things. Something about killing baptists? Wild

All around solid

It’s got that nice bouncy 90’s hip hop sound down. Kinda locks it in time vibe wise but it’s fun

Было весело, но быстро надоело. Немного обнообразно. Семплы, живые инструменты, характерный для 90-х речитатив. Я вернусь к этому позже и, возможно, изменю оценку.

When the song Tennessee was released I came to the realization that rap could include other genres. It was so refreshing. At the time, I should have explored their music more but I there were other groups that captured my interest. Listening to this album for the first time I found the few catchy and fun songs aren't carrying the entire album enough for me to add it to my listening rotation.

Me gusto este disco de hip hop, la onda que transmite y la sintonia en que se encuentran todas las canciones y me parecio muy llamativo la presencia del bajo en muchas canciones.

Loved the beat production and some of the flows on this album, but underneath it all there is this strange sense of 90s corniness that’s kinda hard to get over. It kinda feels like if the Veggie Tale characters tried to make a politically charged album. The sentiment feels a bit too hippy dippie and lacks any rigor.

A hip hop album that starts super fun but gets progressive staler. The first handful of tracks are super fun and funky. The beats sound very uplifting and the rappers have very charismatic deliveries and flows. To make a comparison, another band that this reminded my of is The Pharcyde. The lyrics are also great, having both very positive and critic messages. "Mama's Always on Stage" talks about supporting a young mother and his newborn, "Mr Wendal" about helping the poor and "Fishin' 4 Religion" is a fantastic criticism against religion and about how followers are learnt to cope with their problems instead of searching for solutions and changes. There are some other songs that include some great social and political commentary, but I think these three stand out the most, at least for me. My problem with this album is how it loses steam as it moves forwards, with few moments having the same energy as the first couple of songs, and the tracks after "U" being quite forgettable, both in terms of beats and rapping delivery, and even sounding very quiet. So while I think this is a great album, it is quite a shame it wasn't able to hold up the energy from the initial part.

The two hits from this record still rattle around in my head over 30 years later, occasionally resurfacing when a word or phrase spins them up like an old hard drive. There's something to be said for that kind of staying power even if you don't consistently listen to the group or even the album very much. The rest of the record is well-played jazzy hip-hop that was gaining ground at this time. But unlike De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, this record never hit my airwaves outside of the videos I caught on MTV or the hits on the radio. This seems like something I would have been all over had I given it the time of day at the time.

Overall it’s a sure for me dog

Socially Conscious Rap - good!

de spass isch schomal am durredrucke! falls die ganze 55 min so sind weiss nöd öbs mi iwenn nervt aber s isch schona cool de gsang bi mr. wendal isch mega geiil es isch würkli soo andersch als de vorherrschendi rap zu dere ziit hahaha ich bin chli hii- und hergrisse, es verbreitet echt gueti luune und find sie hend na cooli samples/bgvs aber leider jimmt mi jz wenig würkli mit U isch glichzitig nervig und sehr cool gsi guess what: es isch z lang dawn of the dreads het en geileee ahfang poaah de schluss het sich zoge jaa schlecht ischs nöd gsi

6/10

вроде интересно звучит, занимательно, хип-хоп за столько времени перетерпел много изменений, сравнить с нынешним было бы просто глупо. но я быстро устала от него. забавные порой корни текста, но он имеет некое настроение, посыл, который шел врознь с тем, что подавали в хип хопе тогда

I get that this was of a time, this was early 90s, so actually these guys were ahead of their time in my opinion. This sounds like late 90s backpack rap, it’s not subtle with its messages, and it’s unabashedly corny. It’s not my favorite thing but I commend them for being true to themselves.

Didn’t love it, but I enjoyed it.

6/10 Favorite: People Everyday

There are definitely some fun things on this album and it's definitely different (in a refreshing way) than much of the other 90s rap we've been getting. But an hour is probably too long for this because it creates too much interstitial space between the high points.

