Legendary hip-hop group Arrested Development is not known for making Christian music, but founding member and emcee, Speech, is without a doubt a believer in Christ. Now, Speech and his bandmates, are gearing up for a busy February when they drop two albums, Changing the Narrative and This Was Never Home.
This first record will be available for free at their website ADtheBand.com. According to the group’s management, the album will be “gritty” and contain “rare funk and jazz samples.” Speech along with JJ Boogie, and Casey Graham handled all the production.
The content will also deliver a strong message to their listeners. “The album title (CTN) refers to changing the topic of discussion from living the American Dream to being awake from it.”
The second album is not free, and will be available on their site and normal online retailers.
This Was Never Home will differ greatly from the first record and feature more of a synth/programmed approach that will focus on melody, harmonies, and rhythm. Khao Cates, Daunta, Speech, and others were enlisted for the production of the album.
“Speech gives scathing views on the medias assault on our youth while offering solutions for our collective future…The album title (TWNH) refers to the unique historical circumstances of the African-American relative to all other Americans, and the unique solutions,” read a release.
Producer and rapper Speech is currently an ordained minister and gave his life to Christ in 1996 after being a self-proclaimed “angry young black man.”
“I had to really leave the whole black consciousness scene alone for a minute and just understand who Jesus was,” he said in an interview with Huffington Post. “That was great for me, because it helped me understand the world in a whole different way.”
According to that interview, at that time Speech was hosting a combination Bible study and hip-hop event two Thursday’s a month.
Speech also collaborated in 2006 with Christian emcee Braille (Humble Beast / Beautiful Eulogy) on the track “Antenna” which also featured Nehemiah Booker.
Listen below:
Did you know Speech was a Christian? Are you excited for the new releases?