As a spotty 13-year-old, I used to pride myself on knowing not just every single line of Mr Wendal but also the way each word was emphasised.
Poised metres from the DJ booth waiting for my request to get things moving at the weekly school disco, it's only now I can admit I'd never really considered what those thought-provoking syllables were trying to say.
For lead singer of Arrested Development, Speech, who wrote the words, the fact his lyrics reached the masses was enough.
"Yeah, I do look back and say crazy," he said of his 20-year music career. "I say beautiful and I say memorable. I say very, very memorable times."
The name deriving from watching black people struggle in America "we looked at the situation within the black community and saw it as being in a state of arrested development", Speech got the band together to fight against the unrest. "That was the whole reason we got together as a band," he said.
Since the group's founding in 1988, Arrested Development have been infecting the world with their catchy melodies and grooves. Their first album, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days…in the Life was released in 1992, the album title a reflection on how long it took them to establish a record deal.
"I don't think we had a plan to give up," said Speech. "At that time when we were trying to get a record deal I promised my mum and dad, who wanted me to go to college, I said ‘if you give me two years and pay my rent I can really focus on this music thing'."
Year two came and went and nothing. Year three the group struck gold, that year becoming one of the major success stories in the music industry.
"I actually went back to school to study African history. That's when I got my deal."
Speech and first member Headliner — named because he was the group barber and no longer performs with the collective — Arrested Development were described by Rolling Stone as a "progressive rap collective fusing soul, blues, hip-hop, and Sly & the Family Stone-influenced funk with political, socially conscious lyrics".
The basic idea was to give rap a more positive, Afrocentric theme after hearing the legendary Public Enemy.
"It helped shape my political views," said Speech looking at his feet as he speaks. "My mum owns the largest black-owned newspaper in Wisconsin. I was born into a political family but I really started to find myself. Without a doubt my studies also helped influence my music. I was in a soul-searching period of my life. I was like 19 and all of this was starting to happen and I listened to some very influential records which helped me go in the direction I was going in."
Accolades
The first album spawned hit singles Tennessee, People Everyday and Mr Wendal and with the accolades pouring in, Speech and the other seven members of the crew reached places they never planned for. "As successful as we became it was definitely a surprise to us. A pleasant one. We never set out to make some huge commercial record. We set out to make a difference and we managed that. That was the huge surprise and what was so pleasant."
Arrested Development reached an all-time high when they picked up Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album and Best New Artist and were named Rolling Stone's Band of the Year.
With success came a very real pressure to repeat it. "To be honest with you it was a stressful time for me and the band. Whenever you have your first album be so big I think it causes number one, stress, but also you lose your point of perspective because you don't really have a lot of things to bounce it off. You start out with such a huge record and other bands usually build a slower career. It made it difficult."
The pressure too much, Arrested Development eventually went their separate ways in 1996 but it was short-lived. The group reunited in 2000 and since then have been releasing music internationally.
"That's what the beauty of what we did was to be honest. It was a type of music where people had to come around to us in a sense. We didn't come around to what was already popular at the time. We didn't expect it to do so well. But we were also so grateful."
The group's first album sold more than five million copies albums and set the pace for a career which has lasted 20 years.
"I think rap has lost its way in a lot, to be honest," said Speech changing the subject. "Not just in terms of politics but in the way this art form can affect the youth culture and the world. I think we've seen the power that rap wields. Rap has really done an amazing thing to the culture of this planet and I think we've forgotten how powerful it can be on a positive front, not just on a monetary front."
Both as a solo artist — Speech went it alone when the group disbanded — and as the leader of Arrested Development, the 39-year-old says he speaks through music to the world.
"We have been through so much turmoil and strife for hundreds of years now. We get on stage every night with the mission to broaden the perspectives and give inspiration to rise above the stereotypes and materialism."
The group describes their sound as "life music". Tunes about consciousness, the earth, African self-determination and love. They define themselves as hip-hop artists but also dancers, vocalists, turntablist, drummers, and everything in between.
Lighting up
"One moment which will always mean the world to me is that we had a show in Denver, Colorado at about 3pm," his face lighting up. "We were opening up for Metallica for about 20,000 people and we had a show that same day at about 7pm in Milwaukee, which is where I'm from, to do a show in the biggest venue for about 25,000."
Dropping in they were transported from venue to venue in their private jet, the only hint this man was anything close to a superstar. Speech's humble side is always present.
"We got to perform in the venue that I grew up watching all my heroes perform at and we were the main act there," he said. "It was probably the most memorable moment of my life."
Arrested Development are and have always been a communal music community with any number of talented members on board; picture your family reunion but more musical. Speech may be the most known member of the group, being the frontman, but Dionne Farris, Eshe (Black Life), Rasa Don (Raz), Baba Oje (the elder), Nicha and many others have contributed to their image and sound.
So what can expect from Chi Thursday night?
"We'll be doing what we normally do which is a celebration," he said.
"Our shows are normally pretty high energy by nature. A lot of crowd participation. One of the main things we try and accomplish is to have fun. We are a band who have such a message in our music that people tend to be surprised by how fun and lively our shows are. We try and make it about all of us together. It's a communal experience."
Don't miss it
Arrested Development will perform at Chi Garden tonight. Tickets, priced Dh150 and Dh250, are available at the door. For table reservations, visit chinightclubdubai.com