Sounds a bit outdated even by 90's standards. 3/5

I can appreciate how this jovial and spiritually-inclined collective helped divert hip hop away from some of the aggressive and negative trends of the time. It set open a fresh, free-form horizon that was somewhere between the serious, heavy-handed exhortations of Public Enemy and De La Soul's jolly, juvenile skits. Anyway, looking back, 'Tennessee' was revolutionary at the time, but seem unremarkable now.

sehr close an 2 sterne aber es hat mir jetzt zumindest keine schmerzen bereitet

The big singles were certainly a nostalgia trip. A bit dated but overall, a decent early 90s album.

90s hip hop. Southern hip hop, distinct from gangsta rap, is more spiritual. Interesting instrumental elements. Pretty mellow.

EI EU ADORO ESSA SERIE FAVS (top 3): mr. wendal, raining revolution, U mençoes honrosas: man's final frontier, mama's always on stage, fishin 4 religion, give a man a fish, dawn of the dreads um hiphopzinho bem dahorinha nota final: 3.5/5

Had been a while since I revisited this album. Closer to a 2.75 for me. Cool ideas, great rapping, but something about it felt a little dated and not as exciting as I remembered. Mr. Wendel and Tennessee are for sure the standout tracks.

I didn’t save anything but it was a nice listen. Definitely different. Strong 3.

Good stuff, and a good representation of this era of social issues focused hip hop

I enjoyed the first half of this but then honestly it just dragged. I like the sentiment of Arrested Development and what they were doing and I think the sound is interesting and does draw you in but you can have too much of a good thing I'd say. Still, I did enjoy it and so want to give it a 3.

Koselig plate, men en god del av låtene er ikke noe særlig.

It was a good record. Pretty different from the rest of the hip-hop albums from that era.

Gutes Album... Nur nicht meins

Chilly light sight of 90s hip hop

2.6/2.7 cheesy

3 years, 3 stars. If they waited two more years I might've given more.

It's good, but I think old school hip hop just isn't really my thing

A treat of a classic hip-hop album. Can't give it more than a three in good conscience, but I enjoyed this one.

bello come sottofondo

Liked

Yeah cool but weird and too noisy for me??

As usual with old school hip hop, I find it fun for like…a song or two… then it starts getting really repetitive and uninteresting to me. 3/5 Highlights: Mr. Wendal U Dawn Of The Dreads

Decently fun, though not really warranting an hour's length

Genre: Conscious Hip Hop Generally, this brand of hip hop, the early 90s sort of boom-bap stuff, is not for me. But this is so earnest, and so well-meaning, that it's hard to hate. Christian Hip Hop is not a bygone genre, and in fact these guys were sort of on the cutting edge. Albums like Donda, artists like Lecrae, this stuff lives on. This was a fun listen, and again just too positive to hate. 3/5

Let's try to start again. We'll see how it works... First of all, let's appreciate that album cover. I am quit ambivalent about this early hip hop record usually. But I really enjoy this one so far. The beats are consistently great and the vocal delivery and verses are cool. It's all flowing very well. Doesn't feel aged like many of It's contemporaries that I've heard before. Track 9 "Coz we're worked real hard to get this far We're catching the bus before we bought the car", what a great line. 10, 11 go a bit less exiting. Level remains high since 12. It's a very nice listening experience. I do think overall the second half is a bit weaker than the first, but not by much. A nice strong 3.4 to get back to business

Don't really like it much but it is kind of okay. 3 stars or C-.

Vary prince of bellair but it’s fun it’s rap and hip hop

Mr. Wendell trekker masse opp

rap anni 90 con molta critica sociale, non il top per me ma si apprezza sempre

I'll take this over "Gansta rap" anyday. Can get repetitive and the delivery could be better but it's a solid album. Definitely of its time. 3/5.

Very funky , bathed in sunshine

Scratching sounds is definitely something you don't hear anymore, and I think it's for the better. Overall very 90s sounding record. Playful and cheerful. Got some decent tunes in there, but also a lot of jibberish. You definitely get tired of the formula after a while. The record is firing in many different directions, so it's hard to have a cohesive vision of what the album is when finishing it. Very in the middle experience to me, with some good stuff and some not-so-good.

