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

ambiency jumping hip hop positive it's like hip hop that makes you wanna frolick

The production and the mixing are skillfully done, if a bit dated. Very positive lyrics. I’ve got nothing bad to say about it, but it’s just not my thing at all.

The Hootie and the Blowfish of hip hop in that they were seemingly colossal for a period of time in the '90's and then just as quickly the world got over them. And it was considered too "safe" (i.e. embraced by too many old white folks). They suffered the same curse that many other Best New Artist Grammy winners did, which is a shame because most of this holds up incredibly well. Maybe if their single "Tennessee" was called "Hennessy" their future would have been brighter. But I'm telling you, in 1992, the music press lost their collective shit and fell over each other to proclaim this as THE future of hip hop.

I liked this album. Totally understand why it’s on this list. I just wish I liked it more. The good songs are amazing, but the rest are just kind of middling. I didn’t know much of Arrested Development outside of “Tennessee,” so I’m glad I finally listened to the entire album. “Mr. Wendal” is a great song that I know I’ll listen to a lot. But overall I was hoping for more from this.

Some songs were a bit weird but generally not bad

Digging the beats, differnt type of music... well, it's gangsta/af.amer./ rap... but a different flair to it... flare? anyway... I like some of it. not really my style, or level of intellect

Somewhat uneven but overall decent. Tennessee was the hit but Mr. Wendal is the banger. They should have been bigger and it's a bit of a shame that they couldn't stay together. But it's influence remains.

I do love me some early 90’s hip hop. But, while this one has some jams, overall it’s too preachy for my blood.

Thought I was going to like this more. Running up to a 3 based on Tennessee and to a lesser extent Mr Wendel

While it is a very important Native Tongue adjacent album, it just doesn’t have near the talent or the staying power of anything the Tribe or De La did. Or even Jungle Bros or Digable Planets. Some great golden era hits though. 3.4.

2.8 a couple of jams on it but it kinda sounded like a Parody of a 90's rap album. I don't know if that is because it was so influential and other artist followed or this followed other artists work and layered a bunch of samples and social justice themes

Southern hip-hop, chill nok, men heller ikke sindsoprivende

Fun, but early 90s rap feels inherently silly, and trying to communicate serious themes with a silly instrument feels a bit incongruent. Fantastic "Everyday People" cover though.

Lyrically, I know this album isn't for me but I still dug the socially conscious aspects of it even though some of it can come off a little preachy. And a lot of the beats and mixes are fun and positive. Best Songs: People Everyday, Mr. Wendal Listen Again: Yes

I'm really not used to this style. Lots of sampling all over the place, good rythm sometimes super groovy sometimes chaotic. So far so good. "Mama's Always On Stage" is a bop Quite hard to describe in terms of style! Bluesy/Disco/Funk? "Blues Happy" is quite modern for a blues. It's a good album but I'd need one more listen I think "Give A Man A Fish" is a bop! Not a fan of "Natural" What a trip. Good album, but not really for me I think (so far)

Huh

Overall, an enjoyable album of “early” hip-hop that was a fun listen. It felt a bit dated to me, with the same sing-song phrasing that I find to grow repetitive track after track that a lot of early hip hop does. However the songs were different and atypical, with some odd themes and subject matter that really made them stand out. “Fishin’ 4 Religion” was actually a standout track, with simple lyrics the beats really shone through and there’s a lot of joy apparent on this record.

#1 - Okay, this might be decent as an album. Let's see where it goes. An alright intro song; feels like I'm thrown back to the 90s. #2 - Neat. Rather than the usual east coast v. west coast hip-hop you'd get around this time, this takes a different twist. This album is starting to sound like something Fatboy Slim might have pulled for himself in parts. #3 - Not bad. Actually this is pretty good. Still haven't heard a track I really like yet. #4 - Introduction to the band. Nothing to say - it's forty-five seconds. #5 - Good beat and backing instruments/sounds. Don't think I've heard anything like it in quite some time. ★ #6 - Not bad. Really like the instruments here. #7 - Again, not bad. I do like this album is pretty easy-going in sound, and pretty heavy with the lyrics. #8 - Good stuff. Nothing to complain about it and it's a good all around track with no complaints. ★ #9 - At the risk of repeating myself.. it's okay. #10 - Please see #9. #11 - Intermission track. Eh. #12 - I think my opinion so far on this album is that it's alright. Nothing to really write home about. #13 - It's a bit more memorable than the other tracks in the latter half, but not by much. #14 - I was well fatigued from this album by this point. It feels samey in spots, but it's not awful. There's worse albums on this list. #15 - At the end of the album.. yeah, it could be worse, could be better. I don't have any major complaints, but it feels like the album is too long. The album is alright, but it didn't really grip me. It might be a case of 'a product of its time'. I only ended up liking one or two songs. I didn't hate it. It ranks about a 3 for me.

It very much had that 90s hip hop feel, but it was a lot more tolerabel than most hip hop. I didn't particullary love this album but I didn't hate it either, it's a pretty middle of the road album for me. It was a pretty fun album with good upbeat songs.

Although I understand the importance of this album and its great release timing, I can't figure it out musically. There is certainly a good flow in here, but a lot of tracks are just straight up fillers.

Este estuvo entretenido y un cambio de estilo dentro de todos los discos de hip-hop que hay aquí.

Solid

Not my style but definitely a genre defining album. With gangsta rap on the rise and hip hop still at the top Arrested Development blended rap and hip hop with Afro-centri rhythms and just plain old good musicality.

I loved the beats and positivity on this album, but I could do without the religious themes. That’s just my preference.

3.4

I’ve heard this talked about like some kind of forgotten hip-hop classic, but I’m not so convinced. It’s lacking any real high points, just mostly staying in a middling state. The rhymes (which don’t have much presence on many tracks) are also kind of stuck on the early side of the 90s, in the sense that they’re slightly clunky. Mild 3

Two solid tracks the rest entertaining enough.

