Arrested Development is a progressive hip-hop group, founded as a positive, Afrocentric alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the early 1990s by Speech and DJ Headliner .

It took the group three years, five months and two days to be offered a record deal. Hence the name of the first album was 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of..., which produced several hit tracks. These included "Tennessee", "People Everyday" and "Mr. Wendal", which hit the top ten. The group won a Grammy for Best Rap Album and Best New Artist, and were also Band of the Year for Rolling Stone. The follow up was 1994's Zingalamaduni , which did very well with some critics but was panned by many others, and the album sold poorly. After the group broke up in 1996, Speech released a solo album, but sales were poor. The group has now reunited and is touring, and a new album is reportedly in the works.

Another member of the group, Dionne Farris had a successful solo career with her only solo album Wild Seed-Wild Flower , released in 1994 includes the hit single, "I Know".

Discography

• 1992 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of...
• 1994 Zingalamaduni
• 2005 (projected) Among the Trees

Samples

• ArrestedDevelopmentRedempti.ogg of Arrested Development's cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song"