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

Cool sound and it's my first time hearing this band. When the TV Show by the same name came out I really loved it- I thought it was such a great and unique name and I didn't know there was a band with the same name that came before it. I guess it's also just a relatively uncommon (but still used) phrase too? I guess I've had a blind spot to the phrase until now. Anyway, this sound is great; it's inherently very positive and fun and easy to put on and groove to. I found that it was a great pick-me-up for an otherwise bland Thursday where I ran out of coffee and was needing something to keep my eyes open and my mind moving. I'm sitting between a 2 and a 3. The songwriting didn't really blow me away and the output of the music is really highlighted by the tone and feels rather than the smaller building blocks of harmony and melody that other times make songs good. For me it's a 2/5.

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

классный, стильный хип-хоп некоторые тречки кажутся немного затянутыми, но глобально отличная динамика, хороший флоу, куча сэмплов внутри люблю такое иногда послушать, буду иногда гонять этот альбомчик

Очень позитивный хип-хоп, но не почуствовал чего-то удивительного. Хотя все было более чем круто

Ох ты ж что залетело сюда в подборочку... снова хипхопчик! Причём он максимально олдскульный, с кучей семплов, с таким вот прям трушно-трушным биточком. Но он и не лишён каких-то фанк-джаз клавишных вставок, что делает аранжировки прям очень качовыми. К тому же этому альбому шарма добавляет его "этничность": группа заигрывает с африканскими этно-мотивами. Хотя как бы про джаз я уже написал. Но здесь есть классные бэки, вокализы с явными отсылками к африканскому народному творчеству. A problem that exists within' The American culture I resist against. Не моя музыка. Но... мне очень полюбились несколько песен, сохранил себе

Ля, оч биты зашли, скрэтч, трубы, этническая темка даже чувствовалась. Вполне себе заслуженные 4

Average! Not bad but not great.

Not my style (35%)

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.

Great album

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

A classic

Mostly boring with a couple bangers.

- cool tunes

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

I had so many good memories about this one. But I listened to it again to make sure. And apart for one or two weaker tracks on side two, it's a keeper. I imagine that for a few younger ears out there, some of the sounds or lyrics could feel dated. But, as far as I'm concerned, revisiting this "alternative" hip hop gem *decades later* (jeeze, I'm *old*) brought back most of what I originally loved about it. I haven't lost track of what is going on in the genre now, so I know this LP sounds as if it came from another century (actually it does). But sometimes old means aging like a fine wine. And when it's the case in hip hop, it's particularly endearing. Some people here have pointed out that the "positivity" of certain lyrics could pass off as "corny" at times. I don't know... I've heard far worse lyrical content in rap albums before. Plus the topicality of most of these songs hasn't aged a day, and I feel like Speech's attitude and words about those issues still sound "fresh" and sincere enough to help me turn a blind eye to a couple of potential minor flaws here and there. And whatever the case may be with the lyrics, the music is fantastic most of the time. Vocal parts often soar into soulful singing and hooks are as catchy as you can hope them to be. And most of the tracks are great anyway. "Tennessee"'s groove is infectious, of course, but so are the ones of "Mama's Always on Stage", " Fishing For Religion", "Give A Man A Fish", or (obviously) that nice cover version of Sly Stone's "Every People" (without Arrested Development, I would have discovered the Family Stone far later than I actually did, I'm not ashamed to say it). Oh, and there are also a few mellower cuts that I actually really like as well ("Raining Revolution" or closer "Washed Away") For a while (mostly during the naughts), I felt like hip hop as a whole genre got lost in uninteresting turfs of land--ones that were as far away from *3 Years...* as they could possibly be. Early 21st century gangsta rap brought us a couple of masterpieces, but also many ridiculous records everybody has forgotten about now, fortunately. That said, the situation of rap and hip hop is better today: you have all sorts of subgenres going from trap to old-school boom bap thriving, and in each genre, you have good stuff to find out. I feel that in that sort of musical landscape, a vintage album such as this one, exploring *other* ways to develop a rap vocabulary, has its place. "Objectively", this record is probably a 4/5. But given the sort of mindset it can offer younger generations these days, I'm gonna push for a 5. Arrested Development deserves to become a sort of legacy act for rap fans trying to think out of the usual boxes. That's how we've had the best hip hop albums lately. And that's how we're gonna have other ones in the future. Number of albums left to review: 644 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 178 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 84 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 100

Love this... takes me back to listening to music in the car on the way to school with my friend Dan.