Pretty sure this is a new album/artist for me, loving the opening track already. This is a sampling gold mine haha. Love how musical this is, hearing samples of real instruments feels so refreshing in 2023.

Got one listen through. Good hip hop, but only previously familiar with Tennessee. Rating a 3 for now, might give it another listen at a later date. The album doesn't land a hit on every track, which for an album held to such a high standard, I feel it should.

Is this a Christian hip hop album? Either way, it is wholesome and full of energy, optimism and excellent tunes (in extreme contrast to the chronically bad gangster rap that was also popular at the time). Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Mr Wendal Date listened: 07/09/23

Listened to this a lot when I was younger. I enjoyed it for the instrumentals a lot, but on a listen now found it too busy. I like the early iteration of 90’s funk/ hip hop

First time listen, enjoyed it and can totally see all of the inspiration it was for things to come. Really liked Tennesee

Haven't listened to this album in over ten years. Hearing Mr Wendal for the first time in years was a delight. Give a Man a Fish is another highlight. The album is a little too long and I wish it ended with Dawn of the Dreads which was another highlight I think mid to high 3/5

Mr. Wendal is fun.

it's meh, didn't really keep me interested

cool samples but didnt care enough

hip hop. Un 3. sin más.

Welp, I had some lovely notes on this album, but then my compute took a massive shit. I remember really liking Mr. Wendal as a song to smile to. I also remember Raining Revolution was an absolute jam with killer instrumental and flow. Reminded me of a fusion of Del The Funky Homosapien and Q-Tip. Plus the lead guy can sing too. The bassline on Dawn of the Dreads is pretty slick. Another late-album jam. Tennessee is the song I know Arrested Development for. I mean its a fine song, but by no means the best song on this record. All around this album feels well produced and like a clean 90s rap album. I get weird polished Public Enemy vibes. Overall, I'm not hug on it, but there are some standouts. More good than bad on here and nothing truly terrible. This sits between a 3 and a 4 for me.

Good hip hop album. Really good beats for background/working music. Unfortunately (once again) I was not listening too closely to the lyrics. Overall I enjoyed listening to this album like most of the early 90s hip hop that is on this list. Might give this one a more earnest listen sometime in the future because I think it deserves it. Until then; 3 Stars, 5 Possible, and 2 Left to Earn...

People Everyday has some great flow and love the female singing the chorus. All around this album has some real fresh beats and I like the variety of singers. Makes each song completely unique Some of the background noises are throwing me off a little bit and can makes the songs sound a little too busy

The main guy sounds like Eazy-E. Can't stop thinking about that when I hear him. Had this one on mainly in the background, but honestly love that early 90's hip-hop sound. Nothing crazy special just good to have in the background.

Pretty cheesy overall, but I’m a fan of Mr. Wendel and Tennessee

Fun and funky. It feels slightly cheesy and outdated now, but I can understand the appeal and influence it must've had when it came out.

This isn't a bad album by any means. It just goes on a little too long, sounds a bit repetitive, and, well, it sounds aged. It somehow sounds more like a product of the 90's than other albums by contemporaries like Tribe or De La. But I still enjoyed it overall! The sampling is fantastic, and the flow is engaging (even when the lyrics are a little corny). Honestly, if it was 10-20 minutes shorter, this would have been an easy 4 stars.

Not bad. Early rap still finding itself, very repetitive beats but indicative of the time.

I’ve heard of this group before, but this is my first time listening to them. This was not at all what I expected. There are a wide variety of beats here, that pull from a number of different genres, which was very interesting. The lyrics throughout are self-conscious and thoughtful in contrast to a lot of other rap albums around the time. Overall, this isn’t usually the type of hip hop I prefer, but I actually kinda enjoyed this one.

M'eh, nothing special

As someone who really doesn't enjoy rap, I found this album to be very listenable. Trading the whole gangsta shtick for more positive messages definitely helped. The soul elements on some of the tracks was a nice touch as well. Still not something I'd listen to by myself, but it was absolutely OK as a change of pace.

Great lyrics on this album. Thoughtful hip hop that won't scare the racist whites like that other violent scary gangster rap. Wouldn't be a bad way to be introduced to the 90's hiphop sound. Didn't overstay it's welcome and it was pretty fun. Score: 70 Art: 70

HoRsEsHoEs - This is lighter and cleaner than the gangsta rap coming out at the time while still being socially conscious, enjoyable change of pace.

I remember Mr. Wendel & Tennesee pretty well and enjoyed both back in the day & today. The rest of the album was ok but not stellar.

Probably one of the better hip hop albums I've ever listened to. Still hip hop though.

Some great moments but a little uneven.

Religious hip-hop. Slowish with interesting timing and instrument choices. Sometimes it hits its stride, but most of the time it’s just preach-rap. I think it works for some casual listening, and perhaps with a small group playing games to have on in the background. Otherwise, not my first choice.

Clever, conscious and organic 90’s hip hop album. Quite the contrast to the eras dominant gangsta rap. The skits are on a minimum as well - but 3 Years… is still too long and meandering at times. My second favorite Arrested Development in entertainment.

It's fun

Pretty dope

pretty good, enjoyed it more than I remembered.

It’s obvious why “Tennessee” is a classic. But other than that I didn’t dig this. There are some other good moments but most of the lyrics are too on-the-nose for me. I appreciate that it was probably a response to the tone and imagery of popular hip-hop of its era, but it doesn’t do much for me today.

Ok

it’s cool, i dig the laid back positive vibe and it’s nice to hear people talking about loving God

80s 90s rnb sample stacatto rap rhytm stuff. sorta wish it was kmd or people under the stairs. or jurassic five. its okay i guess

I had never listened to this before. It's a good album both in historical context to being something that stood in contrast to the rising popularity in gangsta rap and as being one of the first Southern hip-hop records and obviously being influential to everything that came after in that genre.

Interesting and groovy

A good dose of conscious hip-hop.

