Tampa Riverfest 2024

Mike Mullis (Vagabond) A lotta things to do Ask any hip-hop head in Milwaukee, and they’ll tell you that Todd Thomas knows a lot about community. Better known as Speech, the 55-year-old founder of Arrested Development put his stamp on the 414 not just through his band’s positive, soulful, Afrocentric brand of rap, but how he moved through his community. “It was not just, ‘OK, I rapped with him’ or ‘He produced a song for me,’” DJ Bizzon told Radio Milwaukee… “they knew him, they worked with him, they met with him, they just knew where he lived. He was just around.”

Speech and friends headline day two of downtown Tampa’s weekend-long celebration of community, which is preceded by local bands a “Taste of the Riverwalk” food festival, and hot air balloons (Friday), taco festival and weiner dog races, plus stand up paddleboard races, more music and local markets (Saturday). Read our interview with Speech on p. 42. Tampa Riverfest. Friday-Saturday, May 3-4. No cover for GA, food wristbands and VIP available for $15 & up. Curtis Hixon Park and Water Works Park. thetampariverwalk.com —Ray Roa