Speech is the first solo album by the American rapper Speech, released in 1996.[2][3]
| Speech | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1994–95 | |||
| Genre | Rap | |||
| Label | Chrysalis[1] | |||
| Producer | Speech | |||
| Speech chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album's first single was "Like Marvin Gaye Said (What's Going On)".[4] It first appeared on the Marvin Gaye tribute album Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye.[5]
Production
editThe album was produced by Speech, who also sang on some of the songs.[6][7] He played most of the instruments on the album, and recorded it in his home studio.[8] Speech contains guest appearances from Pappa Jon, Laurneá Wilkerson, and Foley.[9][10]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [9] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[12] |
| Knoxville News Sentinel | [13] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [14] |
| Muzik | [15] |
Trouser Press thought that "Speech shows that he can still construct a lulling, even groovy song cycle, but at this point he just doesn’t have the lyrical chops to give it substance."[16] Entertainment Weekly determined that, "with its rapturous echoes of Sly, Stevie, and Prince, Speech by Speech, the boss of the defunct Arrested Development, is more arresting than anyone had a right to expect."[12] The Knoxville News Sentinel concluded that the album "restores some of the initial promise of his group Arrested Development before the band burned out in a blaze of self-importance a couple of years ago."[13]
Vibe called the album "a mess," noting Speech's "desire to become the male Tracy Chapman."[17] The Boston Globe praised Speech's "gift for poppy, smoothly persuasive hip-hop, rather than the gnashing, in-your-face variety."[18] The New York Times stated that "the sound is rawer and less produced and layered than Arrested Development's music... Where Arrested Development sounded like many streams flowing into a single river, the styles, beats and words on Speech all seem to flow from a single stream-of-consciousness."[8]
AllMusic wrote that, "where his former group sounded rootsy and gritty even at their most laid-back, Speech's record sounds slick, generally lacking in funk or dirt."[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can U Hear Me?" | |
| 2. | "Ask Somebody Who Ain't (If U Think the System's Workin')" | |
| 3. | "Filled with Real" | |
| 4. | "Why U Gotta Be Feelin' Like Dat" | |
| 5. | "If U Was Me" | |
| 6. | "Impregnated Tid Bits of Dope Hits" | |
| 7. | "Let's Be Hippies" | |
| 8. | "Freestyle #8 from Speech's Vault" | |
| 9. | "Like Marvin Gaye Said (What's Going On)" | |
| 10. | "Hopelessly" | |
| 11. | "Insomnia Song" | |
| 12. | "Poor Little Music Boy" | |
| 13. | "Ghetto Sex" | |
| 14. | "Tell Me Something (Let Me Know)" | |
| 15. | "Runnin' Wild" |
References
edit- ^ Reynolds, J.R. (Dec 16, 1995). "Chrysalis set frees Speech to be solo act". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 50. p. 54.
- ^ "Speech Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Arrested Development's Speech". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
- ^ McCarthy, Anthony W. (9 Dec 1995). "Arrested Development breaks up: Speech on his own ... new father". Afro-American Red Star. Vol. 105, no. 17. p. B8.
- ^ Verna, Paul (Feb 17, 1996). "Albums — Speech by Speech". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 7. p. 87.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (14 Apr 1996). "Speech's Latest Developments". The Washington Post. p. G14.
- ^ Kot, Greg (9 Feb 1996). "Hip Hop Hunkers Down as New Albums Come Up Short". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. O.
- ^ a b Strauss, Neil (25 Jan 1996). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C19.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 650.
- ^ Deggans, Eric (23 Feb 1996). "Speech: Speech". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 13.
- ^ a b "Speech". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Speech". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b Campbell, Chuck (23 Feb 1996). "Speech Develops Beyond Arrested Development". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. T8.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 42.
- ^ Ashon, Will (March 1996). "Speech: Speech" (PDF). Muzik. p. 96. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "Arrested Development". Trouser Press. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ Gonzalez, Michael A. (Mar 1996). "Revolutions". Vibe. Vol. 4, no. 2. p. 122.
- ^ Morse, Steve (26 Jan 1996). "Freedom of Speech: Arrested Development's former leader takes a positive step". Living. The Boston Globe. p. 59.