Slum Village is a
hip hopHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
group from Conant Gardens,
Detroit, MichiganDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
.
The group was formed by three members: rappers
BaatinDeaths in 2009 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- →The following is a list of deaths in July 2009.-31:*Sir Edward Folmer Archdale, 3rd Baronet, 87, British Royal Navy officer....
(deceased, 31 July 2009) and T3, plus rapper and
producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
Jay DeeJames Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
(deceased in February 2006). Jay Dee left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with
MCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part...
and was replaced by
ElzhiJason Powers is a rapper and a member of the Detroit group Slum Village. Elzhi joined Slum Village in 2001 while they were working on their third album, Trinity ....
, after which
BaatinDeaths in 2009 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- →The following is a list of deaths in July 2009.-31:*Sir Edward Folmer Archdale, 3rd Baronet, 87, British Royal Navy officer....
also left due to health complications.
Baatin, T3, and Jay Dee grew up together in the Conant Gardens neighborhood of
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
and attended Pershing High School.
Slum Village is a
hip hopHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
group from Conant Gardens,
Detroit, MichiganDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
.
The group was formed by three members: rappers
BaatinDeaths in 2009 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- →The following is a list of deaths in July 2009.-31:*Sir Edward Folmer Archdale, 3rd Baronet, 87, British Royal Navy officer....
(deceased, 31 July 2009) and T3, plus rapper and
producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
Jay DeeJames Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
(deceased in February 2006). Jay Dee left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with
MCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part...
and was replaced by
ElzhiJason Powers is a rapper and a member of the Detroit group Slum Village. Elzhi joined Slum Village in 2001 while they were working on their third album, Trinity ....
, after which
BaatinDeaths in 2009 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- →The following is a list of deaths in July 2009.-31:*Sir Edward Folmer Archdale, 3rd Baronet, 87, British Royal Navy officer....
also left due to health complications.
Jay Dee era
Baatin, T3, and Jay Dee grew up together in the Conant Gardens neighborhood of
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
and attended Pershing High School. The group steadily became popular in Detroit's
underground hip hopAlternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music that is defined in greatly varying ways. Allmusic defines it as follows:...
scene. Jay Dee also became a member of the production team known as
The UmmahThe Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. Occasional members included Raphael Saadiq, and D'Angelo...
, which produced the two last
A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985. The group is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but appears to have rejoined the group since 2006...
studio albums, as well as hits for a number of
R&BRhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
and hip hop musicians. Slum Village's first album, 1996's
Fantastic, Vol. 1, was not officially released until 2005 but highly sought after in underground circles. In 1998, the group opened for another hip hop trio, the above-mentioned
A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985. The group is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but appears to have rejoined the group since 2006...
, on their farewell tour.
Originally signed to the now defunct
A&MA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group which operates through the Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
record label, the group were forced to postpone the release of their official debut album due to label politics, but in June 2000 they released
Fantastic, Vol. 2Fantastic, Vol. 2 is the second album from Detroit's Slum Village, released in 2000. During the time of its release the group was still composed of its earliest members T3, Baatin and Jay Dee....
on GoodVibe Recordings. Also that year they released an album called
Best Kept SecretBest Kept Secret is an album by J-88 . Released prior to Jay Dee's departure from Slum Village, the album is the missing link between Fantastic 1 and Fantastic 2, along with a few remixes by producers Madlib, and IG Culture. Although much of the material was previously unreleased, two of the...
, under the alias
J-88, which featured remixes and leftover material from
Fantastic, Vol. 1.
Baatin era
Titus Glover (March 8, 1974–July 31, 2009), also known as
Baatin, was an American rapper who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in
Detroit, MichiganDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
part of the rap group
Slum VillageSlum Village is a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer Jay Dee...
.
Baatin got his start on the mic in 1986. In the early ’90s, he befriended the now deceased rapper
ProofDeShaun Dupree Holton , better known as Proof, was a Detroit rapper and member of the hip hop groups Goon Sqwad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and D12...
(of
D12D12 is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...
), and would accompany him to hip-hop nights at Stanley’s Café and 1515 Broadway. In 1991, Baatin’s hip-hop group, Ssenepod (dopeness spelled backward), changed its name to
Slum VillageSlum Village is a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer Jay Dee...
, which at the time, was made up of Jay Dee, Baatin and T3. It was then that Glover first christened himself Scandalous-T.