I don't hate this as much as some people, there's some pretty good production on this thing, quite memorable just the vocal performance is a little lackluster

The album kind of got repetitive and ran on. But the first half had some fun jams and beats. Appreciate the goal and message of the album, even if the religious content became a little much at times.

Fresh and earnest hip-hop that may have had only a moment in the sun, but was a fun alternative to gangsta. Kind of like if P.M. Dawn had come back a bit closer to Earth. "Tennessee" still bangs and it sounds more energetic than the rest of the album, which does groove into repetition too often. But it's great to listen to if you want to warp back to the early '90s.

Now I have a solid rebut when people claim hip hop is aggressive and out of touch with its softer side. I didn’t know any tracks here until Tennessee, which rang bells deep in my memory and sent me plummeting back to my childhood. Awesome.

I quite enjoyed that

Not 4 me

Liked it less with every song. Great ideas just so meandering and repetitive

I was a college-age rap fan when this came out. Everyone was lukewarm on Arrested Development. Their Grammy and MTV award wins make complete sense now, given the commercial slant of those honors, as rap and African-American artistry was moving closer to mainstream success but the culture was not ready to accept the violence of gangsta rap or the sexuality of guys like LL CoolJ. AD was smart, clean, talented and socially provoking. Unfortunately that made them boring too. This album is ok. The big hit still resonates and the other cuts are ok.

Very positive and upbeat but very of its time - a couple songs I’d go back to

Jesus I liked this way more than I thought, I'm not a rap fan, or atleast, I haven't tried. But I liked ts. Debating 3 or 4. Might change on a relisten but rn a 3.

Traté de escucharlo en la pandemia. Aún no hace click :( Se aprecia su influencia en Outkast y Goodie Mob

es que los beats están bien chidos y aprecio la intención política y que le tire al imperialismo gringo pero como dice sofi, se pone bien didáctico y ya parece plaza sésamo, cawn

I enjoyed this - I wouldn't scream and rave about it but it's pretty good

3/5

I have a hard time hating on this album because it's very positive. Most of the songs have a fun, uplifting message and the production is also quite bouncy and creative. Some of their ideas don't really work out, the country-rap bits are a bit corny, same with the r&b fusion songs. The rapping is not the strongest and a lot of the hooks are kinda weak, but then again there is something simply cool about the music. It's just good vibes, even if it's not perfect.

give a man a generic 1990s rap album and he'll give it a 5/10

Love the progressive, positive social commentary and hate they felt complelled to drag religion into it. Ugh.

This is pleasant enough buy no more than that. Mr Wendel and Tennessee are good doses of nostalgia for me but I can't see myself enjoying them as much without that. The album's also longer than it needs to be, like so many hip hop albums.

It's nice to listen to such a positive hip-hop record that isn't so heavy on the drugs, sex and violence. I also thought the music felt refreshingly vibrant and fun and themes were quite wholesome. A major negative is that it's too long. I was in a really positive space with it at thirty minutes in but when an album is nearing an hour long, it has to be exceptional to continue to hold my attention. In this case, it mostly failed to do so and ended up descending into blur of rhythm and horns. There were a few standout tracks in the album and generally it was a fun reminder of hip-hop's diversity before it was dominated by the gangster rap sound.

Chill 90's rap. Like the mood.

A few classic bops, but not enough pack in the punch to bump to 4-stars for me.

I'm generally pretty disinterested in 90s rap, just due to the production and mixing style of the time. And this album falls right into that. I think I don't like it that much because it reminds me of the cringe of some things while growing up (I was born in '95). I do like that this album isn't city/gansta rap. I think that makes it stand out a little more and keeps me a little more interested. And honestly, I love the song "Mr. Wendal". So even though the album leans into a style of production that I don't like, there's plenty to enjoy in listening to it. Favorite Song(s): Mr. Wendal

