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

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

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

He got no flow.

Meh

Not my favorite.

Kjedelig

Really hated this one honestly. Never been a fan of this style of music. Reminds me of will smith too much.

Oh boy. I remember when Arrested Development came onto the scene in 1992. Gangsta rap was on top of the world in hip-hop, and I guess some record executive thought a rap collective like AD would be good counter-programming, as the group was more alternative rap that focused on social issues and subjects that were important to black communities. In fact, one reviewer referred to them as “anti-gangsta rap.” At the time, I’m not sure that it helped or hindered the group. The album’s title refers to the amount of time it took to record the album and get it ready for release. I can tell you that at the time, I was a senior in high school and heading into the home stretch of my high school career. By this point, I was way into Metallica, the last days of hair metal, and slowly getting into the new alternative rock scene that was "grunge." Though I blamed "grunge" for cutting the hair of hair metal. I was also into gangsta rap as it felt new and dangerous. And for some country boys in rural Kentucky, it was our only glimpse into the inner city. It was also funny at times and just wild to hear all the f'n and jeff'n in the lyrics. The first song I heard from AD was Tennessee, which was the first single off the album. I hated it. Not sure I ever listened to it all the way through one time. It was boring. Let’s see if 35 years have changed things. Arrested Development is made up of Todd Thomas, aka Speech, and Timothy Barnwell, aka Headliner. Speech is a rapper, and Headliner is a “turntablist.” I could have sworn there were like three or four others in the group, but it seems it’s mainly Speech and Headliner. Track 1 is Man’s Final Frontier, and it’s the stereotypical opening to a debut album by a hip-hop group. You aren’t prepared for what you are about to hear. It’s the greatest thing ever in the history of the universe. Stuff like that. Then the song transfers over to the usual late 80s hip-hop music built off of samples. At this point in time, it’s a bit dated. We never thought it would happen. The greatest rap group in the world has arrived.... and will soon depart. Track 2 is Mama’s Always on Stage and it is a bit bluesy with record scratching. The song has a good message. It’s about how the community should rally around the single mothers who decided to have their baby, rather than terminate it. The community should help raise the child and use their collective wisdom to nurture and protect both the mother and the child. Not a bad song, an even better idea. Track 3 is People Everyday and this song sounds like 1990s hip-hop. The music is based on the Sly and the Family Stone song Everyday People. I liked this song alright. You can easily understand the rapping, which I miss in today’s mumbling, BS they call hip-hop. The song is about violence in the inner city and respect and how silly things lead to shootings. Just like the movie Friday. That’s all I could think about was the Craig and Deebo altercation. Not sure if this song tempered tempers, but I think in today’s climate, this kind of stuff isn’t just in the black communities. I think these days people of all colors and creeds are a little meaner, but they’re not tougher. I liked the song alright, I’m just pleased to be able to understand the lyrics. Track 4 is Blues Happy, and Speech introduces all the members of the band, of which I thought there were only two. Oh, this is a 30-second interstitial. Track 5 is Mr. Wendal, and it sounds familiar. It was the third single off the album. It uses another sample from Sly and the Family Stone, this time from the song Sing a Simple Song. Mr. Wendal is about a homeless man whom most people don’t treat with humanity or dignity, just because he’s down on his luck. Again, I like this song, but is it because I like Sly and the Family Stone? That’s the thing with hip-hop that uses samples. You use a great song and people are more likely to connect their nostalgic feelings to that song and like your song. But it’s cheating. I'm looking at you Rob Ritchie. Track 6 is Children Play With Earth and there’s a woman yelling at me about how our kids are spending too much time playing Nintendo and not enough time digging in the dirt. I agree. I think we as human beings have lost our connection to nature, and it’s really messed with the collective unconscious. Maybe I’m wrong, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I find myself agreeing with most of the sentiments of the songs on this album, but the music is kind of boring. As songs, they’re mid, as ideas, they’re interesting, if not a little old-fashioned at this point. Who among us doesn’t think video games or phones are a scourge to children? Or thinks we should stop thinking murder first when there are disagreements? I think that’s pretty universal. Track 7 is Raining Revolution and it’s another okay song. I think the music is more for the people of that time. Maybe AD was way ahead of their time. There are some critics who looked at AD as the originators of Southern rap. At this time, we had the rap wars of New York versus Los Angeles, East Coast versus West Coast. I was always certain the beef was like pro wrestling and 2-Pac and Biggie were on the phone every night trying to figure out new angles to make people buy into the ruse. Unfortunately, they worked themselves into a shoot, literally, as someone decided there needed to be a death to really cement the idea that there was a feud. Again, why couldn’t you just punch someone in the mouth instead of shooting them dead? I digress. This album is rather boring. Track 8 is Fishin’ 4 Religion and it’s about how hopes and prayers sometimes aren’t enough. Speech believes just praying for a change won’t do anything if you don’t practice an active faith and go out into the world and be the change you want to see. Put feet on those prayers as my Pappaw would say. The song’s message is great, but the music is blah. I’m skipping right to the big single off the album, Tennessee. I remember hearing this song on MTV 24/7. Apparently, Speech lost his grandma and brother in a quick succession, and this song is him praying for strength from God to handle the pain and sorrow. Again, love the sentiment, but I loathe the song. I don’t know if I’m just off today, but I didn’t enjoy this album. It’s just boring. For people who love hip-hop with more of a social bent, you might love this. The music is wildly outdated at this point and is caught between the 80s and what was to come from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Not a must-listen for me, but if you like hip-hop and have never heard of AD, check it out.

