Speech is an award winning artist, consistently pushing the artistic and social envelope. From writing some of the most iconic hip-hop songs to leading the trailblazing 2-time Grammy Award winning group, Arrested Development, to super stardom, this Milwaukee native has graced stages with legends including Nelson Mandela, James Brown, The Roots, Hilary Clinton, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Public Enemy, Herbie Hancock, Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.
Speech and Arrested Development have been a ground-breaking force in Hip-hop culture since 1991. Their debut album, “3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of…” (EMI), sold over 4 million albums, earned them two Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Rap Single “Tennessee”, 2 MTV awards for “People Everyday”, a Soul Train Music Award, and the coveted NAACP Image Award. Rolling Stone magazine named them Band of The Year in 1992 while VH-1 named them one of the greatest Hip-hop artists of all time! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even named the Arrested Development (AD) smash “Tennessee” one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll and “Tennessee” (performed by Arrested Development) was named by VH-1 as one of the top 500 songs of all time and his 5 solo albums reaped consecutive top 10 singles in Japan.
Speech has continued to be a trailblazer with the group and as a solo artist. He is the categorical definition of legendary. He has a heart to serve, with a unique mixture of performing and speaking. Speech and AD are constantly touring the world with events that celebrate life, death and the struggles of our ancestors! Speech started Black Existence as a worldwide resource for black diaspora culture. It’s a must see for those wanting black inspiration on their social media feed.
As an author, he speaks about how to be successful God’s way! His amazing book helps balance spirituality and a quest for success whether in business, arts or education. With a name like Speech, you know this brother can speak! Coming off an explosive TEDx Talk in Portland about race and our sacred serial numbers, Speech speaks truth to power. His accomplishments are many so, we provide just a few highlights below.
