Speech, the lead rapper from Arrested Development, sat down for his first interview with VladTV. In the opening clip, Speech spoke on the diversity and balance of Hip Hop acts in the 1990s before describing his upbringing. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Speech revealed that his mother owns the “Milwaukee Community Journal,” which is the largest Black newspaper in Wisconsin. In addition, his father owned a nightclub called “The Fox Trap.”
Coming from an entrepreneurial household, Speech added that his parents were civil rights leaders, regularly rallying Black businesses together and staying engaged in the Black empowerment movement. Due to his father being a nightclub owner, Speech grew up in a musical atmosphere and started DJing at his father’s club when he was only 13. Speech also formed his first rap group, Attack, which was the first rap group from Milwaukee to release a major record.
In 1987, Speech moved to Georgia to attend The Art Institute in Atlanta. While his rap group was popular in Milwaukee, no Hip Hop act made it out of the city at that time. Speech met Arrested Development member Headliner the same week he moved to Atlanta after he responded to Speech’s search for a DJ. Before settling on Arrested Development, Speech revealed that the group was originally named DLR (Disciples of Lyrical Rebellion) and then Secret Society.
Speech also explained that although the group were fans of Gangsta Rap, they wanted to offer an expanded view of the African American culture and image. He also added that authenticity helped propel careers during the time. Speech said that although there were as many as 20 people in the group at one point, only six members were signed.
