Arrested Development drops their brand new single “Living” on September 27th (iTunes & Amazon). The song is a departure from the groups usual (life music) sound, produced by Randy Walker.

“Living” brings a beat heavy, horn drenched grit, with Speech taking center stage articulating the joy & frustration of living as an atypical MC in todays music industry. AD member Tasha Larae delivers a spirit raising hook, while other AD members stick staunchly to middle eastern background vocals & their respective instruments.

This song is possibly the first of recent AD tunes that can surface within rap formats with a BPM that is similar to other songs out today. The group deserves applause for sticking to message, while bringing a neglected rap topic to the forefront. It’s lyrically more in the tradition of blues than contemporary hip-hop, straying away from party themes & shopping sprees, and focusing on the struggles of life.

Given todays atmosphere in rap, the question could be asked, “is rap allowed to be thought provoking anymore?” Can a MC talk about the frustrations of fatherhood like in Speech’s line, “They acting like I’m dumb, including my only son, He’s sixteen acting like he’s going on sixty-one“, plus spout off about feeling like an “outcast” without sounding bitter?

This song doesn’t at all sound bitter, but instead determined. The chorus sings, “Everyday I rise on a mission, please forgive me if I mess up, I’m improving, living!”

It seems the group is set on exposing the struggles of being conscious in a dumbed down market & aging within a youth oriented genre, this topic is fair ground as hugely popular MC’s like Lil Wayne approach 30, Nas is 38 and Jay-Z‘s in his early 40 "s.

Speech is among the first to address b-boys & girls becoming grown men & women (Listen to: “The Grown Folks Table” & An Impact” from his solo album). AD’s new single, “Living” is a testimony to hip hop’s continuing evolution from a group that has long been a torch bearer for that legacy!

Check out the official website for Arrested Development here:
http://arresteddevelopmentmusic.com/

hiphopgods.com 09.03.11