Speech – Doing it “For the FKN love!”

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Some songs flow out of you, and other songs are more strategically made. That was one song that just literally flowed.” Speech (Arrested Development)

Where do I even start? It was such an honour to sit down with our Classic Man this week. Not only is he a musical genius and pioneer, but also, he remains a staple in the industry, and has established himself as philanthropist; a man who will do anything to educate, empower, and engage his community.

Before we jump into the “whom” let’s talk about how it all began. He became part of a musical revolution when his band dropped the song “Tennessee,” which won them two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, and Best Rap Single. The song was also awarded two MTV awards, a Soul Train Music Award, and the NAACP Image Award. In 1992, Rolling Stone magazine named them Band of the Year, VH-1 named Arrested Development one of the greatest Hip-Hop groups of all time, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named Arrested Development’s smash “Tennessee,” one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

They sold four million copies of their debut album, performed for Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton, and despite faltering commercially, disbanding, reuniting, and facing personal challenges, Arrested Development has stood the test of time proving it with their latest project “For the FKN Love,” which dropped on December 3^rd, 2021 (https://officialarresteddevelopment.bandcamp.com/).

I was introduced to the project through their single “Vibe,” featuring Big Daddy Kane, Cleveland P Jones & Tasha LaRae. Upon listening to the song, I was transported back to a time of overalls, and Cross Colour outfits, high tops, and biker shorts. These were simpler times, but times when music had a message.

The project has stellar collaborations with: The Sugar Hill Gang, Masta Ace, Freddie Foxxx, Monie Love, Kxng Crooked, G Love (G Love and special sauce), Tony Momrelle (Incognito), and Dee-1 plus Fatman Scoop. During our dialogue, Speech admits that it was definitely unique to have legends of this calibre that rarely do features, grace this album.

In spite of a roller coaster career with its share of industry snubs and a revolving door of band members, Arrested Development’s sound has never lost its flavour.

I truly believe it is because of our Classic Man’s dedication to his craft. He has kept himself committed to his craft by involving himself in community initiatives that speak to his beliefs, and the betterment of the people. I think that here is a great time to talk about some of the work that he is doing.

As a Turn Around Artist, he works along side: Yo-Yo Ma, Kerry Washington, Misty Copeland, Alfre Woodard, Ledisi, Jason Mraz, The O’Jays, Larisa Martínez, Black Violin, Paula Abdul, Trombone Shorty, Jackson Browne, Taboo, Tim Robbins, Valerie June, Ozomatli, Keb’ Mo’, Jake Shimabukuro, Bernie Williams, Chad Smith, Dan Zanes, Claudia Eliaza, David Garibaldi, Elizabeth Banks, Frank Gehry, IZ Avila, Jacqueline Suskin, John Cruz, John Lloyd Young, Mic Jordan, Paula Fuga and Tracy Reese.

It is a national program that infuses 73 struggling schools in 37 districts across 17 states with a strategy to bolster reform efforts.

He also introduced me to his powerful three part mini-documentary series “The Nigga Factory” (https://www.brotherspeech.com/the-nigga-factory). It exposes a 400-year White Supremacist marketing campaign that purposely perverted the Black diaspora’s image worldwide!

Then there is his work with “16 Bars” (https://www.brotherspeech.com/16-bars).

Speech willingly goes into a Richmond Virginia Jail for ten days to write music with inmates, while his friends film the entire experience. As creativity unfurls, these men unearth painful elements of their pasts, which hold the key to a new chapter in their lives. This music serves as rare testimony to the raw and messy truth behind the criminal justice system‘s revolving door.

I don’t want to forget his entrepreneurial success with his family business “Robby’s Roasted Corn.” His mother Ardenia Churn taught him how to roast corn to sweet perfection. Starting over forty-one years ago as a humble corn stand at Milwaukee’s SummerFest, Robby’s Roasted Corn became renowned as the most delicious corn you’ll ever taste! Speech and his wife Yolanda have since taken over the business and it has continued to flourish as one of Wisconsin’s best jewels!

There was so much to talk about and not nearly enough time. I am going to share with the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper, my time with the innovative, creative, gifted soul, our Classic Man, Speech!

He was so gracious as I fumbled at the beginning of the interview trying to figure out how to record on Zoom. I really wanted to capture this interview, and although I was unsuccessful, the interview was my most memorable. After I had my two-minute fan moment, we jumped right into the interview.

“I was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin to two very outspoken parents. During the summer I would spend time with my grandmother in Tennessee, which was a change from Wisconsin with its open fields, outhouses and farmlands. The incredible part about it is that I learned a lot from both places.

I’ve been a fan of music ever since I was a little kid. I remember watching the Jackson 5 and being amazed at what I saw. It also taught me a lot about music. During that time, I learned that songs would have an eight-bar intro, and then the first verse. I started to notice that wow, after the first verse sometimes there would be a bridge, and then the chorus, and then after the chorus would be the second verse, and then the bridge, and then a second chorus. And then after the second chorus that might repeat. This is how my love for not just music but creating and writing music began.”

I am sure that it probably helped that his dad owned a nightclub. He shares with me that he saw the power music had on people, at the age of thirteen.

“My dad was a businessman, and he was the one who gave me $500.00 to put out my first record with my group Attack. I had to sell this music to a fan base, and my dad gave me that opportunity. It worked well. We were hood famous in Milwaukee. We became the ambassadors of hip-hop. It is different now; at that time hip-hop wasn’t guaranteed. People still doubted its ability to be a long-term genre.

I used to throw house parties, but they became violent. I didn’t think I was going to survive if I stayed there. I left to come to Atlanta to survive and push forward. I started a new crew, which became Arrested Development.”

At that time, the Black music industry didn’t know what to do with Speech and his band.

“They thought we were celebrating slavery, bad times in history. They misunderstood the message. White stations started to gravitate to it, and then just like that nations around the world began to embrace us.

Tennessee is a very important song to me. It was our first single ever for Arrested Development, and that song was probably the first step of me recovering from the loss of two people that were extremely close and dear to me. The chorus is ‘Take me another place, take me to another land, make me forget all that hurts me and help me understand your plan.’ It was like a prayer to God.”

I asked Speech what had kept him going all these years

“It is the deep love in my heart for music. It can be extremely frustrating, discouraging and disheartening, but is because of that love. “For the Fkn love!”