Initially, Arrested Development met with great success, selling millions of records and garnering numerous awards, including 1993 Grammys for best new artist and best rap single ("Tennessee"). Sadly, however, their career path of followed the overall arc of the brief alternative rap movement. Rap was about 15 years old at the time, but it was finally entering the mainstream in a big way. Many of the most popular artists (NWA, Ice-T, Public Enemy) were, while worthwhile, exceedingly angry - sometimes racist, often misogynist, always pissed off. Alternative rap was softer, more positive, more inclusive, and the best exponents of the genre (PM Dawn, Digable Planets, Us3, and the New York school centered around De La Soul) produced some great records. The shine wore of the apple very quickly, though - commercially, at least - and most of the groups disappeared in short order.

Arrested Development survived to release just two more records, the unimpressive live EP Unplugged and the sophomore slump studio LP Zingalamaduni. EMI's Classic Masters (2002), however, is an excellent wrap-up of their short career; it includes the best tracks from all three records plus some rarities like "Revolution" from Spike Lee's film Malcolm X. A number of "best of" and "greatest hits" albums are floating around (most imported from Europe), but Classic Masters remains the most well-rounded of the bunch. Extended Revolution (2003), meanwhile, is a remix album of interest only to serious devotees.

Dionne Farris released one good solo album in 1994 and disappeared. Speech, on the other hand, has maintained an active solo career; he remains "big in Japan," and he reactivated Arrested Development as an ongoing concern in 2000. Fans of alternative rap - now very much an underground movement - should seek this music out; stay on top of the latest developments (ahem) at www.speechmusic.com. [top of page]