|
Arrested Development
LIVE IN THE ATL.  JOIN SPEECH & THE WHOLE BAND SEPT. 18-20TH www.aandeconference.com (Register here) |
|
 New songs in the studio The musical vagabonds have just finished recording 7 new songs for a possible 2009 release. (You can rate the songs) Speech says, "Basically we wanted to try doing some pop ditty's because that's what is doing well on the charts over in Japan, and we wanted to get back there again. (sike) Speech drops "The Grown folks Table", his new hip-hop solo record this January 21st on Japan's AVEX label. That moved Avex to see what new songs AD could come up with for a possible release. Za' adds, "I really like "You Got it" and "Authentic" there hits to me." Eshe's more inclined towards R&B, so she liked "Let it go" and "Cold Nights are coming", but felt like "Let it Go" needs a Timbaland style remix of the beat. The group took two weeks to record these songs at Speech's Fayetteville studio, The Podium". The first week was only the band, (Jj Boogie, Omar, Speech, Za' and Tall boy the "Engineer") so we could lay down the skeletons of the songs and then the second week was the vocalists, (Ras, 1 Love, Eshe, Tasha, and the band stayed to give input). All the songs were written by the entire group, except "Authentic" which was penned by Speech & Tallboy. (That song came after the two week period was over) "We are really interested in getting peoples honest opinions of the material. Let us know in this blog," Speech added. (CLICK HERE) to hear songs. "You Got it" was written from a single mom's perspective challenging men to be real MEN. Tasha, & Eshe have had many experiences from the men in their lives that made writing this song relevant.  Eshe says, "there is a need to have men rise up more. It's basically what we talked about in "Mama's Always on stage" back in the nineties, but the problem is even more real now! "Speech says, "Our women need more than just men with money & flash, they need character, emotional support, present and accounted for husbands, fathers! Za' adds, "This is the base for real success in our communities! How else can we resist all the negatives that we are bombarded by!" The song "Let it go" was originally just a great beat by Omar. Lyrically we brain stormed and came up with an anthem for no allowing your troubles weigh you all the way down. You've got to let em go. It's not an original topic but it still fits real life. Mike Mullis (Vagabond manager) says, "I love the Speech lyric, "that everyone's a slave not at all booger free, so why is everybody always picking on me?" Tasha speaks from her heart on the lyric "If you feel like no one else can understand what you've been through, I've been broken jobless, hungry wondering what I'm going to do just let it go!" Eshe chimes in from her own life's pains "Money's funny, I hear you honey I know". 1 Love shines on his verse. It's a one take example of his rhyme skills. "Hatas" is an overused word but Speech thought of this concept years ago, so the group decided to give it a try. This song feels like QUEEN's "Bohemian Rhapsody" Again, Tasha shines with a verse that turned into the catchy chorus. "Cold Nights" is a tune Speech initially wrote years ago for Laurnea. She never used it on her album, so he resurrected it but the group put a reggae feel to it. It's Speech's wifes favorite song. Eshe and Tasha added such a great energy on their post chorus bridge. It feels like the islands. "The World is Changing" is a song that speaks from the perspective that AD rarely takes. (And that's the raw, negative facts) without talking of solutions. Speech adds, "I wanted to wake people up out of their slumber! AIDS is rampant in the black community, and in Africa when is someone going to sing or rap about it? There is all these things that we know are happening but nobodies talking about it in the arts community. And I'm tired of it!" "Change" is really a call to look at the plank in your own eye before you get the speck out of someone elses eye. 1 Love really laid it down with his verse about running out of gas. That's real. AD FAM 
|
  A few important LINKS   Being involved with Hosea Feed The Hungry... "Since The Last Time" igaining great momentum...  The AD record release party was crazy...HOTT!!!! Review of the AD Live show at the LOFT in ATL...  AD hangin' with The next President of these United States...OBAMA! Arrested Development's "Reunion" - (more) Do you have your copy of STLT yet? |