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

Never heard of this group. Fun album. Mr. Wendal, U, and Natural we’re faves.

Nooooo, is this hip hop... A low zero!

Bilemiyorum, hip-hop asla dinleyeceğim bir şey değil (hatta müzikte direkt amerikan kültür unsurlarından nefret ediyorum; şu anki ana akım müzikleri de dahil, ew! ) ve bu yüzden ön yargılı bir biçimde yaklaşıyorum baya. Bir şans vereyim onu da veremedim. Sevenine güzel olabilir but def not my music of choice. ZORLASAN (2.5/10), tek yıldızla da kalır.

Overall: 8/10 Gerçekten beklediğimden daha güzeldi. Feel-good vibe'ından oldukça hoşlandım. Bu tür müziğe farklı bir yaklaşım olmuş.

I kind of expected this to have not aged well. It always had a bit of aww shucks southern corniness to it and is ultimately a little too positive in its outlook. But it sounds good. Speech is still a decent rapper and I do like the content. It’s earnestness and naivety are it’s only real faults.

Adding it to my playlist "HIP HOP CAN BE FUN AFTER ALL" or as the critics wrote back then: "as a major new voice in hip-hop", noting Speech's social themes and rejection of "macho boasting and gangster posing" Here I was thinking ' least it's different... You always get a point for originality.' THEN I REALISED - Tennessee Mr Wendel Everyday People ..... Are some of my all-time favourite feelgood tracks. I didn't know that I didn't know but that I knew... Oh you know !

Surprisingly good! One song was strangely familiar. Enjoyed it quite a bit.

a little preachy and clunky for me

4.5

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.

Started off brightly enough then goes on a bit and meanders to nowhere. It's OK, but I wouldn't listen again.

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.

I absolutely hate rap. This was really good tho. It makes sense this way. This is music

Did not expect to like this record as much as I did. Groovy, catchy, very good.

I'm getting sick of early 90s rap on this generator. I do really like hip hop, but I'm getting stuff Queen Latifah and Public Enemy and Gang Starr, which did not age well, when there's plenty of early 90s hip hop that absolutely slays like Tribe Called Quest, Notorious B.I.G., Nas. This album fell somewhere inbetween. It was better than the stuff that shows it's age, but still not anything exception to my ears. Overall enjoyable, but not something I'll be returning to. Give me the good stuff!

Hadn't listened to this one for maybe 20 years, and I should not have been neglecting it. Ahead of its time, uplifting and good fun.

a run of 90s frenetic edutainment beats, some clever anti-gang but pro-protest positivity raps that drones on for way too long. like a worse version of Tribe

5 stars. so good.

2/5

great 90s album. prioduction and spacing on the mix was very well done. not to mention the overall direction of the album was fantastic. felt great to listen to.

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)

👍

Not my thing

This one's so close to a five! Great instrumentation, funky, and takes a positive and spiritual perspective on serious topics. Lots of modern artists taking cues from this album: Kota the Friend and Childish Gambino, for two. A bit cheesy and too long though - could have cut at least two or three meh songs. Favorites are Mr Wendal, Raining Revolution, and U.

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.

Awesome discovery. Like A Tribe Called Quest, this is the sort of hip hop I always hoped would be made. It was! I just wasn’t paying attention. Mama’s Always on Stage and Mr Wendal are my favorites.

Love this album, it takes me back to HS and skipping 7th period to go play volleyball in the park.

No es lo que normalmente escucharía, no me disgusta, me gusta la mezcla de sonidos que le dan una vibra como ¿espiritual? Distinto a el hip hop/rap que he escuchado

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

As someone who's not really big into this genre I found this quite fun. Boppy upbeat sounds, with social commentary, not bad at all. Dragged on a bit by the end. Saved tracks: Mr. Wendal, Natural, Dawn Of The Dreads, Tennessee, Washed Away

Alegre, fácil y amable de escuchar.

