August 09, 2019

Speech: Arrested Development

1 hour 36 minutes

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Todd "Speech" Thomas made his name in the lates 1980s as one of the pioneers of a socially conscious hip-hop movement with his group Arrested Development that he founded in 1988 — an alternative sound to the gangster rap that was permeating the African American music scene at the time.

Their debut album "3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of..." went four-times Platinum in the U.S., and the title refers to the length of time it took Arrested Development to get a record contract. Hailed by critics as being a trailblazer of afro-centric positivity, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... won two Grammy awards and was included in a list of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

One of our favorite stories that Speech shared with us involves Spike Lee...yes, Spike Lee! Just a few months after the release of their debut album, he was tapped on the shoulder by the legendary film director and asked to compose a song for his upcoming biopic based on the life of Malcolm X. This chance encounter spawned the song Revolution", which was a focal point of the film's soundtrack when it was released in 1992.

Never wavering in his social activism and message of unity over the past 30 years, in the 2018 documentary, "16 Bars," Speech helped to mentor and guide four musical artists in the prison system — winning best documentary at the Downtown L.A. Film Festival in the process.

We talked to Speech about coming of age in Milwaukee and how his childhood molded his view of the world. From racism to gang crime and the suicide of a close friend, Speech has experienced many personal challenges, yet his positivity still endures. We are insanely stoked to present you with an episode that is as inspirational as the man himself.

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