I got hit by a car in early 1993, and I was in surgery for 14 hours. When I came to, my aunt visited me and asked me what I wanted as I recovered. I asked for 3 tapes: • The Joshua Tree by U2 • Pocket Full of Kryptonite by Spin Doctors • 3 Years...In the Life of... by Arrested Development I was on some pretty... strong painkillers. Anyway, as I laid in a hospital bed for months, I had my mix tapes, and then these 3 tapes. I remember really liking this album, even if I didn't quite comprehend it at the time. Truthfully, I just wore out side A of The Joshua Tree. I also remember being somewhat upset that "Tennessee" wasn't on side A with "Mr. Wendal" and "People Everyday." We've been spoiled by streaming. There: I said it. 33 years later, I re-listened to it and was shocked by how little I remember of this album. And, here's the thing: it's really good. I have spent a ton of time with the "classic" early 90s hip-hop records, and this one never registers as being part of that set. Maybe because it's not of that "ilk." Maybe because Arrested Development seemingly fell off the face of the Earth after this record. Either way, this reminds me of early Tribe, or VERY early Roots. It's crisp, joyous, and EXTERMELY early 90s. I imagine this album being on constant rotation on the set of "A Different World." THAT 90s. A good walk through a weird time in my life, and a really interesting time in hip-hop. 6/10.

Not my favourite genre but this had some surprisingly good grooves on it

Great beats. It lacks a bit of bite. Original sound. Fun album.

literally, the first album I think i ever owned. on cassette tape. all because of Mr Wendell.

Was ok. Very much of its time & day of release

All the 90s hip-hop albums on here are good, but are starting to sound a little samey.

Joyous anti-gangsta jazy vibe, all gets a bit too earnest and preachy at times though. Not bad, but not great

Enjoyed this. Good to have some 90s hip hop with a positive message. Does get a but religious in places, but not enough to spoil it.

This one didn't really stick with me, 3? Not unenjoyable but pretty standard stuff to me

some nice old school hip hop and some pretty lame lyrics in between

Wow, somehow had never heard of Arrested Development before, but this album was very fun. It does have a very 80's sound, and seems to contain a lot of (fruitful) experimentation.

Again, some lovely early 90s hip hop.

Quite the trip back to 1992, a spectacularly weird time to be a teenager. I absolutely loved the radio hits from this album (Mister Wendel, Tennessee), but had never heard the rest. Such was life in the upper midwest! I'd like to say that Arrested Development was ahead of their time, but that would diminish the contributions of De La Soul and so many others. This is still a unique moment in time and the album, surprisingly, holds up!

25 years since I listened to this. Will probably be another 16.

Not bad, I made it all the way through.

On paper I should like this - progressive hip hop. I found it a bit too spiritual and Jesusy. The beats were cool, a real mix of jazz, not often your hear harmonica in hip hop.

fun!

It’s fun and upbeat to go with its afrocentric grounding. I hear a lot of influence of Sly and the Family Stone, who is recalled in choruses and samples, but also Fishbone, the Native Tongues and I dunno, Rockwell? Songs like “Mr. Wendel” come off sounding a little too chipper for their subject matter, and others feature slap bass and other dated production techniques.

like De La Soul in the positivity and clever samples, minus the humor and in-between song skits. I knew the hits but was pleasantly surprised by the rest.

Some great beats and samples, very much a Hip Hop album of its time. A little long but enjoyable.

It was well done

The beginning to this album is far stronger than the end, but I loved it throughout. I'm surprised I haven't heard anything from it before Favorite Songs: People Everyday, Tennessee, Mama's Always on Stage

Jákvætt rapp, ferskt, nett og smá kjánalegt. Beatin eru góð mörg hver, textarnir mis hnyttnir en sumir þarna lenda vel. Lifir ágætlega þessi plata, en þetta er samt bronsaldarrapp. 3,4 / 5,0

Tennessee is a classic.

Enjoyable blast from the past. Tennessee is a great song!

One of the better early 90s hip-hop albums I’ve heard. More sophisticated than some and had a lot of social justice themes.

Jams 3.5/5

No private session used for Spotify. More lighthearted, uplifting and fun then the gangsta rap that was everywhere at the time. Enjoyable listen.

