Arrested Development Biography

Arrested Development ranks among the earliest and most successful hip hop groups, dominating the charts in the early 1990’s with a string of hits. The group came together as the brainchild of musicians Speech and Headliner, with the single-minded goal of producing a positive alternative to the burgeoning gangsta rap gaining in popularity.

Arrested Development hit the charts initially in 1992 with 3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life of…, which rose into the Top 10 and featured the songs, “People Everyday,” “Mr. Wendal,” “Ease my Mind,” and “Tennessee,” which is recognized by the Rock and roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 Songs that Shaped rock and Roll. Arrested Development garnered two Grammys for the year, including Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and Best New Artist. Rolling Stone tapped them as Band of the Year, and the album was critically acclaimed by nearly every music publication in the country. Spike Lee even selected Arrested Development to record “Revolution” for the film Malcolm X in 1992.

Following their extraordinary debut success, Arrested Development released Unplugged in 1993 and Zingalamaduni in 1994, but shortly thereafter took a hiatus that would last until the new millennium. Arrested Development resurfaced in 2000 with Da Feelin’ (2000), and then from there released: Heroes of the Harvest (2002), Extended Revolution (2003), Among the Trees (2004), Since the Last Time (2006), Strong (2010), and Standing at the Crossroads (2012.)

Today, Arrested Development continues to perform and record. The group’s latest albums—Changing The Narrative and This Was Never Home—arrived in 2016. The former features the single “Up,” and the latter features the song “I Don’t See You at the Club.”