Arrested Development

Band

Photo: Madison Colt Photography · CC BY-SA 4.0
Active 1988-1996; 2000-present
Origin Atlanta, Georgia
Albums 12
Tracks 178
Most frequent collaborator Daunta Tyler · 14 tracks
Genres Hip HopProgressive RapAlternative Hip Hop
Co-Performer
37%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 65 of 178 tracks

Did Arrested Development write their own songs?

On the records where anyone wrote the credits down, yes. Members are credited on 65 of the group's 178 studio tracks, and 39 of those have no outside writer. The catch is that 105 tracks, spread across seven self-released albums, carry no writing credit for anybody at all.

By the Numbers

12
Studio Albums
178
Tracks Credited
37%
Self-Written
38
Years Active
36
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 65 / 178 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 178 tracks: how many Arrested Development wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Arrested Development has a writing credit37%
22%
15%
63%
Sole author39tracks22%
Co-written26tracks15%
Outside writers113tracks63%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Arrested Development's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 178 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)36%
Composer (music)37%
Producer39%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 178 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Speech 1988-present
36%
37%
31%
17%
JJ Boogie 2000-present
0%
0%
8%
0%
One Love 2001-present
4%
4%
0%
0%
Fareedah Aleem 2004-present
0%
0%
0%
0%
Tasha Larae 2008-2021; 2023-present
2%
2%
0%
0%
Montsho Eshe 1990-1996; 2023-present
7%
7%
0%
17%
Headliner 1988-1996
6%
6%
0%
17%
Baba Oje 1990-1996; 2000-2018
6%
6%
0%
17%
Rasa Don 1990-1996; 2000-2006
6%
6%
0%
17%
Aerle Taree 1990-1996
6%
6%
0%
17%
Dionne Farris 1992
0%
0%
0%
2%
Ajile 1994-1995
0%
0%
0%
0%
Foley 1994-1996
0%
0%
0%
0%
Kamaal Malak 1994-1996
0%
0%
0%
0%
Kwesi Asuo 1994-1996
1%
1%
0%
0%
Nadirah Shakoor 1994-1996
0%
0%
0%
0%
Isaiah Williams III 1996; 2000-2018
3%
3%
1%
0%
Nicha Hilliard 1996; 2000-2008
0%
0%
0%
0%
April Allen 2021-2023
0%
0%
0%
0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Arrested Development's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 37%
73%
100%
0%
100%
69%
0%
100%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
19923 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of...
1994Zingalamaduni
2001Heroes of the Harvest
2004Among the Trees
2006Since the Last Time
2010Strong
2012Standing at the Crossroads
2016Changing the Narrative
2016This Was Never Home
2018Craft & Optics
2020Don't Fight Your Demons
2021For the Fkn Love
Early · 91% written
Mid · 85% written
Late · 0% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

87%
1990s
3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of..., Zingalamaduni
87%
2000s
Heroes of the Harvest, Among the Trees +1 more
100%
2010s
Strong, Standing at the Crossroads +3 more
0%
2020s
Don't Fight Your Demons, For the Fkn Love

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Arrested Development sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Arrested Development
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

EXO8%
Xscape17%
Salt-N-Pepa35%
TLC59%
Destiny's Child69%
11279%
Busta Rhymes99%
37%Arrested Development
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Tennessee
3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of...
Written by Speech, Headliner, Baba Oje, Montsho Eshe, Rasa Don, Aerle Taree, Todd Thomas, Timothy Barnwell
Wrote it
People Everyday
3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of...
Written by Sylvester Stewart
Outside writers
Mr. Wendal
3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of...
Written by Speech, Headliner, Baba Oje, Montsho Eshe, Rasa Don, Aerle Taree, Todd Thomas, Timothy Barnwell
Wrote it