Fun album, preferable above the more agressive hiphop

Not my preferred music, but I enjoyed it. ★★★

Fine for what it is. I imagine it was cool in 1992. 2.7

Some good tracks. Some boring tracks.

This is actually closer to kind of the hip hop that I kind of like soulful and peaceful with an almost jam band in like quality. And for the most part I thought this album was fine and pretty much just that it really didn't move me as much as A Tribe Called Quest did. I think also a lot of the rappers flow on this isn't much different than a lot of the pop rap that was coming around at the time which I didn't hate, i just really didn't pay much attention to it. Some of the backing tracks on this I really kind of got into, but even that I thought was fine. Something I could groove to but without fully immersing myself. All in all I find this a very listenable album something I could return, but nothing that I'm ever going to go ga-ga over. "Give A Man A Fish" is the standout track for me. (7.2) ★★★½

"Dawn of the Dreads" has a really cool beat, the rest is okay, but nothing special really. 3 stars

I'm not super high on this. I think the singles are pretty good, "Tennessee" being the best of them, but I think there's a lot of filler on this album, and a lot of the album is dated and corny in retrospect. I get why this was popular at the time -- it's messaging is very light and positive compared to the hip-hop that dominated the charts at the time -- but I don't think it broke any new ground and I don't think it holds up that well. Light 3 stars.

I think I'm a little bit too white and non-christian to fully enjoy this album

This wasn’t bad. The singles are good; as are “U” and “Dawn of the Dreads”. This was a fun and enjoyable album. I wonder if the CIA agent responsible for flooding black neighborhoods with crack is also the one who made sure gangsta rap eclipsed positivity rap. That guy was putting in work.

Some decent songs, probably wouldn't call it too stand out. Decent overall

Found myself enjoying this quite a bit, but not sure how much I see myself revisiting this in full

a little corny but otherwise pretty good. interesting instrumentals though it did feel a little preachy at times

It was 4 stars for the first 70% of the album. Then from Natural it lost its drive (including Tennessee, why is it praised so much?). Another album which would have been better with fewer songs.

An enjoyable listen, although too much preaching for me

This was cool, shoulda given AD a chance sooner. Gonna need to check out more of their stuff.

It's pretty good I guess, a lot less interesting than a lot of music that their contemporaries were making tho

like the politically involved lyrics, but not sure it will remain

Det er en lidt overset perle i det afrocentiske positive hiphop, der kom ud i start-90'erne. Tennessee er en banger. Men i forhold til det, der er med på listen fra De La Soul og A Tribe Called Quest (det meste udgivet et par år før denne), synes jeg hverken den holder eller er vildt essentiel

Giving this a 3 feels wrong, but it's not quite a 4 for me personally. 3.5-3.75

Old school boom bap hip hop! What’s not to like! Mr Wendal is the big track everyone will know but the rest of the album stands up too! Hip hop with a message (if you care to listen to it) and not just skits about big willies and vaginas so very refreshing!

Kinda better than I remembered: thought of them as one-hit wonder wannabe De La Soul.

I was very into this album when it was released. It's been 30+ years since I've revisited, though. While I found Gangsta Rap fun, it wasn't something I could play around the house. I gravitated toward (at the time) more "alternative" rap. This holds up, in my opinion. It's definitely "of it's time", but not dated. Standout Track(s): Mr. Wendel, Raining Revolution, Fishin' 4 Religion, U, Tennessee, Washed Away

Arrested Development's debut album brings a refreshing, conscious alternative to early '90s hip-hop, blending soulful melodies, Afrocentric themes, and socially aware lyrics. Tracks like “Tennessee” and “People Everyday” stand out with their groove and message. However, the album sometimes feels uneven in pacing and production, and a few songs don’t hold up as well over time. While it was groundbreaking in its moment, the impact doesn’t fully translate today. Still, it’s a thoughtful and bold record worth revisiting.

This was better than expected!!!

Aika hyvä levy meikästä mut ei tää mikää napalm deathi oo

Still sounds funky

I'm not sure i'd listen to this again, but it was kinda unique.