Really good album. People are gonna say that its too "preachy" or that its too "clean" compared to its contemporaries, but the basic reality is that its a really fucking good album. 4/5

Well, I cannot really relate to most of the songs on this album, being that I am a nearly middle-aged white man and almost the entire album is ethnocentric. That being said, I was excited to listen to this album at first because I do love rap and hip-hop, and I love all the disc scratching many songs from the '90s have. However, I think the songs are just super boring and cheesy. The songs have good meaning, I guess that's one positive thing I can say about it.... It came off a little preachy, though, but at the same time, I think it's a bit hard not to with everything spelled out the way they are in the lyrics of the songs on this album. I will note that I did like the song "Mr. Wendal."

A bit too hippie and dated, but still quite enjoyable. It's not that uplifting and good for me to revisit it often though. I appreciate that they started something, and that they set the hip hop world on fire, albeit for a while.

not good

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.

Wow this is very good. Everyone in America should listen to this record. It's as poignant now as it was then. You don't have to be blue haired liberal to or Marx worshiper to just say, "Wow, yeah, you do have a point there." Musically I love the hooks, the little soulful moments, really digs into your brain. got a few hooks stuck in my head now, lol.

This is the most dated-90s shit I’ve heard in my life

Some classics

Mr Wendell and Tennessee. Takes me back to college.

🎶give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day…🎶 had a fun time staining wood to this album but the repetitive choruses and religious overtones aren’t usually what I’m craving in music

Pretty dorky album. I really enjoy this era of hiphop, and after Tribe Called Quest came on as a suggestion after the album was over I realized how inferior this album was.

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

Enjoyable stuff. Well done everyone involved

It’s was a feel good album from the sounds and beats. That 90s sound in this genre is always a hit. Not an album I would go back to but that’s just my personal preference rather than a flaw with the album

Favourite song: Mr Wendal

Brilliant. Colourful, positive, clever, inspiring. Can hear they must have been an influence on Outkast.

verry nice

Stari rep. Ne.

I wore out this cassette in middle school. I can't believe a lot of it still holds up (though I have a soft spot for politically charged rap/hip-hop from the late 80s and early 90s). My only complaint is that the recording is compressed within an inch of its life and could sorely use a remaster.

The beats are very typical of the time but aren’t as abrasive as what the Bomb Squad did on the Public Enemy albums. The lyrics are still evocative of Afro-centric cultural revolution. There are a couple of notable songs on here and the rest of the album is worth a listen.

10/10 I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan of old school hip hop, but every now and then, there’s a group that really blows me away Fugees, A Tribe Called Quest, and now Arrested Development there’s some real top tier talent here and it is executed phenomenally

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

I really just don't care about early 90s hip hop.

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

this album was bangin!!!

Always have enjoyed this album.

the production is outdated doesn’t mean the songs aren’t good the basslines and vocals with the symphonys and the flows are all amazing but when some of the verses fall flat but the backround instrumentals and vocals make up for it, the tones switch consistently to a nice fast steady flow to them going all prince and the themes are wonderful, ending track is best ending track i’ve heard in a while.

People Everyday is such a good song. Most of the other songs sounded the same to me? I like the overall feel, but by the last few songs I was ready to move on.

How did I not know this album!?! Classic hip-hop yes, please!

I don't know about arrested, but I could get behind "cease and desist". The best part of this album was imagining somebody being able to record this with a straight face. This should be on the list "1001 Albums That You'd Rather Die Than Listen To Again". Zero stars. That's all I've got energy for today, folks.

native tongues but in Atlanta this is fantastic. extra points for all the fishing songs and incredibly funky beats. best tracks: Mr wendal, Raining Revolution, dawn of the dreads

Nice

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.

Pretty good, many classics.

ganz gmütlich, sticht aber nicht sonderlich heraus solide 3

The album is alright. I don't see myself revisiting any of the songs again. I skipped through some. The beats were alright but not the best hip hop.