3.75/5 It turns out I have listened to this entire album before in my 20s. It's got a great message, no slurs or curse words, and pretty fun and funky music to go with it. Not bad.

I didn't think I knew these guys and then Mr. Wendal came on... That's about the peak of the album for me and as much as I have to say really. Inoffensive rap/hip-hop and not in a rush to listen to again.

Interesting arrangements with positive message.

Pretty decent

Instrumentally it has some cool stuff but the vocals just sound kinda meh.

I wasn't grabbed by this. I guess I'm not the target audience, though...

The sampling is pretty cheeseball but it is refreshing to be less accosted by early 90s rap. Rainy Revolution is catchy. U is pretty lame. Tennessee is a pretty alright track.

perus hip hop biitti johon liitetty jonkinlainen erikoisuus bro... kuten esimerkiksi huuliharppu.... 2 kalastus esque biisiö putkeen...propsits siitä.. holeusom contrast samana aikana gängsteri räpin nousu mainstream hip hoppiin...heh..x§ harmi että toinen puolisko on vitun tylsä people everyday

You could call this hippy-hop, with the focus on Love and Peace, giving money to street people, the strength of unwed mothers, and not dropping F-Bombs. The songs are good, I like the guitars and harmonicas.

This album was a fun listen and a refreshing change from the very negative vibes from the Gangsta rap that was prevalent in this period. Lotsa A Tribe Called Quest and Outkast vibes here and samples from the who's who of Black and soul music such as Sly and the Family, James Brown, Earth Wind and Fire, Kurtis Blow etc.

Good music, if a little corny. Better than I expected from this era of rap, but not something I'd revisit.

I didn’t love it and didn’t hate it. I enjoyed having it on. From what I caught it seems like good lyrics challenging the tough guy culture of rap/hip-hop?

Didn't hate it but its a one and done.

Earth-shattering at the time of release, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me.

I can imagine this would have sounded fresh at the time of its release, and refreshing in light of all the gangsta rap filling the 90s boomboxes, however, it hasn’t stood the test of time for two reasons: the production is spirited but rudimentary and it is lacking notable songs (other than the excellent Tennessee). Mr. Wendal and U are solid enough, but I’ll probably forget that I liked them.

buenisimo tremendo sonido los breaks una locura

This was fine. Like... Good, but didn't grab me very much except a couple songs. Might need another listen.

Nice sound but not very interesting.

Bop

I like this sort of sample-heavy, upbeat hip-hop. It’s fun to listen to music where 100 details are fighting for your attention. The main MC, Speech, has a loose, conversational flow on a lot of these songs. Even on "U," where he raps fast, he sounds laidback. I enjoyed this on a first listen but it’s a big album and kind of dense with ideas and music. I’ll need another listen to connect to it more.

Enjoyed the style of some of it, but not something I'll actively search out

Average! Not bad but not great.

There is a charm to this rap album. Its feels so organic and reminds me of De La Soul. The balance of male/female vocalists is pleasing.

Me gusta, aunque no se muy bien que pensar. No encuentro algún problema en él, pero tampoco es completamente de mi agrado

I miss early 90s hip-hop.

Mr Wendall is a classic. The rest was a bit meh. But I haven’t underestimated the impact this band has had. The fact I can still remember some of the words to Mr Wendall is testament to that.

Buen disco de hip-hop con estilo sin letras tan reivindicativas. Ritmos bailables y agradable de escuchar

Mostly boring with a couple bangers.

- cool tunes

A more interesting collection than expected. More variation compared to the genre which was refreshing.

Idk why but I didn’t really connect with this even though I objectively recognize it’s good. I’ll take gang violence and money brags every day. 6.5/10 F.t: Tennessee

-_-

rigolo

Enjoyable and a lot of fun. more funk than hip hop really. Limited re-listenability. Very strong 3

a little preachy and clunky for me

I'm not a fan of hip hop and expected to absolutely not like this. But I dutifuly hit play to get it over with. As I listened to it, I started to hear what sounded like music. Then I heard a beat. "Not too bad," I thought. Next thing I realized was that my old bones were moving to the music. Suddenly I realized that I liked this music. Why is that? That's when I looked and saw that it was from '92 which apparently was at the tail end of the golden age of hip hop. Arrested Development was considered on the mainstream spectrum of the genre. So that explained why I found it at least interesting. It was interesting, but did I like it? Well, I liked some of it, some of it didn't have that mainstream vibe and didn't connect with me. So, the album as a whole was ok, but not something that I would load into my play list. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

Eh I don’t really care much for hip hop but it’s not bad 3/5.

Es un disco de esos caóticamente coherentes. Las letras, el delivery y los flows son los puntos bajos de este disco. Está bien para pasar el tiempo, pero si solo dejaran que brillen las instrumentales y le dieran un poco más de pienso y relleno al rap consciente, sería un discazo. En esa época se había incursionado en el ámbito flow y ya podríamos hablar de que cada rapero podría formar su propio sonido. Por eso y por otros temas este disco no es más que disfrutable y entretenido, por eso se gana un 5/10.

It's still listenable, but it's a document of its time rather than a groundbreaking masterpiece. Not that different from what Dela Soul did a couple of years before. I don't think any current hip hop was influenced by this. Favorite song: Mr Wendel.

Interesting mix

My cousin Matt showed me this album when I was about 7 years old. Classic southern rap. Tennessee is an excellent song. “ Take me to another place, take me to another land, Make me forget all that hurts me, let me understand your plan.” A jam!

норм)

👍

Good beats, nice flow, great Rhymes. A little god focused at times. Or alot. Free at Last vein but at least that is clear CHR. Not a repeat

Album is full of positive messages and good music. It’s community wisdom in song, built for sharing. Respect.