Is that double kick in Dawn Of The Dreads??

Festive hip-hop

Back in the early '90s, when hip-hop was finding its many voices, Arrested Development stepped out the cypher in dashikis and barefoot wisdom, offering something the streets weren’t used to: spiritual healing with a funky backbeat. Their debut, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of..., was a love letter to the everyday Black experience, rooted in Southern pride, community upliftment, and unapologetic vulnerability. Frontman Speech wasn’t afraid to open up—sometimes to the point of sermonizing—but even when the message got heavy-handed, the groove kept it grounded. The album sprawls a bit, clocking in long and sometimes losing focus, but its heart is undeniable. The standouts still resonate: “Mama’s Always on Stage” is a tribal celebration of womanhood; “Give a Man a Fish” pairs a streetwise proverb with a buttery piano line and a singable hook; “Natural” floats on mellow vibes; and “Tennessee” remains a soulful prayer for lost roots, forever etched in hip-hop memory. Before gangsta rap gripped the culture with steel-tipped realism, Arrested Development carved out a lane of earthy introspection and cultural pride. It didn’t last long in the spotlight, but for a brief, beautiful moment, the vibe was all theirs.

Yesterday generated Stand! by Sly and the Family Stone and this album samples that a couple times. What a cool coincidence. This is solid, but why would I listen to this when groups like A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul were doing the same thing, but better. Favorites were People Everyday and Mr Wendal

3/5

Not really my thing but well executed

Loved it in ’92, still kinda great. Smart, funky, hopeful hip-hop that aged better than most of my playlists. On revisit it’s less of the politics I remembered, more average Christian vibes.

Really enjoyed this one! It was a bit cheesy but for the most part really held up. The sample on People Everyday was fun.

- was ganz geil! 3-4/5

I’m not a fan of hip-hop, but this album genuinely surprised me. Arrested Development’s debut blends thoughtful lyrics with soulful, organic instrumentation that feels more like storytelling than typical rap. Tracks like “Tennessee” and “Mr. Wendal” stood out—not just for their catchy rhythms, but for the depth behind the words. There’s a warmth and sincerity throughout that makes it easy to connect with, even if hip-hop isn’t your usual genre. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, and honestly, I’ll probably give it another listen soon.

Nice album but not a classic to me

Decent listen!!

Not bad, but the songs started getting really religious and preachy about halfway through, which I wasn't expecting. The instrumentation was really cool though, and I had fun.

Whatever. Funky instrumentals

Cool fusion of soul, blues, hip hop and africana. My favorites are U, Natural (moments remind me of Prince), and Washed Away just because it's a really odd piece about the evils of mankind being some kind of water snake that's going to drown out the world. I can totally appreciate this for it's positive message and creativity but mostly not so much my thing.

A good fusion of rap & jazz, the lyrics were good but could get heavy-handed and too preachy at times. The beats were great though

I love the progressive impulses that motivate this album and the early 90s hiphop sounds but oh my god "Children Play With Earth" is so funny: "Okay, the way kids are living is 100% European African boys and girls: Set down your Nintendo joysticks right now Unplug the television and make way for an old vision Which will now be a new vision Yes, Headliner, lay the foundation Dig your hands in the dirt (that's right) Children play with earth (that's right)" As a kid I did spend time running around outside and playing in the dirt but I also loved videogames and I cannot think of something less likely to work than telling kids to put down the Marios and go play with "the earth that eventually will take you"

People Everyday Mr. Wendal Tennessee

Not something I would listen to super often, but I enjoyed it. I appreciate the spiritual themes. I have a hard time understanding why this album is considered influential, but it is still cool.

Un álbum de la época dorada del hip hop americano, uno de los primeros del rap sureño, más espiritual y político, en oposición directa al gangsta rap de su época. Musicalmente es muy funky y divertido, lleno de coros y partes cantadas con mucha energía. Las letras me han gustado especialmente: transmiten un mensaje revolucionario, a la vez que optimista y positivo, aunque algunos temas resultan un poco machistas, bajo la excusa de una admiración a la mujer negra que suena condescendiente y paternalista. La producción es algo pobre, pero tampoco le resta demasiado. Rap divertido, inteligente e influyente, aunque un poco largo y que, a estas alturas, suena algo anticuado. Creo que lo voy a olvidar bastante pronto.

