By shelz.

Thinking about a Hip-Hop event automatically brings certain concepts to mind.  An aloof entertainer flanked with burly bodyguards and perfectly sculpted girl toys walks in the room, turns your mojito into a slushy (cuz he’s so icy) and says yooo a lot.  Once he takes the stage, he gets lost in the tidal wave of folks who uselessly stand to his left and right.  Not that it really matters; he makes the audience rap most of the lyrics anyway. The scene is clichéd, yes. Don’t act like you haven’t been there though.

The antithesis would be artists arriving before the fans, conversing with the crowd (and not from some famous guy pedestal either). They would make the supporters feel like long lost friends; giving hugs to the ladies and dap to the fellas as folks slowly ease into their seats already happy they came.  Been there?  I have. Saturday afternoon at Atlanta’s Moods Music, I took in some chatter and performance from the good folks of Arrested Development in promotion of their new album, Strong.

The two hour meet and greet, hosted by MusicADDIKTS and Grown Folks Music, included a Q&A session moderated by Jodine from Jodine’s Corner and an acoustic set that included new and old material from the revamped crew.

Speech and Eshe are all that remain of the unlikely superstars of two decades ago, but whether you find the 2010 grouping just new or new and improved, it doesn’t change the earthy mystique or the down home feeling the group has always exuded.

Arrested Development – “Tennessee”

[pro-player width=’455′ height=’344′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apOVP6oFxU4[/pro-player]

They are older now, of course.  Eshee has a full head of hair.  The baby fat that once filled out Speech’s face is gone, possibly passed on to his own children and from the conversation you can understand that the group’s development has been anything but arrested.

The topics ran the spectrum from guiding your children through the often tawdry world of new millennium Hip-Hop, to abrasive and empty lyricism to recycling.  The crew thoughtfully tackled their final epitaphs, discussed their new found popularity overseas and the possible struggle they face making lightening strike twice in the states.  Aware of the hole left in the conscious subgenre after their departure, Arrested Development says they feel like they have more to say and they really want you to hear.

Speech discusses who’s to blame for negative lyricism in Hip-Hop

[pro-player width=’455′ height=’344′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGHEKE-OcxI[/pro-player]

The event was closed with a couple of selections from their new album, Strong and a couple from their first go round.   By the time Arrested Development started with the familiar opening call and response of “People Everyday,” the room had evolved into an urban hootenanny.  No stars, no fans, just a room full of everyday people sharing a song and a smile, which is probably exactly the way Arrested Development wanted it.

Arrested Development – “People Everyday”

[pro-player width=’455′ height=’344′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Mqw7Y8fm0[/pro-player]

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