Album is full of positive messages and a good beat. It’s community wisdom in song, built for sharing. Respect.

decent, but nothing outstanding! failed to capture me completely, even though some songs (like the religion one) we’re great and sounded fresh even after two or three decades. must have been a game-changer when it came out; but I suppose I’ll need to re listen before it reveals more layers to me

Phased out for the first half of this LP but was snapped back to attention by the take-no-prisoners lyricism and stylings in the second. After giving this another front-to-back run-through I can appreciate the stylistic experimentation in the genre's early years as well as the pointed but artistic political messaging in the bars. Some tracks do run overlong or use annoying samples, but while this drags the album down just a bit the highs are still noteworthy in their own right and definitely warrant re-listening.

Very chill 90s hip hop. Like a worse tribe sound. 3/5

Enjoyable stuff. Well done everyone involved

Favourite song: Mr Wendal

Not what I expected but not bad.

Felt very weird fun definitely fun.

Hip hop is joyful. The overall tone of the album invites you to listen as opposed to rap which dares you to listen. Much prefer the invite

This is pretty fun. Was disappointed I did not hear the version of People Everyday that I like better. 3.5

Always have enjoyed this album.

Cheesy, very 90s, positive vibesy hip hop - political without edge, interesting afrocentric ideas but none of them compelling. Just a bit... Alright. Musically there's a few well known tunes but they were never enough to smoke my kipper beforehand and that hasn't changed now.

Decent album and rap.

ganz gmütlich, sticht aber nicht sonderlich heraus solide 3

Bien qu'il s'agisse d'un album sympathique, les protagonistes ne grandiront pas d'un pouce sur toute la durée de l'album, à notre plus grand regret.

Cette tribu de rappeurs old-school aura au moins eu le mérite de se démarquer un peu du ice cube rap (malgré un petit dérapage puisque le Ice Cube est une fois de plus cité dans cet album).

The early-mid 90s needed a change to occur in the hip-hop landscape. This record was an interesting change from the gangsta rap that dominated the charts. It brought a more positive and spiritual vibe to hip-hop. Although there were better groups in the genre, this record is still important. It is a product of its time, sure. Overall a pretty good record.

Good stuff. Cool to hear quality rap from the early 90s that isn't gangster or corny. Just grooving bars

These were all pretty energetic and fun but it's a bit holier than thou lyrics.

Very religious heavy. A good 90s hip hop album that isn’t gangster or too boom bop.

Hip hop

Bekend van de hitjes, zoals vele platen hier. Best leuk, maar ook niet heel spannend.

Definitely has that 90s hip-hop sound but it was interesting that the tone of the songs departs from what you usually hear in this genre of that time. It was often refreshing - especially in the lyrics about women (U was a great track!)

This was a decent album with some classic 90s hip-hop sounds. I enjoyed Mr. Wendal but everything else blended together.

Cool vibe and groove, this is the fun 90s hip hop I really like. However I felt this album was about 15 minutes too long. Liked the reggae vibes!

Would rate it 2.5 if I could. Not bad, just average

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yes! I love the Blend of voice/speech sample with incredibly unique sound from this one, it’s the acceptable form of a long in duration album because it has something interesting about it Favourite song: Track 14 - Tennessee

Listening to this album transported me to the 90’s: Trapper Keepers, colorful bomber jackets, triangle patterns everywhere. The music in 3 Years is so joyful it made me wanna get up and dance around the house, definitely put me in the mood to discover more of this type of hip hop. The lyrics unfortunately were too… earnest for me? There’s too much religion in these tracks, some songs are just too preachy in general. I 100% see why it belongs on the list, super happy I got to spend the morning learning more about Arrested Development and their place in music history, but I probably won’t be revisiting this particular album soon.

3.5

Much better than gansta rap.

this was close to being really good but in the end it was a bit of a 2x killer and some above standard filler.

I appreciate the positivity of this rap music. Very much appreciate it! Thank you Thank you!

Hip hop isn't really my thing, but I like this more than expected -- Mama's Always on Stage, Mr Wendal, and Tennessee were great

I enjoyed this quite a bit! Can't say I loved every song equally but there were many that made me bob my head incessantly and made me think about life lol

a game of HORSHOEEEEESSSSS

At the time, this was pretty influential.

A few interesting songs. It was a fun listen. I’m not sure what I’m looking for in hip hop, but this was largely not it, and yet I enjoyed much of it.

This an album I would have just not listened to back in 1991...and really no reason not to... A few stand out tracks for me, Mama's Always on Stage, Mr. Wendal, Dawn of the Dreads and Tennessee.

Can't help but smile listening to this album. Happy, positive 90s hip hop. Incredibly inoffensive and a stark, conscious contrast to other hip hop records of the time. Cool instrumentation and delivery. Highlights: Mr Wendal, Fishin' 4 Religion, Give a Man a Fish, Tennessee

This doesn't hold up as much as I wanted it to. Still quality, but feels like a time capsule as opposed to a timeless classic.

So preachy

Never heard any of this before, but really enjoyed it. A really solid early alt hip hop album. My knowledge of 80s / 90s hip hop is not great, but I can sense the Arrested Development's influence in A Tribe Called Quest. Favorite tracks: * People Everyday * Raining Revolution * Dawn of the Dreads - almost a reggae track * Tennessee 3/5 - really good, but the album is a bit uneven and occasionally over the top preachy.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting. Some of the songs on this album are so smooth and infectious. The songs People Everyday, Natural, and Washed Away really stuck out to me. That said, some other songs don't hold up to father time. Thinking of Children Play With Earth thru Give A Man A Fish. 3/5

People Everyday wasn't as funky as I remembered it, but Mr Wendal was good, and this album definitely conjured up a refreshing 1992 vibe

This was a interesting album! It was refreshing to hear the old hip hop styles similar to the sugar hill gang. it’s light hearted beats and old school hip hop brings back Nostalgic memories of the beats of the 80’s

Not my favorite but I like the beats

Favorite tracks: Tennessee, People Everyday (Remix), Man’s Final Frontier, Mama’s Always on Stage Has some high energy bops and some heartfelt moments like Tennessee, but the album kind of drops off in creativity as you go through it and starts to feel a bit preachy (the message about homelessness in Mr. Wendal is obnoxious, for example).

