How come Arrested Development is just a footnote in alternative hip-hop?

[DrunkerThanAMotherfucker]

This has got to be one of the most underrated hip-hop albums of all-time. AD was a Southern alternative to the East Coast's ATCQ and De La Soul and the West Coast's Pharcyde. However - it seemed like the group never had the staying power of its other inter-regional peers.

The funny thing is that 3 years.... was voted as AOTY in the Pazz & Jop poll which is seen as a somewhat accurate representation of where critical consensus was for a year. Arrested Development even won two Grammy's that year too, and then just..... faded..... into hip-hop oblivion.

Maybe the album was overrated when it came out, however I hardly see anyone name drop it when discussing alternative hip-hop canon.

What happened?

 

[DrunkerThanAMotherfucker]

BTW, I'm just 25 so you older cats on here that lived through it will have to provide some nuance. I genuinely am curious what happened to AD and the instant critical acclaim the group got. That'd be like Kendrick falling off after GKMC and then just not being talked about 25 years later.

 

[lurker emeritus]

The Dionne Farris chick never wanted to be in the group for one
So she bounced as soon as she could

 

[get these nets]

The Group had internal problems that split them up. Mainstream embrace is what blew them up,not the hip hop audience... and when mainsteam found the new group to pla on mtv.....AD was finished

people fukked with their singles but NOBODY I know who dj'd had their albums......and djs buy everything

Digable Planets replaced them as safe alternative rap group that mainstream could embrace
then Fugees replaced DP

 

[Asicz]

It's no mystery why rap music has gradually lost its teeth and become more and more corporate. First the fallout from the LA Riots in spring 1992 led to Ice-T's "Cop Killer" controversy and the Time Warner boycott back in June of that year. Several conscious and controversial rappers were dropped or released from labels owned by Time Warner. Next came the signing of the Telecommunications Act Of 1996, which made it possible for Clear Channel and Emmis Communications to buy up stations all across the country and create Hot and Power franchises across the country — all with nearly identical playlists regardless of region.

During this time, the only remaining conscious groups were either on indie labels (i.e. Public Enemy), releasing their final albums on major labels (i.e. Poor Righteous Teachers and Brand Nubian), with the lone exception being dead prez, who signed with Loud Records in 1998 and didn't release their debut album until 2000. By the time Dead Prez released their debut LP Let's Get Free they were the only group making the kind of conscious rebel music that was common during rap's first Golden Era (1986-1989). It would end up being their only album on a major label as the folding of Loud Records coupled with the signing of the Patriot Act post-9/11 served as the final nail in the coffin for major label conscious rap.

NPR Choice page

 

[Waterproof]

I'm 42 and this what happened their first it was banging.

The 2nd album they became to preachy on some Save The Earth shyt, and they lost everybody with that album and that was the direction of Speech and lot of the group wasn't with that shyt, Speech thought he was the reason why they went platinum and had a hit album, he started kicking people out the group and some members left

 

[Threnody]

Black people ain't fukk with that bullshyt AD was slave music

Comparing AD to De La or Pharycde is disrespectful as hell

I was living in Brooklyn when they dropped NOBODY black and from the hood fukked with AD.....NOBODY...the music was wack as fukk

 

[get these nets]

Black people ain't fukk with that bullshyt AD was slave music

Comparing AD to De La or Pharycde is disrespectful as hell

I was living in Brooklyn when they dropped NOBODY black and from the hood fukked with AD.....NOBODY...the music was wack as fukk

but this (soundtrack)song was definitely getting play in those rides, in BK when you were in high school

Spoiler: If I'm lying

 

[Threnody]

but this (soundtrack)song was definitely getting play in those rides, in BK when you were in high school

Spoiler: If I'm lying

Its possible b ...I hope not tho nikkas were garbage

Nobody I knew in the heights was fukking with that shyt at all

 

[get these nets]

Its possible b ...I hope not tho nikkas were garbage

Nobody I knew in the heights was fukking with that shyt at all

that song and "Everyday People" got a lot of burn

both songs were hot, in my opinion

but i agree with you that the streets wasn't fukking with them for the most part

 

[Romey Rome]

I actually like their first 2 albums a lot. one day everyday people by them came on shuffle while I was working so I thought to listen to the album. I liked what I heard so after a couple weeks I checked the second album and it was dope too. I never listened to anything past that tho. Never bumped into anybody else that likes them

 

[piff star]

They had the older black radio station demographic on lock...Those 3 first singles were played on the radio so much it would make black eyed peas jealous...
I remember my mom had the cassette tape..
I aint listen to it tho...

 

[KingsOfKings]

Arrested Development – On The Cutting Room Floor (Mixtape)

 

[NZA]

i was too young to pick up on any "slavish" undertones. i liked everyday people. seemed like the gangsta shyt just completely condensed rap into a mostly nihilistic direction and all the other types of rap had to become underground at a certain point. there is really no alt or conscious rap that had a mainstream push after a certain point. even kendrick is more gangsta adjacent than what actual conscious and alt really was.

 

[Chip Skylark]

I’ve never listened to these dudes. EVER!! Now I have revolution and Tennessee on repeat! shyt is fire!

Crazy that the message in both are still relevant today.

Gonna listen to their albums later