Spiritual People
The world would be a nicer place if everyone were as grounded, optimistic, and spiritual as formerArrested Developmentsinger-rapper Speech. Whether he's decrying the commodification of music ("Brought to You By . . ."), unnecessary agendas ("The Simple Love of Life"), relationship woes (the eerilyBoyz II Men-styled "Livin' in the Real World"), or flaunting his individuality ("It's a Challenge for Me"), Speech uses his aptly titled soul-gospel-pop-infusedSpiritual Peopleto soapbox for the greater good. Unfortunately, the Georgia-based musician's points often come off more as self-help prescriptions than declarative statements. And with a few notable exceptions ("Brother Speech," "Y-O," and the thoroughly ill-advised "Jungle Man"), there's not much rap going on. Still, when Speech hits, he hits the mark; the ridiculously upbeat "Cruisin' in My Super Beetle" is a corker even if, like most of the songs here, it's weirdly toothless.--Kim Hughes