Afrocentric socially conscious and positive hip hop is always a good thing. This album's message seems to be twofold. First is the overriding message of unity amongst all disenfranchised people. Though the focus is certainly on Black folks, there is a line that indicates that anyone, including white folks, can join the fight. Secondly, the more radical message that passive resistance won't work and that violence may be necessary to overthrow the powers that be. This album portrays an organized resistance that has no place for vigilantes, in stark contrast to the gangsta rap that was prevalent at this time. The real drawback of this album is its simplistic delivery. The instrumentation is mostly live and has a great groove for the most part. The album also suffers from its length. A more tight and concise album probably would have placed this album into the upper echelons of hip hop. As it stands, it is a really fantastic artifact of its time and its message is still potent.

3/5 I enjoyed listening to this record, no prior knowledge of Arrested Development. Its a good listen with some fantastic tracks. We could do with some more modern records with the vibes of this one.

3.6 - This record feels well ahead of its time and perfectly suited for this era of wokeness. "Tennessee" remains a masterpiece of alternative hip hop with its evocative imagery, and worldly consciousness. And who doesn't love "a game of horseshoes!"? But intertwined within all its intellectualism this record includes certain elements of anti-racist wokeism that I personally find unappealing; namely, the holier-than-thou preachiness and the downright dorkiness (see "Dawn of the Dreads").

Hard album to classify, or to rate. In general, I'm not a biggest fan of rap or hip hop. But once in a while there is a rapper or a group, that I really enjoy listening to. Arrested Development might be one of that group, especially if you will look at the lyrical layer of some of the songs. First of all, the beats in the whole album are really great. Very catchy, actually in some ways being similar to the previous album from Talking Heads on this list - mix of African sounds with more modern remixes. It gets slower towards the end of the album, more melancholic, but still doesn't go outside of the album's concept. Second part is the lyrics, which this record is all about. I would divide this album in two parts: - one part is all about sensitive topics, equality, racism, religion. This part actually has all the best songs, like 'People Everyday, 'Fishin 4 Religion' and 'Give a man a fish'. For this part I could easily give it a full five stars. - but on the other hand we have a second part of the album with more universal and contemporary topics, shown in songs like 'Natural and 'Dawn of the Dreads'. It was actually a real struggle to get to the end of the album. Really diverse album, a lot of interesting topics, but in the end I need to give a rating for it all together. I think 3,5 would be fair, but there is no chance for that, so I'll give it a three.

thought this was very mediocre when it came out, hasn't really aged any better. Good samples and singles, not enough for an hour's runtime

The positive N.W.A I like the almost spoken word portions sung on “Children Play with Earth”. “Mamas always on stage” is a jam. Fun funky album 3.5/5

This album has its moments, but these guys aren't A Tribe Called Quest or anything.

Not my cuppa, still cool though. 5/10

Not my style of music, very reminiscent of its time

It’s always refreshing to hear rap that is opposite to the gangsta rap of the time. This group delivers positive messages of all different matters. It is still a product of the time but still holds up fairly well.

Not an album I was previously familiar with, I found myself bopping along to a few of the upbeat funk-heavy tracks. I also really appreciated a lot of the instrumental interludes which transitioned from one song to another, making the album a full piece. Some of the hooks made me stop working and look at the lyrics - specifically the song about sleeping inside. There was again, a lot of religious imagery.

This was the first album/band for this project that I've never heard of. It was a fun listen and really different from other rap/hip hop albums I've listened to, although I haven't listened to much. I liked the instrumentation and the positive lyrics. I think my favorite song from the album was U.

While there is a lot of good here I don’t think it has aged entirely gracefully. For all their good intent there is some pretty hackneyed writing (if you give a man a fish? That’s like satire of actual social commentary), and the beats and rapping don’t always stand out.

Enjoyed this - happy, positive hip hop and really like the lyrics too. Could have been a little shorter, but a great listen on a sunny day. 3.5 stars.

As rap albums go, it's not too bad! Really liked Dawn of the Dreads

This genre is not something I really listen to. Mr Wendell is the stand out track and it's pretty easy listening.

Musical. Fun. Positive. These aren't words I'd usually attach to hip-hop, but not really a surprise as they come from the South. That area gave birth to some of the greatest genres (blues and jazz to begin with) but it also took different types of music and just made them better.

Listened to on 6/7/22 3/5 Favorite song: everyday people This album felt like a chaotic mishmash of hip hop and calm vibes but it was pretty good all in all

This is an odd group and an odd album. It's enjoyabe but difficult to classify. I guess it's World Rap Music? It's easy on the ears with a couple of high points plus a good variety of sounds on different tracks.

A fun discovery of 90s hip-hop with a positive spin, but didn’t grab quite as much as other 90s hip-hop artists.

A welcome antidote to the relentless gangsta rap of the period.

I thought this was ok but no different sounding than any other early 90s rap album. I Liked people everyday and the flow in u was very creative for its time. But I feel like whoever made this list has never listened to rap and just asked their one 50 year old friend that used to listen to rap what albums they should put on and then blindly followed that.

A good example of a product of its time. Not just dated in terms of production, but represents a fervent desire for critics (and the masses) to embrace hip-hop - especially publications like The Village Voice. It is, today, imminently listenable, but simply very good, not great.

I liked this because it was socially positive and not vulgar or misogynistic. The only song I knew from the record was Tennessee, which I already liked. I liked how they blended in Sly Stone!

Not bad. Some good tracks and some bad. Don't think I'll be rushing back to it but it was a fun time.

Slick, soulful and just not my thing.

It's fine.

This album was VERY fun. But I just didn't like it as much as some of the other rap that's been around so. I'm giving it a lower score. Sorry arrested development. you were better a show. But all the talking IS fun.

ok

Not that bad

wel oké, maar niet zo m'n ding

Bom.

Not my type of music, but pretty solid. 7/10.