80/100: Shockingly fantastic album. I knew nothing going into this one, I wasn't even aware of what genre I was about to dive into. I love the specific sect of rap created in this album. I don't really know how to define it, although Wikipedia calls it "alternative hip-hop." I guess that's probably a fair way to classify it, this album does feel alt/indie-y in the rap realm. Either way, however you classify it, this was a fun and energetic listen. Specifically, the sogns "People Everyday" and "Mr. Wendal" absolutely blew me away. "People Everyday" for its creative and fresh sampling of "Everyday People" and fantastic melody and beat, and "Mr. Wendal" for the though-provoking lyrics. I'd love to explore Arrested Development in the future, because this album indicates a real talent that I'd expect to extend to all of their music.

interesante

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.

muito bom, rapzao alto astral

This was a breath of fresh air. Strong messages of empowerment to a good beat.

I have listened to this album MANY times in my life and I love it. This was an album that I have recommended to many too. I love it!! I am thankful for this album today.

My super-cool housemate had this CD back in the 90s. I hadn't heard it in decades. It's still great. Wonderful to hear it again.

Finally some hip-hop/rap that I can enjoy unequivocally! I loved this album when it came out in the 90’s and it has remained one of my favorites ever since. Positive message. Incredible beats. Absolutely great! After enduring other 90s rapper’s terrible treatment of women and the gays (side-eye to Ice Cube), it is refreshing to hear some positivity a pro-people perspective. I love this album!

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.

I think this is great. Haven't relistened yet but I'm sure it will have stood the test of time.

Gospel shite with no crypto

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

I like mamas always on stage

What a find!!!

Hip hop

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

Echt veel te eentonig en kabbelt teveel voort

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!

Recognized Mr. Wendal... as a concept the album was pretty cool, but there's something about that early 90s house drum kit that immediately downgrades songs.

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

Ohhh I love this album! I bought it twice. I love the slower version of People Everyday, Mama is Always on Stage is my favorite on the album. Good music, good message, just a good vibe all the way through

Listened Before? N Great album. Good positive take on rap at a time when gangsta rap was dominating. I remember these days well, and I always liked these songs until they became overplayed. Now it's been long enough and I'm ready for it again. Well structured, and well performed. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: People Everyday

kinda boring, instrumentals are nice but not too much into this style of rap, feels a bit cheesy

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

I liked it, was basic at times and no particular songs stood out but it was consistent and a good listen.

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.

Loved this in 92, haven't listened in forever. Really still pretty good.

3.5

DNF - verrryyyyy 90s production, everything sounds the same and just not my jam

Fresh and funky hip-hop, with slick rhymes and some super groovy basslines. Slight deficit of bombast which for me makes it 4/5 rather than a solid 5/5.

7/10

A mix of hip hop, funk, and soul. The album touches on oppression by the system and how the fight for equality won’t end with just one generation. Relevant themes when it was released and now as well

idk what genre this is supposed to be but its not for me. 2.

Pleasant enough. I knew the Mr Wendal song but everything else passed by in a haze. 2.5 stars.

Love 90s hip hop.

Much better than gansta rap.

Hip-Hop - Not my kind of music

Very much an early 90s hip hop record, some good messages thrown in with some damnations of “gangsta rap”. A lot of good vocal performances and good (although a bit dated) production. Although I didn’t really find any of these sticking with me the way Tribes’ debut did.

Ellers takk

Early hip hop, her gikk det i 100, men den hadde sin sjarm!

Hip hop just isn’t my thing. Of Hip Hop, though, this isn’t a terrible introduction, compared to today’s Hip Hop.

Great listen - lots of tunes I didn't even know was them

Love this album. Not my usual fare but has been a regular listen for a long time. Outside the singles I really enjoy Mamas always on stage and Fishin 4 religion are the jam. Well worth checking out.

Eerste helft prima, 2e helft matig

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

A big bloody hairy pussy of a record. Pouring with blood all over my face. Slurp it in.

Michael Cera swinging a mop around like a lightsaber

Posi hip-hop. Good.

