Speech

Todd "Speech" Thomas was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 1968. He attended Clark Atlanta University and the Art Institute of Atlanta. Speech burst on the scene in 1992 like a cultural storm trooper. As the musical, political and conceptual force behind the hip-hop group, Arrested Development, he set the tone for their brand of conscious reality. Winning two Grammy awards, two MTV awards, and NAACP award, the multi-platinum group shook up play lists everywhere, jumping genres and becoming as popular on top twenty "pop" stations as on "urban-underground" radio. In addition to airplay, Arrested Development became just as well known for their live shows, which they appropriately termed as "celebrations". These celebrations became an integral part of such major events as WOMAD, Lollapalooza, and Woodstock '94. Speech has continued to grow on several fronts -- politically, spiritually, socially, musically and emotionally.