Middle of the road

Started great and then died off a bit

Interesting beats. Melodically, it was a hit or miss. Lyrically creative. I'm not sure if this was my taste entirely, but I found myself fascinated to see what came next.

Buena prehistoria

First Track goes hard, 90s injury reserve type beat

Best Song: Fishin' 4 Religion. Lyrically kinda whack, but the heat behind that beat is undeniable. Worst Song: Natural. The lowkey production and slow delivery means the goofy lyrics have nowhere to hide. "Cause I want to travel with you Travel in your mind 'cause you seem like a virgin". Sure. Overall: A really tough album to review. The beats are the star here, providing a diverse range of groovy, dance-y rhythms. The vocal delivery is also spot-on, if not quintessentially '90s. It's just the lyrics that far too often stray from righteous topics of justice and solidarity into classic, early hip hop corniness and religious preaching. This album is better the less you listen to the lyrics.

3.5 / 5

Legal, mas não sei se é muito pra mim

I understand that hip hop during this time was still in its infancy and continued to pay homage to the disc jockeys that pioneered the genre and Arrested Development does a great job of keeping that authentic sound. Unfortunately, due to how far hip hop has progressed in the last 20 years, this album can often feel dated. Lyrically, it deals with a lot of issues that the black working class dealt with (and still do) and while I appreciate the more positive attitude, the messages become more watered down and feel simplified to appeal to a wider (more white) audience. Not a fault on Arrested Development’s part, more a criticism towards a culture that punishes the oppressed for being angry about their oppression. Because of this issue, the lyrics can come across a bit cheesy. Overall I think the album is good example of classic hip hop had some good beats on it. Fave track: Give a Man a Fish Worst track: Natural

It’s an ok rap album. Felt kinda like an indie rap that isn’t as mainstream. A few songs were pretty good and would listen again. Overall though it didn’t really stand out and appeal to me. 5.8/10

Zvuk je jako zanimljiv, nisam baš čula nešto slično. No nije mi baš sjelo kao i veliki dio hiphopa.

Worth another listen

An interesting mix of genres between songs. Kind of goes a lot of places, but overall is competent classic hip-hop, I can respect the positive vibes. Lyrically some of it comes off a bit trite though, I appreciate the "anti-gangsta" mentality, it feels a bit superficial.

Some good, some bad. It was alright.

The single version of People Everyday, and Mr Wendal, are favourites from when I was 11. The rest of the album is pretty stink, dated and preachy. Those two tracks still sound cool though.

Huh. An interesting time capsule. The version of People Everyday isn’t the hit single version which is both surprising and not at once.

What a nice little album with thoughtful lyrics and lively beats.

Catchy & positive songs:)

Musically a precursor to the fugees and lyrically sounding like a precursor to run the jewels.

I was introduced to the track "Mr. Wendal" well after it was played on the radio, which led me to listen to the whole album to hear more from the band. I still like and occasionally listen to "Mr. Wendal" but I haven't listened to the album again until now. I like the album, probably more than I did the first time. Maybe I'll listen a 3rd time in the next 20 years.

I can respect this albums technique, but the classic sounding hip hop is not my personal style. Too frequent use of the record scratch sounds for me 3.5

Had no idea what to expect going in, and I enjoyed it! Liked the blues inspiration on a lot of the tracks, lots of different sounds on this album, head boppin to most of them. Favourite songs: Mama's Always on Stage, Mr Wendel, Raining Revolution, Fishin' 4 Religion,

Mr Wendall is a top tune, the rest not so top

Quintessential 90's hip hop. I don't recall ever having heard of Arrested Development which is odd considering my affinity for 90's hip hop. But whatever, I thought this album was dope. Nothing great, but still funky and fun.

Fun funky album!

Loved Mr. Wendal as a still-relevant song about humanizing people in the homeless population. I also liked other songs such as Fishin' for Religion.

I like it, good mix not flat at all, excellent sampling and god themes.

Okay. The usual.

Really wanted to love it. But some of the lyrics were 1. too righteous, 2. too goddy. Just felt it needed a bit more balance. Love some of the instrumentation, but overall it wasn't as good as I was hoping and I wouldn't listen to it as an album again.

hip hop. Un 3. sin más.

Rap entretenido, muy agradable de escuchar. Al final se siente ligeramente repetitivo y perdió un poco de puntos para mi cuando sentí que escuchaba una y otra vez la intro de El Príncipe del Rap aunque recuperó puntos por los momentos donde parece ser influencia de Kasabian. Sólido 3 estrellas. Songs: Mama's Always on Stage, Give A Man A Fish

Este es uno de esos discos que probablemente jamás hubiera escuchado de no ser por esta página. Me gustó que es hip-hop "buenaondita", con música "alegre" y que transmite buena vibra, y contrario a lo que generalmente se asocia al género (negros, drogas, autos, mujeres). El estilo musical del álbum me resulta similar al de los Beastie Boys, pero mucho más alegre. Me gustó escucharlo, en particular las canciones "U" y "Tennesee", pero no es mi género favorito y no me veo escuchando este disco muy seguido.

Se borró lo que estaba escribiendo y entonces voy a resumir. En cuanto a letras me pareció exagerado y muy religioso pero musicalmente es muy bueno, seguro lo vuelvo a poner para trabajar o hacer lanlimpieza

Más Hip Hop, pero este fue distinto a todos los demás, me imagino que por viejito y sobre todo por diferente al Gangsta de la época. Hubo momentos que me gustaron y con buenos beats que hasta me tenían moviendo los pies.

Pretty fun album. I can see the influence on future southern hip hop. There's always money in the banana stand.

