Slum Village

Slum Village

Slum Village is a Detroit hip hop group that forms in 1996 and remains active. The group is known for a changing line-up and for music that reflects Detroit life, soul influences and the city’s rap heritage.

Formation and membership

Slum Village emerges in the late 1990s as a trio made up of T3, Baatin and Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla. Over time, members come and go, and the group goes through several line-up changes. After J Dilla leaves following the group’s first national album, Elzhi joins for Trinity (Past, Present And Future). At different points, the group includes T3, Elzhi, Baatin and Illa J, with Young RJ also part of the wider membership listed for the group.

Albums and key releases

The group first releases Fan-tas-tic Vol. 1 independently, and this helps establish them as a notable underground act. Their follow-up, Fantastic, Vol. 2 (Barak), becomes an underground classic. While working on that album, they record with D'Angelo, Busta Rhymes, Kurupt, Pete Rock and A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip. Q-Tip describes the group as a continuation of the Native Tongues tradition.

After J Dilla leaves, Slum Village continues with Dirty District, a mixtape released in 2002, and then Trinity (Past, Present And Future) (Barak/Capitol), their first album with Elzhi. On that record, the single “Tainted” becomes the group’s biggest hit.

Detroit Deli (Barak/Capitol) follows with T3 and Elzhi as the core line-up. The album includes “Zoom,” “Do You,” “Selfish,” “Dirty,” “Count The Ways,” “Keep Holding On,” “Old Girl/Shining Star” and “The Reunion.” It mixes lighter songs about everyday life, cars, clothes and relationships with more serious material about struggle, hope and support for single mothers. The track “Reunion” includes J Dilla and reflects different views of the group’s own situation.

The group also releases Prequel to a Classic, a mixtape of previously unreleased material with production from B.R. Gunna, J Dilla and Kareem Riggins. Their production on this material and across the catalogue draws on soul, futuristic beats and a strong Detroit identity.

Sound and collaborators

Slum Village’s music is rooted in hip hop and is closely associated with Detroit’s funk and soul-influenced sound. Their work features production from J Dilla, Black Milk, Young RJ, B.R. Gunna, Kanye West and Kareem Riggins. On Detroit Deli, Kanye West produces “Selfish,” J Dilla produces “Do You,” and B.R. Gunna produces “Dirty” and “Count The Ways.” Black Milk and Young RJ handle much of the album’s production, and T3 and Young RJ also produce “Closer” and “Count The Ways.”

The group’s collaborations also include Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who appears on “Dirty.” Across its career, Slum Village keeps a reputation for underground credibility while remaining closely tied to the Detroit scene and to the legacy of J Dilla, who dies in 2006. Baatin dies in 2009.