{{Short description|American rapper}} {{about|the American rapper|the British rapper and Mercury Prize winner|Speech Debelle}} {{BLP sources|date=December 2014}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2015}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Speech | image = Arrested Development @ Supreme Court Gardens (24 1 2009) (3295913335).jpg | caption = Speech with Arrested Development in 2009 | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Todd Thomas | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age |1968|10|25}} | death_date = | birth_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | genre = Hip hop | occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|singer|songwriter}} | years_active = 1984–present | label = Chrysalis/EMI | current_member_of = Arrested Development | website = {{URL|speechmusic.com}} }}
'''Todd Thomas''' (born October 25, 1968), better known by the stage name '''Speech''', is an American rapper. He is a member of the progressive hip hop group Arrested Development and has released a number of solo albums.
==Early life== Speech was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and spent his childhood years there and in Ripley, Tennessee, before relocating to Georgia in 1987 to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta.<ref name="LarkinDM">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1998|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0252-6|pages=320/1}}</ref> He attended Rufus King High School and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His first rap group, Attack, was active from 1984 until 1986. He also DJ'd at a popular teen club called the Fox Trap along with other guest DJs.
==Music career== ===Arrested Development=== In 1987, Speech joined with fellow DJ Headliner to form the group Arrested Development.<ref name="LarkinDM"/> After over three years together, the group released their inaugural album, ''3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of...''.<ref name="LarkinDM"/> Speech performed lead vocals, and produced the group's tracks. The group's follow-up album, ''Zingalamaduni'',<ref name="LarkinDM"/> fared poorly by comparison, but was critically acclaimed. In a four star review, Rolling Stone wrote that "Speech still has a gift for the swinging rhythms and decent expressions that get past the differences that divide the pop audience."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=White |first=Armond |date=1994-06-30 |title=Zingalamaduni |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/zingalamaduni-183899/ |access-date=2023-07-31 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> Speech went on to pursue his solo career, also starting Vagabond Productions as a vehicle for Arrested Development and their business dealings, and became a promoter of neo soul, hip-hop, and rock concerts in Atlanta. The company then switched to representing artists in U.S. and Japan. Since then, Vagabond has become an all around production house that presents music to various labels and digital outlets across the world.
In 2000, Speech also reunited with Arrested Development (without the participation of DJ Headliner or Aerle Taree).
===Solo=== His debut solo album, ''Speech'', on Chrysalis/EMI, was released January 23, 1996.<ref name="LarkinDM"/> "Like Marvin Said (What's Going On)", released by EMI Records in November 1995, was the first single from the album.<ref name="LarkinDM"/> From March to May 1996, Speech toured Japan, Guadeloupe, Amsterdam, and several areas of the U.S. "Like Marvin Said" was a No. 1 hit in Japan for seven weeks. In December 1996, Speech became a disciple of Jesus Christ within the International Churches of Christ. Speech did various shows with Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Youssou N'dour, James Brown, Parliament – Funkadelic, Jason Mraz, and The Roots. The musical side of Speech kept him producing and writing songs for progressive artists like Zap Mama, Spike Lee's Malcolm X soundtrack, and ''Boomerang'' starring Eddie Murphy. He was in other movies like ''Bebe's Kids, Warriors of Virtue, Whipped'', and the Michael Jordan documentary ''To the Max'' (an IMAX production). He built a home studio called the Podium in Fayetteville, Georgia. He licensed his second solo album in 1998, ''1998 Hoopla'', to Toshiba EMI in Japan. ''Hoopla'' was later released in 1999 in the United States on TVT Records. In 2000, Speech recorded and licensed to Toshiba EMI his third solo project entitled ''Spiritual People'', which garnered his biggest solo album sales to date, being certified gold by the RIAJ in November 2000.<ref name="RIAJ-jan2001">{{cite journal |title=GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年11月度 |trans-title=Gold Albums, and other certified works. November 2000 Edition |url=http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2001/2001_01.pdf | journal=The Record |type=Bulletin |language=Japanese |location=Chūō, Tokyo |publisher=Recording Industry Association of Japan |date=January 10, 2001 |volume=494 |page=9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117023958/http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2001/2001_01.pdf |archive-date=January 17, 2014 |access-date=January 17, 2014}}</ref> Speech followed up with various sold-out tours and heavy promotional schedules. ''Spiritual People'' was later released in the United States in 2001 on ArtistDirect. Speech then licensed to Toshiba EMI, Down South Produckshuns which spawned another top 10 hit entitled "Braided Hair." Vagabond Productions later released a Speech solo compilation of Down South Produckshun songs, ''Spiritual People'' songs (U.S. version) and songs from Arrested Development's ''Among the Trees'' album, entitled ''The Vagabond'' in 2006. That album was released on Bluhammock records and won in The 6th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album.<ref>[http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/jukebox2007.asp Independent Music Awards – 6th Annual Winners] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501181807/http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/jukebox2007.asp |date=May 1, 2009 }}</ref>
Speech toured with US Vice President Al Gore and First Lady Hillary Clinton in the South during the 1996 United States Presidential election. Speech was also invited to and attended the inaugural celebrations. In November 1996, he toured with Hootie and the Blowfish.
In addition to touring and releasing his own albums, Speech has performed on several other projects including ''1 Giant Leap'' and collaborating with Zap Mama on "Each Step Moves Us On".
==Publications== *''What Is Success?.'' Vagabond Records and Tapes, 2009.
==Discography== ===Solo albums=== *''Speech'' (1996), Chrysalis *''Hoopla'' (1998), TVT *''Spiritual People'' (2000), Toshiba EMI *''Down South Produckshuns'' (2002), Toshiba EMI *''Peechy'' (2003), Toshiba EMI *''The Vagabond'' (2005), Bluhammock *''The Grown Folks Table'' (2009), Vagabond Records and Tapes *''Expansion'' (2020), Vagabond Record and Tapes
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/uys-arrested-development-speech-interview/ Speech video interview at allaboutjazz.com]
{{Arrested development}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Speech}} Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American male rappers Category:20th-century American rappers Category:Chrysalis Records artists Category:Independent Music Awards winners Category:Grammy Award winners for rap music Category:Midwest hip-hop musicians Category:People from Fayetteville, Georgia Category:People from Ripley, Tennessee Category:Musicians from Milwaukee Category:Rappers from Atlanta Category:Rappers from Tennessee Category:TVT Records artists Category:Underground rappers Category:Arrested Development (group) members Category:21st-century American rappers Category:African-American Christians Category:Christians from Tennessee Category:Rufus King International High School alumni Category:University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni Category:21st-century African-American rappers Category:20th-century African-American musicians Category:21st-century African-American male rappers Category:21st-century American male rappers