Non conoscevo gli Arrested Development e, pure essendo lontani dai miei gusti, ne sono rimasto piacevolmente colpito. Essendo ignorante in materia direi che preferisco sicuramente questo al "Gangsta-Mafia-Pompini-Rap" dell'altro giorno, ma forse confrontarli è sbagliato come associare un un filippino a un cinese: per un ignorante sono tutti uguali (che poi , per i filippini, noi occidentali siamo tutti americani! ..Chi è l'ignorante ora???! Vabbe' ma questo è un altro discorso). Concludo dicendo ciò che mi ha colpito maggiormente è stata la profondità di alcuni testi e il titolo dell'album. Bravi! Voto: 3

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Mr. Wendal, Tennessee

Fun old-school hip-hop/rap album. People Everyday has been sampled a few times at least, and was a decent song. Mr. Wendal was a fun listen as well.

A decent hip-hop album that ultimately doesn't leave you with much that's super memorable. I think it's mostly because the album feels dated, but I can see how it was something special when it came out.

In Conclusione: E' stato un album controverso. Da una parte ho apprezzato certe soluzioni compositive e di arrangiamento, il groove è bello spinto e la voce mi piace che c'ha quel rap/cantato che di solito apprezzo. Sull'altro piatto della bilancia c'è il fatto che la produzione lascia davvero a desiderare, certi suoni so veramente General MIDI. Forse però la cosa che mi destabilizza di più è che il modo in cui sono costruiti i pezzi, il modo in cui sono espressi i concetti nei testi e il modo di cantare ricordano un po' tipo le chiese avventiste americane coi predicatori e i cori gospel. Infatti fino a quando non ho sentito "Fishin' 4 Religion" ero convinto fossero tipo christian hip-hop. In ogni caso almeno i testi mediamente c'avevano un senso e il disco m'ha anche divertito. Io direi un 2.5 ma promuovo a 3.

Pioneers in southern Hip Hop. Empowering and introspective. Mr Wendal is so damn good and unfortunately holds up 30 years later. Unfortunately even though the message stays strong, a lot of the music serves as filler for an album that feels too long. Invokes De la Soul, ATCQ, etc but can't hang with other classics

Maybe 3.5? Better than I expected but still kinda nothing

Ziemlich purer hiphop fand ich in weiten Teil gut

Solid 90's hip-hop / R&B. You can see their similarities to other artists, but it was less reliant on major sampling.

A couple of good songs but for the most part inconsistent. The message that Speech wants to deliver at times feels well intentioned but other times it comes out as kind of bigoted. Still, it probably was an important album to balance out the scene back when it was released, and it is far from a bad listen.

pretty solid, don't know if I would go back and listen again tho, didn't save any but enjoyable nonetheless

Lots of fun to listen to. It was cool to see the samples from Sly and the Family Stone after I listened to them earlier in this generator, especially on People Everyday Saved: People Everyday, Mr. Wendal

false

Uhhh Ik ben echt vergeten wat ik hiervan vond

Interesting and well done. Still not my thing.

Heartfelt and a bit funky, I appreciate the positive messages. That said, some of the 90s type hip-hop style and trying-too-hard lyrics age poorly.

Very enjoyable ***

Interesting album although hip hop/rap isnt really my thing. Enjoyed People Everyday

Liked this

Didn't quite finish but it was good and groovy. 7

Good whilst its on but I probably wouldn't be in a rush to listen again.

5. They forgot an oxford comma

Never heard of this group before and I'm surprised with all the hip hop I've been listening to from that era. I enjoyed this album, while not as much as, say, Tribe Called Quest, but it was still entertaining. Not as calming but upbeat and I was outside while I was listening so that helped. I think my favorite track was Mr Wendal. Very cool album art as well, glad to see the group playing outside.

The first half of this is like a party where everyone has a bit too much energy and you want to go home. I much prefer the back half with its chill grooves and beats.

Más hip hop... Bueno, pero no es mi estilo

Very 90s hip hop. Lots of brass and harmonica, made it feel sunnier than most of the same music from that decade

I'm not familiar enough with the distinctions between genres of 80's and 90's hip hop to know how much of a departure this sound was, but I can say I really enjoyed it and would love to learn more about this from somone more versed in the hip hop scene and its history. || Three tracks (People Everyday, Mr. Wendell, and Give a Man to Fish) really stuck out. The rest was good, but likely not something I'd put on out of choice. Love the light beats and instrumentation ||

This was pretty cool for what it was

Did I see them at Lollapalooza? That may have happened. Maybe. At any rate, I enjoyed listening to this. Perfectly pleasant. I could’ve sworn the tempo of “everyday people” was twice as fast as it apparently is, but other than that it’s an easy thing to have on in the background. And I was amazed to see they’ve been making records ever since. Will we see Digable Planets on this list???

Some good songs but a lot of filler. 6/10

It's like a collection of funky schoolhouse rock, or Hamilton if there were only a few catchy tracks. Props to Arrested Development for a meaningful albums, but most of the tracks are more interesting to listen to than enjoyable.

Interesting to hear again. Socially aware old school early 90's hip-hop. Some good songs in there. Not really what I'm into, but it's good.

Meh. Had the tape, it was a soundtrack to 1992, but really didn’t age very well.

5

It was an interesting spoken-word / r&b album.

Took a few listens, but this is a fun album, with some great lyrics and catchy beats

Cool

This is my first time listening to AD... this album is very accessible to me, which is saying something. I also know nothing about hip hop in general, and I can see why this would catch on with a wider audience. I love the song Everyday People, so I dug the reference on People Everyday. Lyrically, the social themes come through strong and resonates a lot today. It does come off as a little holier-than-thou in some songs, but at the same time they were intentionally trying to make those statements, so it makes sense that it's more straightforward. I did find myself bobbing my head along to a lot of the songs unconsciously. I liked a couple of songs in the middle, and Tennessee as well. Overall, I found in enjoyable and while I probably won't revisit it, I'm happy I listened to it.

amazing singles, the rest pretty much dated now

90s hiphop at its best, cool beats, sometimes goofy lyrics.

false

Heavy one week by barenaked ladies vibes. Not bad tho

The cheese is a bit much sometimes, but the melodies more than make up for it. Major Ain't It Funny vibes on the opener. I'm not familiar enough with the history to know if it's accurate, but I have seen the Southern scene described as a cold war between East and West, with this group as one of the Eastern-inspired party. I can definitely get behind that characterization. This would be a good example of pop rap that's actually good to the hip-hop-skeptical. Also wild that it came out in '92.