I forgot how good Mr. Wendal was. The rest of it seemed sort of monotonous. I felt like I was listening to the same track over and over and there were parts in each song that just repeated over and over.

2.5

Hip-Hop, nicht so mein Stil

Ok…nostalgic and reminds me of middle school

Honestly was hoping for something better.

The beats are often fun, the lyrics are sometimes thought-provoking and there's a nice flow between the first several tracks, but Arrested Development's debut album has very little else to offer. There's a pretty nice run of tracks from "Fishin' 4 Religion" to "U" – I probably would have given this album three stars if it ended right there, but it unfortunately kept spinning its wheels for another 22 minutes. Highlights: Man’s Final Frontier, Mr. Wendal, Fishin’ 4 Religion, Give a Man a Fish, U

I just thought it was ok. It didn't really make my ear perk up. some hip hop from the late 80s or early 90s sounds really dated, even though there were some hip hop artists that sounded ahead of their time and still sound fresh a few decades later.

No suena bien

meh. i get that this is defining for conscious rap but it’s kind of boring

It's a Rap Album with some interesting moments but overall Rap's not my cup of tea.

ambitious, but fails as often as it succeeds. just made me want to listen to other early 90s rap gems top track: Mr Wendell

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Alright - This is a fun listen but for me it lacks a bit of substance. My favourite parts are the singalong choruses and maybe the flow on some verses. The beats are fine but no more than that. People Everyday is a clear highlight, banger track. Definitely a pretty good album but it's not doing a lot for me.

Meh. This was nostalgic at best, but listening back although I enjoyed some of the Melodies overall I actually think this is quite a weak album. The lyrics are weird a lot of the time and it drags. For fifteen tracks…

Something that I kinda wanted to like a lot more than I did. I think it speaks volumes when you’re most streamed song by a mile has been mixed by someone else to actually make it popular. I also think 15 tracks on an album like this is just so indulgent, and things like this should really prioritise quality over quantity.

A couple good tunes. Nice message. No need to be on the list.

well, it certainly encapsulates a moment in time

- tää on varmaan joku uraauurtava levy mut ei ollu kyl mun kuppi teetä

Def hip hop roots but low key kinda ass

I appreciate this group’s attempt to make a ‘positive’ hip-hop album, but unfortunately the concept is much better than the execution. Lyrically it feels clunky, and their attempts to contrast themselves with gangsta rap come across as rather sanctimonious. More importantly, I was underwhelmed by both the rapping and most of the beats, which were quite repetitive. Much of the production has also dated poorly and is pretty cheesy. It’s not terrible (some tracks were decent), just largely uninteresting. It made almost zero lasting impression on me. I’m not surprised it took them a while to get a record deal.

Not really my thing

I spent 99% of this album hating it - it was on course for (I think) my first 1* of 2026. Then the last few songs happened. I really did enjoy “Dawn of the Dreads” and “Tennessee”; both were better than the rest of the album.

Gladkristent og litt slitsomt.

Ikke min greie. Hadde kanskje foretrukket en instrumental-versjon.

Hørt hjemme. Dørge kjedelig? Kan ikke huske en eneste låt bortsett fra fiskelåten som e nokka av det verste æ har hørt så langt 2026. Ellers OK- bakgrunnsmusikk.

Tamt. Veldig goody goody tekster. En hel sang om et ordtak...

