3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... is the debut album by American hip hop group Arrested Development, released on March 24, 1992.

Named after the length of time it took the group to get a record contract, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... starkly contrasted the gangsta rap that ruled the hip hop charts in 1992 (such as Dr. Dre's The Chronic), focusing on spirituality, peace and love.

[2][13] Entertainment Weekly's James Bernard gave the album an "A+" and praised it as a "fresh-sounding debut", referring to the group as "the anti-gangsta" and "perhaps rap's most self-reflective act.

"[14] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune wrote that the group "displays unusual worldliness, wisdom and awareness on its debut, immediately establishing itself as a major new voice in hip-hop", noting Speech's social themes and rejection of "macho boasting and gangster posing".

[16] Retrospectively, Steve Huey of AllMusic wrote that the rise of gangsta rap abruptly ended what seemed to be a "shining new era in alternative rap" heralded by 3 Years and that the album, while not "quite as revolutionary as it first seemed", was nonetheless "a fine record that often crosses the line into excellence", further crediting it as "a major influence on a new breed of alternative Southern hip-hop, including Goodie Mob, Outkast, and Nappy Roots".