Uplifting but chesy

It's an album for the time of black awareness and community building just not my type of music. It's like spoken word I can't stand spoken word. But the message is still relevant.

Whoever wrote that review I read somewhere comparing this to A Tribe Called Quest, I'm offended. The difference is that Tribe have so much more energy in their beats, whereas the beats here are generic, and so are the themes and messages. Songs like Dawn Of The Dreads have genuinely pretty awful beats, especially considering the bass line is called "funky" by the rapper, even though it sounds like a Bandlab virtual instrument with no effects, and it's just boring. Some of the songs are better, sure, like Tennessee or People Everyday, but overall I'd much rather listen to another hip hop album rather than this. All the songs are also quite repetitive unfortunately.

Review - not great. Very dated. The production/beats are pretty good throughout but the lyricism is trash and the rapping is poop from a butt. Much better alternatives/conscious hip-hop out there. Score - 4.5/10 Need to listen? NO

Хуй знает. Добрый рэп? Не мое

Christian music has a very tall bar to clear, no matter the genre

In an attempt to clean up the rap game, Arrested Development also seemed to remove any edge from the music. You won't find any homophobia or glorifying of violence here, but there is no sense of danger here. I'm not saying that rap has to be dangerous, but that is a big part of the reason why this sounds so dated. Some of the lingo found out here makes this sound like a parody. The beats sound rather jazzy and funky and were the best part of this. This record felt like a drag, and I would only recommend it to someone who is curious about the development of hip-hop throughout the nineties. I imagine this sounded like old news by the time Tupac and Biggie were blowing up.

Ça vieilli aussi bien que des oeufs. 2.49 étoiles

Album 267. 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of... — Arrested Development (1992) No, that's a hard no from me. It belongs to hip hop genre, but I want to resist it. 2/5 No liked songs

Alternative hip hop built from warm live instrumentation, soulful samples, relaxed grooves, and conversational vocals feels like sitting through an unusually cheerful motivational seminar that keeps insisting you're having a great time—earnest, well-intentioned, but for me ultimately uninvolving. The album's positivity and easygoing style rarely translated into excitement, leaving me more detached than engaged.

Aime of this is ok. The message is better than the execution. The singles are as you remember the rest is very bland and sounds tinny.

I have sat on this rating for a month. I feel bad giving this a 2, but im just not into it. I feel I should like it more than I do, but I don't!

An album that didn't age well from 1992. The sound is quite dated. And while I have no love for gangsta rap, and I admire that AD was trying to be a positive force in the world, but this was irritating preachy nonsense. I am not in the market for Veggie-tales as a hip hop album. Every time I heard a classic sample it just made me want to press pause on AD and go listen to the classics they sampled instead. I didn't enjoy this when it came out in 1992, and I was hoping that a revisit would change my mind, but it feels even more irrelevant now. Not an album I would ever revisit. How in the heck did the music critics get it so wrong?

Not for me, but very well done.

Heard of them but it's my first time listening to them. It was quite ok but not spectacular. Maybe on 2nd listen I'd give them a higher rating 2/5

Oof. This didn’t age well.

Aie j'ai bien compris que c'était un album fondateur du hip-hop mais j'ai pas apprécié l'écoute, je ne suis pas un grand fan non plus du gansta rap de cette époque mais je m'y retrouve plus au niveau des sonorités mais si les paroles d cette album sont plus pertinentes.

That was a surprise. I had this album and admittedly haven't listened to it or thought about it much but I harbored fond feelings for Arrested Development and still have a soft spot for "Tennessee" and "People Everyday." As it turned out, I found this hard to listen to. I like the music quite a bit on some of the tracks, but others are just unpleasant, and the lyrics are pretty tough to accept.

Não é meu tipo de música

I appreciate this may be influential or something but it just ain’t my style of music 2

Less abrasive than most hip hop but a very dull listen. Did enjoy revisiting Mr Wendal though.

Surprised me insomuch as I really disliked the singles when they originally came out, and while that remains the case, the rest of the album I guess I’d describe as ‘pleasant’.

The instrumentals were mostly good, in direct contrast the lyrics were mostly crap. Seriously, Speech, the frontman, thinks so highly of himself compared to his contemporaries, that it's obnoxious. I'm glad these guys have been left in the dust. Highlights-Man's Final Frontier and Mama's Always On Stage

Well this has a very interesting premise. Popularized spiritual and thoughtful rap over gangster rap. Interesting. Let's see what these guys are cooking up. Southern as well. Hmm. I hope I like this. Interesting intro. Groovy. I like this. It definitely sounds like a precursor. In that way that it doesn't quite sound flushed out in what it wants, but the things coming after it will know what it could've been. I like how it all flows into itself there's almost no breaks between songs they just flow. Tapeworm maxxing. Yeah man. Give me a fish ngl. But from the ocean. On my rod. Instrumental track really. Just not really to my tastes I think. Favourite: Children Play With Earth Least favourite: U

This sounds like hip-hop made for an after school special. Like this is what a boy scout troop leader thinks good hip-hop is.

I still don’t like this sort of music, so only 2 stars…

habs nicht ganz geschafft. dafür, dass jedes lied gleich klingt einfach zu lang

Real Heads will know that these guys are extremely EFMF-coded. Real Heads will also know that this is an unfortunate thing for a hip hop group to be.

fun, buy nothing that stuck.

nie spodziewalam sie ze to iakis hip hop bedzie nie chce mi sie tego slucagc tbh juz wole robic lore w hokai moze i jest to niezle ale knie wkurwia pozatym jest w pizde dlugoe

Idk man, same shi typa thing all threw-out

Ну не могу я воспринимать Рэп