Monday, July 23, 2007

A look back: Slum VS '05



With the decline of quality mainstream Hip Hop nowadays, I have been listening to a lot more stuff that I would have overlooked before. And I'm so glad I have because I might have discovered what I believe to be the best album of 05, being a year that consisted of both Kanye and 50's sophmore efforts and newcomers suchs as Game and Jeezy.

The album i'm talking about is Slum Village's self-titled release. If your not already familiar with them, I urge you to go out and buy this album along with Fantastic Vol. 1&2. Here is a brief little review I found while doing some research on the album:

"Slum Village has gone through a lot of revamping over the years. It all started with Jay Dee, Baatin, and T3 on their debut release Fantastic, Vol. 2 (there was no Volume 1, although some point to their demo as the first installment.) The collective continued with Elzhi joining the group (after losing super producer Jay-Dee) for Trinity: Past, Present, and Future. The group finally manifested to just T3 and Elzhi for Detroit Deli (now missing the schizophrenic Baatin). Fighting to stay in the game and keep the Slum Village name relevant, they release Prequel To A Classic in early 2005. By this point, they've discovered their direction and purpose and are ready to start all over again to validate their existence. The rock-solid duo release their self titled Slum Village album in hopes of doing just that.

"Multiply" resurrects the signature Slum Village sound that Fantastic, Vol. 2 fans will appreciate the most. "Set It" is an upbeat track that promises to make your head bob back and forth to the beat. "Call Me" features long-time collaborator Dwele singing the hook over an Isley Brother sample that is done like no other song. "05" gives a retrospective of their ongoing transformation as a group and utilizes live instrumentation for a change of pace from the norm. Slum Village dives deeper and gives even more particulars regarding their constant reconstruction with the song "Def Do Us." Other stand outs include the energetic "Ez Up," the equally upbeat "Hear This," and the poignant "Can I Be Me."

Download Here

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