Arrested Development

Boisdale, Canary Wharf, Cabot Place, E14 4QT London Directions

Thu 27.08.2026 21:00

Tickets / Registration

Table reservations from 6pm | Live Music: 9pm

'Band of the Year' - Rolling Stone, 1992

Arrested Development sold out Boisdale once already. They're back. In 1993 they became the first hip-hop act in Grammy history to win Best New Artist, beating Annie Lennox, Eric Clapton and Toni Braxton to do it. The same night "Tennessee" won Best Rap Performance. Six million copies of the debut album. Number seven on the Billboard 200. Rolling Stone's Band of the Year. Spike Lee called them for the Malcolm X soundtrack. All of that from a group Atlanta record labels spent three years and five months refusing to sign.

Speech built something that had no real precedent: hip-hop with a live band, rooted in funk, gospel and African tradition, that crossed over without selling out. "Tennessee", "People Everyday" and "Mr. Wendal" were all certified gold singles from the same debut record. Their follow-up Zingalamaduni earned a third Grammy nomination. They put out a new single, "All I See Is Melanin", in 2025. This is not a nostalgia act running on fumes.

Live they perform with a full band and the kind of energy that explains why the last Boisdale show sold out. Expect "Tennessee", "People Everyday", "Mr. Wendal" and deeper cuts from a catalogue that sounded like nothing else in 1992 and still doesn't. Conscious hip-hop with a real rhythm section underneath it is rarer than it should be. This is the genuine article.

Visit our 1st Floor Bar and Heated Garden Terrace located for pre & post-show drinks! *Subject to availability

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Performers

Arrested Development
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Speaks thru music to the world. Speech one of the vocalist for this collective says, "people have been through so much turmoil and strife. We get on stage every night with the mission to broaden the perspectives and give inspiration to rise up." Unsurprisingly, then, the Grammy award winning group Arrested Development has been devoted to nudging folks in the direction of freedom and spiritual evolution for over 23 years. The group describes their sound as "Life Music." A.D. respects women, and promotes family, spirituality and "male responsibility." They are dancers, vocalists, turntableist, and drummers. Arrested Development is a communal music force. Current members are: Speech, 1 Love, JJ Boogie, Za, Tasha LaRae & Fareedah Aleem. Former members are: Montsho Eshe, Rasa Don, Aerle Taree, Baba Oje, Ajile Axam, Dj Kemit, Nadirah Shakoor & Nicha Hillard. Others that have contributed to AD's kaleidoscope of sound are: Dionne Farris, Laurnea, Paulette, & Muwakana. AD's debut album 3 years, 5 months and 2 days in the life of...(EMI) referred to the amount of time passed between the start of the group and the signing of their first record deal. Singles like "Tennessee", is an open letter to God, which, not unlike Billie Holidays "Strange Fruit," gives new meaning to the term "Family tree." The song won an MTV music award for best rap single 1992. "People Everyday" another of their hits is a super funky treatment of the immortal Sly Stone anthem "Everyday People", also won them an MTV video award for best music video 1992. "Mr. Wendal" humanizes the "bums" on our streets. AD donated half of all the royalties to the National Coalition for the Homeless. AD has sold over 5 million albums to date. They've won 2 Grammy awards for best new artist and best rap single 1993. They were the first African - American artists to donate money to Nelson Mandela and the ANC in South Africa. AD has collaborated with director Spike Lee, on the Universal motion picture "X", Boomerang, among other movies. AD tours Australia, Asia, Europe, Canada, Africa and of course the U.S. to standing room-only crowds. They've shared stages with legends worldwide. In 2005, AD performed and won as audience favorite on NBC's, "Hit me Baby 1 more time". For that show they donated $20,000 to UNICEF for relief in Sudan, Africa. They are excited about their new projects and albums available at: www.ADtheBand.com #ADtheBand