Jag tycker synd om människor som inte har någon musiksmak. Musik för dem som tappades som barn.

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

While I don't have a particular song to add to the playlist from this album, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I think I've realized that I enjoy the arrested development, Lauryn Hill type of 90s hip hop more than the Tupac, BIG type. For this album though, I really liked the interesting, inventive production and catchy beats. Also, any song that talks about revolution makes me happy in albums like this.

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.

Hated it as singles - but loved it as an album.

I really like this album. Reminds me of a gentler Public Enemy.

People Everyday amd Mr Wendell on the same album = 5*s

老嘻哈，，我觉得除了在洛圣都之外不会听这种歌曲

That's just lovely - On a busy morning, this made everything that bit easier. Love the album version of Everyday People, which I don't know if I've heard before. And of COURSE Mr Wendal!

A bit repetitive. I don't really have a song that stood out for me enough to listen to again. It definitely has several themes going through it, however, still find it lyrically not interesting enough. Vocally/musically also nothing that caught my attention. Very easy to listen to and original album and band name. A 2/5 for me

El Hip Hop y el Rap no son mis géneros preferidos.

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

early days of rap

Know it

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.

Ég held þetta sé uppáhalds hip hop platan sem ég hef kynnt mér. Stanslaust partý frá upphafi til enda!

A fine classic hip-hop album (ah, how cool were the early 90's with their record scratching and simple flows). Mr Wendel is a great tune, the rest is a bit meh.

No esta mal preo no es pa mi el hip hop

So preachy

Not really my thing. Saying their name before each track wore on me. Flows were often lengthy and breathy. Fishin 4 Religion & U were the best tracks.

Knew and liked Tennessee. Good band but not my thing.

FIVE STARS. I don't even know where to start. This album has just about everything I want from music, not least that it appeals instantly as well as rewarding repeat listening and closer attention. Awesome grooves and hooks with interesting development/improv, AND lyrics that inspire and provoke. In the last decade or so I'd forgotten just how much I like it, and will absolutely be putting it back on rotation...if I ever make it through the 990-odd other albums!

I’ve owned & loved the single Tennessee/People Everyday for years. When I owned a jukebox, it was often on it. But I’d never heard the rest of this album before. It’s such a great listen. There’s a positivity about it that is missing from a lot of hip-hop released in the 30 years since this came out. There’s not a dud track on it. And so much of it is made to dance to - Mama’s Always On Stage, Give A Man A Fish, Mr Wendal. And the flow of the tracks is terrific. I loved it.

Played incessantly on Triple J at the time, I had no great love for Arrested Development then and no greater affection for them now. I remember a younger friend (probably 15 at the time) loving this, and it blew his mind when I played Sly and the Family Stone. This album is much more positive in tone than most hip-hop of its era (mostly the incredibly violent and misogynistic gangsta rap), which is something of a relief, but it feels like a pale imitation of Sly and the Family Stone (sampled, copied and interpolated across the album). It doesn't have the same freshness, surprises or sophistication as other 'conscious rap' of the time; the politics seems asinine compared to PE, less surprising than De La Soul, and less funky than Tribe. It feels like basic sloganeering when compared to the more nuanced lyrical approach of those other groups. It's pleasant enough to listen to, although I would like a bit more grit in the production to give a more authentically funky feel. The constant scratching is occasionally annoying. Some catchy songs (People Everyday, Give a Man A Fish, Tennessee), but I heard them enough on the radio back in the day to last me a lifetime.

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.

Did not care for this!

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

Melodic disruption

I am still thirsty

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

cool

Bare drit. Helt jævlig U-land rap.

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).

This album is on-point with the mixes and flow. So why does it feel like I'm being preached to by some overly enthusiastic freshman that thinks he's found some radical views on God and monogamy? This isn't speaking one's truth, it is judging and converting in hip form. Diminishes the talent here.

Seems a bit dated now, but really gets in your head. Mr. Wendal is a great song.

This album covers so many topics and does them so well. An extremely enjoyable listen

This really holds up.

4.25

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.

