By GERRY SHIH Special to the Daily Press
SANTA MONICA PIER As a group intimately familiar with both the penniless hustle and the breathtaking heights of success and wealth, Atlanta’s Grammy-award winning hip-hop act Arrested Development should feel right at home in Santa Monica.
The eight-person ensemble, headed by principal lyricist Speech, will bring its positive message, along with the Agape International Chorus, to tonight’s Twilight Dance Series concert at the Santa Monica Pier.
While bullet-ridden gangsta rap was flourishing after NWA’s impact in the late ’80s, Speech and A.D. co-founder Headliner polished their introspective and uplifting approach to hip-hop, but struggled to land a record contract.
To be exact, it took “Three years, five months and two days” — the bittersweet title of A.D.’s highly acclaimed debut album — for the progressive act from the rural south to finally get signed by British mega-label Chrysalis. Hits like “Tennessee” soon rolled out, critical acclaim trickled in and the glare of the media spotlight became a welcome nuisance. In 1993, the group’s long uphill climb culminated in Best New Artist and Best Rap Single Grammys.
Arrested Development faded from the scene in the late ’90s, but remained focused on producing “life music,” all the while resisting the commercial pressures of making hip-hop tracks that glorified bling, guns and drugs.
Consistent with its music and image, Arrested Development donated money to Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress in South Africa. They also funneled royalties into the National Coalition for the Homeless and UNICEF efforts for relief in Sudan.
The group’s two-hour act tonight will include songs from their latest album, “Since the Last Time,” the band’s agent, Dave Strunk, said this week.
Tonight’s opener — The Agape International Choir, from Culver City — is similarly expected to set an uplifting tone, courtesy of its 100 singers.
According to the group’s musical director, Rickie Beckwith, 30 singers will be positioned on stage, 30 more will be at ground-level in front of the risers and the rest will be dispersed among the audience as “ambassadors” to encourage participation.
“We will do one high-power gospel song,” she said. “Not a Jesus song, but it’s up-tempo, it’s powerful and it hits like a gospel song.”
The choir has gained worldwide acclaim for its rousing performances, sectional harmonies, counterpoint, tempo-patterns and enthusiasm. Despite its affiliation with the Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City, the material is more spiritual than religious, said Beckwith.
“We’re not talking about Allah, Jesus or the Buddha, specifically,” Beckwith said. “Our choir just speaks about love and speaks about God. We do Buddhist chant and African chant, and I’ve written chants about life in Spanish. Our religion is love.”
The multi-ethnic composition of the choir also reflects its disregard for national affiliations or differences in race. Since its beginning in 1989, the choir has been invited to perform before audiences in New Zealand, India, Ghana, among others.
“I’d love for other people to know that we exist, because I think that we inspire people,” Beckwith said. “We just want to show up whenever we’re invited and let the music go around the world.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 9, 2007. Read the original PDF.