Discography 12 albums

The discography also lists Unplugged, a 1993 live album, the Da Feelin' EP from 2000 and Extended Revolution, a 2003 compilation. None is a studio album and all three sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Photo of Arrested DevelopmentArrested Development178 tracks
DT14Daunta Tyler, 14 tracks C14Cymatiks, 14 tracks K"14Kevin "Khao" Cates, 14 tracks Photo of Sam Hollander11Sam Hollander, 11 tracks LL8Lounge Lizzards, 8 tracks MD4Michael Demps, 4 tracks SL3Spencer Love, 3 tracks KA3Kennedy Atkinson, 3 tracks SP2Sister Paulette, 2 tracks CM2Carlos Mena, 2 tracks O2O-Love, 2 tracks BG1Buddy Guy, 1 track JW1Junior Wells, 1 track SS1Sly Stone, 1 track BL1Brother Larry, 1 track MR1Minnie Riperton, 1 track RR1Richard Rudolph, 1 track BD1Bob Dylan, 1 track LJ1Larry Jackson, 1 track AM1Al McKay, 1 track on Earth, Wind & Fire's page MW1Maurice White, 1 track on Earth, Wind & Fire's page PB1Philip Bailey, 1 track on Earth, Wind & Fire's page TC1Terrance Cinque Mason, 1 track FF1Fulani Faluke, 1 track DL1Dr. Luke, 1 track MG1Madilin Gangelhoff, 1 track OP1Omar Phillips, 1 track JP1Jackson Perry, 1 track GM1Gérard Mendes, 1 track RW1Randy Walker, 1 track TB1The Bishop, 1 track TB1Tall Boy, 1 track FK1Fela Kuti, 1 track T1Train, 1 track RS1Ravi Shankar, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. DT Daunta Tyler · C Cymatiks · K" Kevin "Khao" Cates · LL Lounge Lizzards · MD Michael Demps

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Members are credited on 65 of the group's 178 studio tracks, but the number is a measure of paperwork rather than authorship. Seven of the twelve albums, all of them self-released after 2000, carry no published writing credit for anybody, which accounts for 105 tracks. On the five where credits exist the group is on 65 of 73, and 39 of those have no outside writer at all.

Quick Facts

  • Self-writtenMembers are credited on 65 of the group's 178 studio tracks
  • Undocumented105 tracks carry no published writing credit at all
  • Where credits existMembers are on 65 of the 73 tracks that name a writer
  • The GrammysFirst hip hop act to win Best New Artist, in 1993
  • The debut3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... is certified 4x platinum
  • Line-upNineteen people have been in the group since 1988

Creative Fingerprint

Two documented albums and ten that nobody credited, on a label the singer owns.

The Story

Speech and Headliner started Arrested Development in Atlanta in 1988 as an Afrocentric answer to gangsta rap. The 1992 debut won two Grammy Awards and made them the first hip hop act to take Best New Artist. They broke up in 1996 and reformed in 2000, and have released ten more albums on Speech's own label since.

Awards & Recognition

Grammy Award for Best New Artist (1993)
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (1993)
Band of the Year, Rolling Stone (1992)

Frequently Asked Questions Arrested Development

Did Arrested Development write their own songs?
On the records where anyone wrote the credits down, yes. Members are credited on 65 of the group's 178 studio tracks, and 39 of those have no outside writer. The catch is that 105 tracks, spread across seven self-released albums, carry no writing credit for anybody at all.
Who wrote "Tennessee"?
The 1992 release credits the writing to Arrested Development as a group rather than to individuals, which is recorded here as the six-person line-up of the time. It reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100.
How many albums have they released?
Twelve studio albums. The first two came out on Chrysalis in 1992 and 1994, and the other ten on Speech's own Vagabond Productions after the group reformed in 2000.
Why do so many albums have no credits?
Seven of the twelve, all self-released, have no Wikipedia article and no Discogs release that publishes writing credits. That covers Heroes of the Harvest, Strong, Changing the Narrative, This Was Never Home, Craft & Optics, Don't Fight Your Demons and For the Fkn Love.
Did they win Grammy Awards?
Two, both in 1993: Best New Artist, which made them the first hip hop act to win it, and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
Who is Speech?
Todd Thomas, the rapper and producer who founded the group with Headliner in 1988 and is the only member who has been in it the whole time. Everything since 2000 has come out on his label.
How many people have been in the group?
Nineteen, according to the article's personnel list. Six are current members and thirteen have left.
Which album sold the most?
The 1992 debut, certified 4x platinum by the RIAA. Zingalamaduni sold poorly two years later and the group broke up in 1996.
Who was Baba Oje?
The group's spiritual elder, who met Speech at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and stayed with them until his death in 2018.
Are they still going?
Yes. For the Fkn Love came out in 2021 and Montsho Eshe rejoined the line-up in 2023.

Sources

Wikipedia: Arrested Development Wikipedia: Speech Wikipedia: Foley