One likes a hip-hop record that has a smile on its face even when exploring substantive issues (e.g., slavery, sexism). Indeed, there’s a mellow ebullience and (perhaps Southern) sweetness here – see the loose hopefulness of “Mr. Wendal” and “Washed Away,” with beats that are smooth and accessible and gently (not violently) infectious. The seriousness of intent and themes (“Mama always on stage” and “Give a man a fish…/Teach a man to fish”) bind the record coherently and make it considerably more than ear candy (without being excessively preachy or angry or programmatic). It’s deep and thoughtful as much as it’s fun and musical – consider how the danciest track might be “Vision for Religion” and the biggest hit was a debate with God about manumission. Still sounds fresh and relevant, which makes it even more mystifying that they did little else after this. (Rounding up because they really shouldn't have been a one-hit wonder.)

Enjoyed this a lot. Varied tracks with good beats and inspiring lyrics.

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 was the first real album I listened too and thought 'wow there's something here for me'. You see, a 13 year old from North London wanted to love gangsta rap, but, you know.... Mr Wendal sounded wise. Everyday People had my music in it. This was something else and it still sounds amazing

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

I love this album so much.

Not my cuppa, still cool though. 5/10

Pretty straight forward “positive” rap from the 90s. It’s a lot of fun, though not something I’d really go out of my way to listen to again.

Knew that one jam!

Not for me

Not my style of music, very reminiscent of its time

I loved it then and love it now. I saw as a kid how it was different from the rest of the music out there, that they were a unique and hopeful voice. Every band with a message, even if it’s an upsetting message deserves to be heard.

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.

Some absolute tunes -- writing this a weekend after listening so I can't recall many details but overall a fun and interesting listen. 90/100 gecs

This album reminded me that I need to go back and listen some more older rap albums. Obviously, Tennessee is a banger, but I really enjoyed Mr. Wendal and Mama's Always On Stage as well.

This album was huge at the time and in a year where hip hop gave us Ice Cube’s The Predator, Dr Dre’s The Chronic, Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde and Check Your Head from The Beasties, it was this one the music press went gaga. However, whilst the other albums listed have endured this album stands up not at all well. The beats are under cooked, Speech’s preachy delivery is underwhelming and the overall album has few stand out tracks, Tennessee being the major highlight (here the original version of People Everyday is inferior to the single remix). It’s not as if this album represented a change in direction for rap, away, say, from the gangsta rap that tended to predominate; there were plenty of socially conscious and Afro centric rappers. And in spite of an obvious overlap in tone with acts such as De La Soul, Speech manages to diss De LA’s track Buddy. Imagine dissing De La Soul! But look, they’re still going and good luck to them. They did try something different and they had a massive impact, even if the album had lost a little over time.

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.

Cool

The lyrics were refreshing (uplifting, Afrocentric, and spiritual with no hoes or mothafuckas), but it was still rap, and I could not get into it.

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.

Hard to believe it's been 30 years since this album came out. I've never been a big hip hop fan, but I can't help but love this album. It's like Sly and the Family Stone meets hip hop. Great debut album. 4 stars.

Don’t remember it being this good!

bland 90s hip hop rap. Tennessee is dope

Groundbreaking, huge step-change in Hip Hop & Rap. Still sounds fresh as today.

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.

The singles stood out, but not much else. I was expecting more.

This was ok.

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.

This was one of my first albums, I made my dad buy it on tape and listened to it in his car 30 years ago. I had pretty good taste as an 11 year old, coz this is a great album. It has some of the best live instrumental music I’ve heard in hip hop, Speech’s flow/tone/delivery are all very nice but the content is what makes this stand out. I’m tempted to breakdown each song’s messages and meaning here, but it would turn into quite an essay. Simply to say that even De La Soul aren’t rapping about their childcare issues, the positive aspects of a homeless life style or saying preachers dying is the only solution. The production does get a little muddy at times and it can feel a bit crusty towards the end, but it’s a really unique piece of work and I wish there was more hip hop like this.

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

Yes

The two singles are great. The rest of the album is dross.

Great album. Really fun production and the messaging is very interesting.

pretty good 90s rap album

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.