I like what they were trying to do here. But they didn’t quite succeed in making it good. A couple decent songs can’t save this below average album.

People of the Day was a hard ass song, but the rest was so cheesy I got diarrhea

‘Hey! That’s the name of the show!’ T1 8th wonder of the world is hard T2 dopest beat with a harmonica. Just a totally sick mix. Junior wells playing that harp sample and pretty sure thers is a buddy guy composition in here. 1:45 yeaaaa this is what I like T4/5 these guys really sound like they have a big appreciation for predecessors in various genres. Usually when u can hear the gospel roots u can hear all the rockabilly and rhythm and blues that leads to rock, and same thing here. Sometimes artists you can tell really listened to James brown or Isley bros, but these guys don’t sound directly derivative, more so a conglomerate of inspiration from a hundred years of music (and that omitting any Afro beat they include), seems like they, or their engineers whatever, were students of music history and wanted to do their own thing. It’s weird how well this fits into the culture and environment of the 90s hip hop scene, so it’s surprising to me to have this group that can gel so well with what people would’ve been hearing on the radio (I mean how else are they gonna get radio play), and yet it doesn’t seem like a dated piece of ‘90s music’ like a lot of 90s rap and music in general is. No shade against the others just something about the diversity in this album makes it stand out. T8 up until 1:55 this was Kind of the ‘90s music I was referencing, not quite as coooie cutter, definitely not quite as cookie cutter, forsure more unique. Innervisions type beat T9 1:37 me at Thanksgiving “This is antisemetic bullshit! I’m gonna call my friends over at the jdl” fr tho black people do hate Italians Less thoughts as the album went on. Had a good time. Not my favorite but there’s a lot in there I really enjoyed listening to this morning.

Afrocentric comes into hip-hop and changes music with positivity, spirituality etc. I liked "People Everday" but mostly this album just reminded me of a sort of more soulful Beastie Boys. Not my favorite, but respect their influence.

parece listening de clase de inglés desos que te explican cosas sencillas con bolas y palitos jsjaja ;-; tiene dos que me gustaron pero no como pa revisitarlas lol

Very much an example of "they walked so others could run." This is by no means bad, and considering how early in the history of hip hop this album came out it's actually quite impressive. But listening to this over 30 years later, I just find it to be so dated and even in some ways quite cheesy and corny. I'm sure that at the time that style was all the rage, but there is still a hell of a lot of hip hop from this era that by a landslide has aged better, and I think that comparison is very telling to how "essential" this album really is.

Not my cup of tea. to put the album in perspective. During the time period, you had warring factions, East Coast vs West Coast rap culminating in the drive-by shooting deaths of Tupac and Notorius B.I.G.. Arrested Development's album was the South's answer to country's rap scene, with the huge hit Tennessee. Where both coast's rap is essentially about thug life, A.D,'s album was about everyday black life and their history. i think that's probably why it's on most rap critic's top twenty most influential albums of the genre.

Give a man a fish he will eat for a day .....

Not terribly interesting to me. Lots of Afro-American spoken word, really. Not my thing.

Another hip hop album that had more creativity and didn’t rely on tropes, but I didn’t feel like the flow and beats were as compelling as other similar albums. It had a decent amount of variety but I mostly found it either ok or a bit on the boring side. A few less tracks might have boosted this a bit but it wasn’t really for me.

"Fishin for religion" took a dire turn for me for what was up till then reasonably promising as I didn't hate the album.  GOD awful song pun intended.  The very next fishy song was no catch either. Did they steal my old childhood keyboard as well as its like they had a play with the presets / demos. Refreshing they didn't just bang on about typical gangster topics of 90's and had some musical variety.  Even Funky at times. Got through it but not enough here for me to want to revisit.

Didn't resonate with me.

Hip hop

not my hiphop

Meh, mediocre 90s hip hop

If I appreciated the genre a little more my review would have lent more positive, instead this is a fairly long album that I found uninteresting. I didn't find it offensively bad at all, just not for me. 2 Stars.

