Arrested Development drops their brand new single “Living” Sept. 27th (iTunes, our store & Amazon). The songs 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!

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