2/5 not my cup of tea

Apart from a few exceptions, I really hate hip hop, because it usually is a cesspool of misogynistic wannabe "gangstas" without much talent. This album is a welcome step up; it really has a positive vibe. This being hip hop, I really can't listen to it for any extended amount of time, but tracks like Mr. Wendal and Tennessee were a pleasant surprise. In spite of the genre, I'm giving it 2/5.

Feel that you need a lot of background to understand the message for hiphop bands. Anyway, like the way that the lyrics are treated. Went to wikipedia and found this about the band Arrested Development is an American hip hop group that formed in Atlanta in 1988. It was founded by Speech and Headliner as a positive, Afrocentric alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the late 1980s. Baba Oje and frontman Speech met at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee when they were both students. Baba Oje was 57 years old at the time. About africanism Afrocentrism is an approach to the study of world history that focuses on the history of people of recent African descent. It is in some respects a response to Eurocentric attitudes about African people and their historical contributions. It seeks to counter what it sees as mistakes and ideas perpetuated by the racist philosophical underpinnings of Western academic disciplines as they developed during and since Europe's Early Renaissance as justifying rationales for the enslavement of other peoples, in order to enable more accurate accounts of not only African but all people's contributions to world history. Afrocentricity deals primarily with self-determination and African agency and is a Pan-African point of view for the study of culture, philosophy, and history.

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

I should start declaring that Rap is not my kind of music. Having said that, the album does not like me. I just appreciate positively some rhythmic basses.

I enjoyed everything I heard from Arrested Development in the 90s, although I never sat down and listened to a full album. This music isn't mine. I like it, but it is speaking, very intimately, to an experience that I can't claim.

Pretty fine!

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

It's fine I guess. It just doesn't feel like an essential album to me. I like the live instrumentation and there's some solid messages to be found here but it ultimately just feels average at best. For fanatics of early 90's hip hop only.

I can see why this album and its singles were popular at the time of release but it sounds incredibly dated by today's standards. It's not that the overall message is bad per se, but the delivery from Speech and the 90s production don't do enough beyond the cliché. In fact, the deeper message is surprisingly hateful toward black people who don't agree with his message, so it becomes an odd listen. This is not something I would ever return to.

I bought this when it came out because I loved Tennessee. I still have most of it memorized. I imagine it may sound corny or preachy to other people, but to me it sounds bravely spiritual, positive and pro-black. I love it and I think this album influenced my life in a positive way. The depth of samples on this record is sick. Speech may be the only MC ever who sounds happy (maybe MC Lyte?), and it's interesting to remember that you could have a bunch of dance tracks and still be a hip-hop record.

70/100 so 3.5 stars loved the beats n the fun vibe. never heard before. some lyrics kinda corny tho

Dull other than Mr Wendal. Didn't pay much attention to the lyrics but go the impression they were going on about god a lot which put me off.

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!

This album was very well put together. The themes are positive and important and the samples are fun and well crafted. I can see this album being a big influence on Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and yes early Kanye. Having said all of that, aside from “dawn of the dreads”, which was my favorite track, it was missing that X factor that would make me want to listen to it again .

Look it's pretty good for a hiphop album, but man, i just do not enjoy hiphop

Just ok, but not really my type of thing. 2

Pretty damn good

Old schoo. awesome.

Not as interesting as I'd hoped, not as much of a party album to make it fun.

Enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

Got bored, it all sounds much too similar all the way through. Well, at least as far through as I got.

I'm doing my best to care, but I just don't. I read a little about Arrested Development (which I knew nothing about) and it sounds like they tried to be a counterpoint to the gangsta rap happening at the same time. Fine. But some of those more "aggressive" rap/hip hop artists had something valuable to say. This reminds me of DC talk making a different record for every genre to try and steer teens away from the rap, grunge, etc. paths on sin. That is such a cynical move - to assume that people are listening to a specific type of music solely for the sonic touchstones or "image" of the artist. In this case, making "rap" more palatable to the suburban Karen/Ken demographic, which produces these results...