This isn’t an album that’s in my algorithm but I enjoyed it. Its positivity is refreshing even if it’s early 90’s. Liked Tennessee best.

Sounds of it’s time but still sounds good.

I’m down with the way some tracks blend the electro hip-hop elements with guitar. That stuff sounds pretty good, but most tracks have one or two distracting elements that just ruin it for me, be it excessive record scratches or shrill backup singers. The frontman seems to have a great stage presence though, and his rap sounds cool- slow and rhythmic enough to follow easily while staying quick and even enough to sound impressive. This is probably a 2.5 for me mainly due to personal preference, but I’ll keep it at a 3. It’s a weird split. Some tracks have a real communal energy about them, feeling effortless cool, but others are a pretty hard miss.

Lower rating because I’m not a huge fan of the early hip hop sound and flows, but was really drawn in by the beats in this. Really fun to hear funky and kind of out-there beats made with analog equipment. Though I don’t love early rap flows, almost always gonna love the lyrical content like I did with this album. Poignant, meaningful, and well-written. Fav Track: Fishin’ 4 Religion

Oh no, back into a hip hop phase. This album was different and more interesting than most of the more gangsta type stuff with violent or misogynist lyrics, rounding up to a 3 despite several tracks having the smudgy rubbing sound that gives me misophonia. 2.5

I remember liking this album more when I was a teen. Like People Everyday; I can remember singing the chorus. But when I relisten to the verses, while the lyrics are good, the beats around it are so-so. Mr. Wendal is still a great song, incredible lyrics put to a great beat. But there's not many other standout songs for me except for U, Natural, and Tennessee. Don't get me wrong, the whole messaging of this album is great. It's positive and soulful and it showcases hip hop in a way that isn't just gangsta rap, which was all the rage at the time. But I didn't quite feel that strong connection I was expecting.

fun

I was taken in as much as anyone back in '92 by the 3 singles from this. I subsequently bought the album and remember being a little disappointed. Firstly because the version of _Everyday People_ on here is not the version that that I'd heard in the charts, and listening back again, it still lacks collective power on display in that version, opting for a much slower, less vibrant beat. But more because, after a solid first few tracks, the album tends to meander for most of its near hour length, until we hit the penultimate track, the first single from it and my personal fave, _Tennessee_. I just didn't connect with it in the way I thought I would based on what I'd already heard. Listening back now, it's certainly not a bad album, and I had a fine time revisiting, but my opinion didn't really change and I didn't find a reason to return to it again as a whole.

Album 832 of 1089 Arrested Development -3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of... (1992) Rating : 3 / 5 Hip hop has never really been my thing, and this album doesn’t necessarily change that—but I’ve got to say, it was one of the more enjoyable listens from the genre so far in this project. I could probably even talk myself into bumping it up another half-point. (I did) What stood out most was that it avoided the typical tough-guy posturing and instead offered something that felt thoughtful, grounded, and message-driven. There seems to be some real substance here—definitely an album that would reward a closer listen to the lyrics. A good album, no doubt.

Pretty good

This was fun

This album has aged a bit, but it's still good.

This didn't really land with me at the time of its release. It came across as a bit too lightweight, earnest, and preachy. But listening to it now I realise that more of it sunk in than I thought and I'm conscious that there is more of a jazz-spirit to it with its loose, flowing arrangements:. There's also a sort of jazz intent in terms of expressing deeper personal and cultural truths. It's a lot more introspective, and spiritually-rooted than I remembered. It definitely feels closer to jazz than hip hop and revisiting it today with a jazz ear (hearing mood, cadence, space, and social resonance) has opened it up in a whole new way.

I love early nineties hip hop and Mr. Wendell is especially memorable. Overall fun and strong message.

It was a feel-good album, and I especially enjoyed the last couple of tracks.

Was fun despite the political cringe