Speech (Speech album)

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Speech
Studio album by
Speech
Released1996
Recorded1994–95
GenreRap
LabelChrysalis[1]
ProducerSpeech
Speech chronology
Speech
(1996) 		Hoopla
(1999)

Speech is the first solo album by the American rapper Speech, released in 1996.[2][3]

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

The 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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[9]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[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

No.TitleLength
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

  1. ^ Reynolds, J.R. (Dec 16, 1995). "Chrysalis set frees Speech to be solo act". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 50. p. 54.
  2. ^ "Speech Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ "Arrested Development's Speech". MTV News.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Verna, Paul (Feb 17, 1996). "Albums — Speech by Speech". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 7. p. 87.
  6. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (14 Apr 1996). "Speech's Latest Developments". The Washington Post. p. G14.
  7. ^ Kot, Greg (9 Feb 1996). "Hip Hop Hunkers Down as New Albums Come Up Short". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. O.
  8. ^ a b Strauss, Neil (25 Jan 1996). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C19.
  9. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 650.
  10. ^ Deggans, Eric (23 Feb 1996). "Speech: Speech". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 13.
  11. ^ a b "Speech". AllMusic.
  12. ^ a b "Speech". Entertainment Weekly.
  13. ^ a b Campbell, Chuck (23 Feb 1996). "Speech Develops Beyond Arrested Development". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. T8.
  14. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 42.
  15. ^ Ashon, Will (March 1996). "Speech: Speech" (PDF). Muzik. p. 96. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Arrested Development". Trouser Press. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  17. ^ Gonzalez, Michael A. (Mar 1996). "Revolutions". Vibe. Vol. 4, no. 2. p. 122.
  18. ^ Morse, Steve (26 Jan 1996). "Freedom of Speech: Arrested Development's former leader takes a positive step". Living. The Boston Globe. p. 59.
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