3 Years 5 Months And 2 Days / 10

Never heard of this band or album before. I've no clue what I'm in for going off of this cover. I'm hedging my bets on a weird rock act. Ah, fuck. It's hip-hop, meaning I'm in for... fifty-six minutes of music. Not that bad when considering the established track record, though I've been getting absolutely bent over by these long ass albums lately. This isn't in the top twenty hip-hop albums, so I remain at having heard eleven of the highest-rated albums. Guess I gotta keep soldiering on. Anyways, on with the music. I didn't mind this one all that much. There's an admirable level of ambition to this music with how regularly it hops between differing themes, moods and genres. The vocalist on this album also has a decent flow for this style of music. What really holds this album back for me, however, is the mastering. The muffled, lo-fi sound really does not gel with this music and completely saps whatever kick these song would otherwise have. The bass guitar sounds very close to a MIDI instrumental, which is pretty bleak. Many of the lyrics are also pretty cheesy and uninspired. Granted, at this point I'd rather listen to something puerile and unremarkable over the seminal, heavy-hitter hip-hop albums that I'm constantly being subjected to. "Man's Final Frontier" is decent. The cosmic theming and classic, 90s hip-hop sound is pretty cool. "Eve of Reality" also has a neat sound going for it. I always enjoy when nature sounds are sampled in music, especially when it's paried with an ethereal, otherworldly sound like it is here. "Washed Away" has gotta be one of the worst album closers I've heard. It just goes on forever and is extremely, unimaginably, painfully drab. Book time. A whole lotta nothin in there. Wikipedia reveals that this album was very well received by critics, performed well commercially and marked a changing tide within popular hip-hop music. Yeeeah, I'm snubbing this one. In place of this album, I humbly submit April by Round Table for inclusion on the list.

I completely forgot to rate this. And I think that's because I forgot I listened to it.

< the Beatles Good beats and whatnot but it goes on too long and I'm just not into super christiany music.

Great music and lyrics, but the goofiness levels on the vocal delivery is hilarious and really drags this down. Also, much too long. 1.5/5.0: Bad

This was okay but really not as good as the hype I remember on MTV when in Jr High. The radio sounds were familiar to my ear but not anything ground breaking. I’d put this in the same category as de la soul, maybe more professional but similarly okay but not shockingly good, 30 years later.

Tja, lød fint men ikke noget særligt

Not really my type of rap.. Interesting take though. Appreciated the lack of skits.

Vocal album with a mix of backing tracks and some interesting lyrical moments make this a bit more than your average rap LP. Still not my cup of tea.

Ei mitään ihmeellistä, tosin kiva oli kuunnella hiphopia "pitkästä aikaa", 2/5

Not bad but too repetitive and without any standouts to me.

As far as the hip-hop that we have been given on this list, this one was one of the more enjoyable selections. It had a funky rhythm, and the lyrics did not want to make you cringe.

The music is ok. I recognize several songs. I just don’t relate or feel any connection with this.

Deze site leert mij dat hiphop niet echt mijn ding is

Decent beats, but this is just way too preachy and corny for my taste. It's giving youth pastor vibes. Tennessee however is a banger.

so overrated - so much better hip hop in that time span.

1992. I just can't see why this album is part of the 1001 process. Mr. Wendal can do one, and take his nondescript 90s MTV fodder with him. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Lacks identity ★★☆☆☆(4/10)

Weiß nicht. Hat mich irgendwie nicht angesprochen.

I feel like this record tries too hard to be a conscious hip-hop album. Some of the lyrics were just too weird, notably most of the lyricism in "Natural". I enjoyed most of the production, but there were also some unusual instrumental choices, especially found in the latter half of the record. Favourite Track(s): Fishin' 4 Religion Least Favourite Track(s): Natural

Pretty experimental Lots of weird messages in the songs

Disappointed with how boring this album is. There's one intensity level for the entire album, and it just turns into a lull that I didn't find engaging. Certainly different for 90s rap, but not for me unfortunately. Top tracks: Raining Revolution, Dawn Of The Dreads

The TV show unironically clears this.

Eh felt verrrry dated

Eh, I remember trying to get into this album when it came out - everyone was raving about it and it didn't do much for me. Still doesn't, even now that I'm trying to be a lot more open minded. The songs all feel like they drag and the aspirational lyrics just don't connect with me (which might be a function of not living a disadvantaged life - does it say something that I find optimistic rap boring? Then again, I often find gangsta rap uncomfortable - maybe there's a middle ground, but this ain't it). Tracks I liked most: Mr. Wendal, Fishin' 4 Religion, Washed Away. Most awkward track: Natural - settle down, Speech. I'm uncomfortable on behalf of the girl he's singing to.

Not a huge fan

Pretty Bad

funk, hiphop, world, rap, 1992 -> 2

Didn't enjoy this. Most of it passed me by without my even noticing.

I dont know what they were trying to do but if this took 3 years they need to lock the fuck in

It's ok Will I listen to again: 1%

Not great

Meh