Since the birth of Hip Hop in the 1970s there have been main twists and turns along the way, but through them all few have sustained longevity like Arrested Development. Brought together back in 1988 by Todd Thomas, famously known as Speech, Arrested Development would become one of the most well-known Hip Hop groups during the ‘90s era. Of course, doing so with the mega 1992 debut album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of…, ‘93’s Unplugged album and memorable ’94 sophomore album Zingalamaduni would follow.
From here, Arrested Development would not return until six years later, however, since that time it has been two plus decades of prolific, steady creation from the band. In fact, since 2001, Arrested Development has released ten studio albums from Heroes of the Harvest through to 2021’s For the Fkn Love. Crunching the numbers, that is an average of around an album a year for twenty years. Rather impressive, now in 2024 they return with their latest, Bullets In The Chamber.
Their first album in a little over two years, Bullets In The Chamber arrived on January 12th via Vagabond Productions. Now, if you are wondering where you can listen to Bullets In The Chambers, it can indeed be streamed or digitally purchased everywhere from Spotify to Amazon Music, but also through Bandcamp. That in mind, it should be noted that the latest works from Arrested Development is not singular to 17-track Bullets In The Chamber album, but also includes a 4 song EP called Round Two; which popped up one day prior to the LP on January 11th. Any interesting way to split up the music, Arrested Development have been anything but conventional over the years in regards to releasing music… after all, back in 2016 they released two full-length albums (Changing The Narrative & This Was Never Home) on the same day.
All of this in mind, there are a few things to consider as you dive into Bullets In The Chamber. As alluded to, Arrested Development has sustained themselves successfully as an independent act for decades now. This means without the assistance of a major label they have produced, released, and successfully engaged listeners with their music the world over. They have toured regularly, created quality tunes, and even justiciable earned themselves accolades; including an award on behalf of Black Music Honors (which is an organization that acknowledges artists that have made a significant contribution to African-American music). Forever and always led by Speech, his vision has stood fast through highs and lows, ups and downs, and through the power of positive thinking he and Arrested Development have once again have created some extremely thoughtful music.
Additionally, this new collection features production from Speech, along with Configa, but also includes collaborative performances with the likes of Public Enemy’s own Chuck D, Canibus, Diana King, Sa-Roc, Ras Kass, Sky Zoo, Grandmaster Caz, Sol Messiah, and O’hene Savant. Compelling bonuses, lyrically the album has much to unfold… although you should really expect nothing less.
What this all means is that Arrested Development tackle many issues plaguing humanity; and this includes most importantly the hypocrisy and the tragedies surrounding us all. For example, there is a heavy emotion amidst cuts like “Hour Glass,” which combines various styles. This is while there is a strong message turning something we may have perceived as negative into something positive; this is evident with songs like “Classy,” “Overachiever,” or “Still Fire Up.”
Just a few samples of what is in-between the lines of Bullets In The Chamber, other stellar standouts include the striking “For Free” with various references to decline of humanity, “And This I Know,” which equally calls out the political powers on both sides of the spectrum. Furthermore, you also have the ear-tingling “Hip Hop Saves Lives” where you get a killer guest appearance from Chuck D and Grandmaster Caz.
Overall, Bullets In The Chamber is an album immersed with lyrics that not only get the gears in your mind turning, but also force you to sometimes stop, rewind, and replay it again. Not a bad thing at all, it just means the messaging is rather intense… so you are going to want to be sure to hear it intuitively in order to grasp everything. That is why it is probably best to listen to this record once through just to take it in, a second time with a copy of the lyrics in-hand, and then a third time around to piece it all together. Complimenting all of this, the production is solid to match memorable melodies, rhythms, and grooves. An album that adds a bold explanation point to the continued story of Arrested Development, Cryptic Rock gives Bullets In The Chamber 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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