I was excited to listen to this album because I remember really liking Tennessee and Mr. Wendell growing up. Turns out, my excitement was mostly for nostalgic reasons. I mean, the reggae/rap sound is fun. The motivational, Christian, political vibe is fine with me. But, the album didn't age well. Mr. Wendell is still a good song, and I'll give them a small bump because my over-excitedness is partially responsible for my disappointment.

So nice to hear the conscious side to the hip hop culture. This album is far more musical than any hip hop album from that time with nice melodies, vocals, instrumentation, and sampled sounds. 2 great songs in Mr. Wendall and Natural. Overall, I enjoyed it and it deserved more than a 3.

Very similar to a electronic album: beats that don't amaze paired together with redundant lyrics. Obsolete album altogether

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.

Greta hip hop. Definitely hear the souther hip. Hop tones in it

04/10/2022 Kinda annoying after a while... welp.

It's fine.

great album total classic. Tennessee unh! The focus on samples and so much freedom with the lyrics. Its 90s as fuck. Not gangsta rap and probably sounds a little corny these days but I love the style

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

Extremely good and refreshing. Interesting beats, bass lines, lyrics, rhythms.

Not that bad

Love this alternative hip-hop from the late 80s and early 90s. Great beats, jazzier, super positive messages. This is a lot like the Native Tongues, which I love.

Monotone

If you can get past the occasional preachiness then it's a very enjoyable and underrated hip-hop album.

wel oké, maar niet zo m'n ding

Condescending rubbish

It was OK, but it didn't do it. I thought the production was all over the place tbh

This was such a refreshing throwback to the origins of hip-hop. The beats are peak boom-bap and so tasty. It has to be remembered that this album doesn't exist in a vacuum. The intentional step away from gangsta rap to talk about life, love, and loss is well executed - especially in context. It's a direct reproach of current trends in hip-hop at the time. It's an attempt to remind people that hip-hop was and can be a positive change platform. It's a little crazy, when you think about it, that this gets categorized as "alternative hip-hop" when it feels so throwback. The primary reason, I think, is that it did end up inspiring a whole host of artists to embrace hip-hop and push it past its gangsta pigeonhole. To push the genre in an alternate direction. You can hear the origins of bands like The Roots, Nappy Roots, Outkast, Jurassic 5, Blackstar and more here. No disrespect for the supremely talented Mr. Glover but Childish Gambino wouldn't exist if it weren't for acts like Arrested Development stepping away from the easy dollars of gangsta rap to embrace elements of funk, jazz, and rock and create something different. On top of ALL THAT, there are just some killer tracks on here. "People Everyday," "Mr. Wendal," and "Tennessee" are undeniable power jams and essential parts of the soundtrack of the early 90s. Haters gonna hate but this album slaps.

7/10 Best Song - Mr Wendal

Funny samples

nice chill and relaxed. Liked the album quite a lot, a stark contrast to something like g funk

I don’t usually like hip-hop but I do like this album. It’s in my collection already.

This is pretty tight. Harmonicas are amazing.

Bom.

Funky and so fresh in 1992. Does it hold up? Yeah, somewhat. I’ll give it an extra star for helping to get the Dirty South on the map.

Ik houdt niet zo van rap, maar dit album heeft wel wat geinige melodie'tjes oftewel beats. Het is dan ook geen hardcore rap, maar wat meer commercieel in mijn ogen. **

not for me

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

Middle of the road

Terrific early 90s hip hop groove. Singles are much better removed from their overplayed-on-the-radio context. Solid album all around, regret not giving it more of a chance back in the day.

Nada especial

I remember "Tennessee" being one of the best songs I heard back in 1992 with a great chorus. It still great and this album is actually as I remember with the last time listening to it in the late 90's. It's a sprawling album with lots of songs, random noises, horns and harmonies. A great album no doubt but a long listen. The sampling is more along the lines of the Beastie Boys. A change to the gangsta rap (Dre/Snoop) popular at the time. Classified as Southern hip-hop. Influences heard from Sly and Prince. This album has more a groove and jazzy feel than a standard hip hop album. Other standout songs: "Mr Wendal", "Fishin' for Religion", Everyday People" and " Natural."