On July 4th, as fireworks erupted from coast to coast in the United States, Arrested Development quietly set a blaze in the world of hip hop with the release of their 16th album, Adult Contemporary Hip Hop. But this wasn’t just any other drop by the Grammy-winning pioneers; it was a celebration, a tribute, and a mission wrapped into 20 potent tracks. But most of all, it was their emotional tribute to the late Twan Mack, who suddenly passed away in November 2024.
“Twan Mack had been a friend to me from high school for real,” says frontman Speech, his voice aflame with reminiscence and reverence. “He had a pure and hungry heart for Hip-Hop going in its most healthy and progressive of directions.
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That heart now pulses through each line of Adult Contemporary Hip Hop. The project, featuring contributions from Ke’Andra, Bee Taylor, Tasha LaRae, 1 Love, and a posthumous verse from Twan, is a mosaic of wisdom, growth, and spiritual grit. It starts with “Let’s Get On With It,” and Speech now doesn’t pull one, straight saying Twan’s death in the opening bar and plunging deep into musings on self-growth and societal disconnect.
It’s not just the themes or the features that make this album special; it’s the purpose of it. Twan Mack had a vision to create a lane within the industry that can be respected by both grown Hip-Hop fans and his peers. He was the man who invented the term “adult contemporary Hip-Hop,” and Speech made sure that dream would not perish with him.
Adult Contemporary Hip Hop is a lesson in getting older while still maintaining an edge, with verses about Life that blend boom-bap soul with razor-sharp insight. It doesn’t shy away from the facts, but finds a way to couch them in familiar yet forward-looking melodies. The post-Civil Rights Era funk/hip-hop crew hasn’t missed a beat since debuting in 1992 with 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of…, and in fact, they might be more timely than ever.
And, free on top of that, is the accompanying video for “Pack It Out,” shot in the vast expanse of the desert and filled with pure joy. Speech and the crew bound around in the sand, spitting rhymes like gospel and flipping the script on the cynicism that hangs over most of today’s headlines. “Back to back with boom bap and all the stats to fill the score sheet,” Speech raps, letting us know that positivity and longevity can coexist in Hip-Hop.
Over 3 decades later, Arrested Development is back to break new ground, to blaze a new path… and to continue to carry Twan Mack’s torch! Adult Contemporary Hip Hop is not so much an album. It’s a movement, a grown man’s anthem and landowner’s creed, a healer’s instruction manual and a best friend’s parting thank-you. And for lovers of the real Hip-Hop with soul, it’s a must-hear.
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