He remained as an active member of the group until the early 2000's. In the year 2002, shortly after the release of
the group's third albumTrinity is the third studio album by Slum Village, released on August 24, 2002.- Overview :Trinity marked the group's first shift away from its original lineup, due to J Dilla's departure following Fantastic, Vol. 2, to pursue a solo career...
, Baatin began to experience health problems, which interfered with the group's music and touring performances. In regard to his health problems, he said:
He soon went to the hospital and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Following this, he was no longer apart of the group. He stated that he was "kicked out while in hospital", receiving a termination letter that was signed by both
T3T3 or T-3 may refer to:* A T3 line, properly a Digital Signal 3, a type of telecommunications service, see T-carrier* T3 magazine, a monthly magazine published by Future Publishing focusing on new and hi-tech gadgets...
and
ElzhiJason Powers is a rapper and a member of the Detroit group Slum Village. Elzhi joined Slum Village in 2001 while they were working on their third album, Trinity ....
, while in the hospital. He also held the group's label responsible. In several interviews he stated:
After leaving the group, he began recording as a solo artist. During this period, he went by the name "Baatin the Slumlord." In 2008, the dispute was resolved and Baatin reunited with T3 and Elzhi, and worked on the group's sxth album "Villa Manifesto."
Elzhi era
For the 2002 release of
Trinity (Past, Present and Future)Trinity is the third studio album by Slum Village, released on August 24, 2002.- Overview :Trinity marked the group's first shift away from its original lineup, due to J Dilla's departure following Fantastic, Vol. 2, to pursue a solo career...
on Barak/
Capitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
, T3 brought in
ElzhiJason Powers is a rapper and a member of the Detroit group Slum Village. Elzhi joined Slum Village in 2001 while they were working on their third album, Trinity ....
to join the group as Jay Dee left to focus on his solo career. The album was a moderate success and contained the single "Tainted", produced by
Karriem RigginsKarriem Riggins is a jazz drummer, hip hop producer, and sometime rapper. He is a former member of the Ray Brown Trio and Mulgrew Miller trio and currently appears in the Diana Krall quartet....
and featuring
DweleAndwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
. Also in 2002,
Dirty District, a compilation of songs by Detroit rappers largely produced by T3 and "RJ" Rice, was released.
The group then became a duo consisting of T3 and Elzhi, when Baatin became sick touring in France shortly before the release of their 2004 album,
Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)Detroit Deli is Slum Village's fourth album, released on June 29, 2004. It was released shortly after Baatin left the group, leaving only T3 and Elzhi.- Overview :...
and departed to seek treatment . The album included the hit single, "Selfish", produced by
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
and featuring
John LegendJohn Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American recording artist, musician and actor...
. The song samples a part of the intro to the hit song "Call Me" by
Aretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock, soul, blues, pop, R&B and Gospel music...
. After parting ways with Capitol Records in 2005, they released
Prequel to a Classic, a mixtape of mostly previously unreleased material, followed by a self-titled release in October of the same year.
Former member Jay Dee died on February 10, 2006 after being diagnosed with
TTPThrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a rare disorder of the blood-coagulation system, causing extensive microscopic thromboses to form in small blood vessels throughout the body...
and
LupusLupus erythematosus is a connective tissue disease. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart, and lungs...
.
T3 has said in a interview that slum village has reunited with Baatin and has added Illa J(J Dilla's Brother) to bring a Dilla effect. He is quoted "Slum Village is totally not that at all,” T3 adds. “I’m incorporating Baatin, and I’m putting Illa J in — not to take Dilla’s place, but just to have that essence of Dilla on this new project. I’m pulling together all the producers that we’ve used before — Black Milk, Wajeed , Karriem Riggins, Pete Rock and all the people who have been down with SV from day one.”
Future projects by Slum Village include an album made with unused J Dilla beats, and an album produced mostly by Black Milk.
Baatin passed away on July 31, 2009 at the age of 35. His was found dead Saturday, in his home on 14000 Anglin Street in northeast
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
. Medical examiners have said that there were no visible signs of
traumaPhysical trauma refers to a physical injury, generally of a considerably severe degree. A trauma patient is someone who has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury with the potential for secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure and death.-Common causes:Comprehensive...
or
foul playFoul play may refer to:*Foul play, a synonym for crime*Foul Play, a film*Foul , an unfair or illegal sports act*Foul Play , a novel*Foul Play , a 1981 album by Dennis Brown...
. The cause of death currently remains unknown. His death deeply affected the Detroit hip-hop scene.
Villa Manifesto will be released on their Barak Records on September 22, 2009, featuring the late Baatin as well as the brother of the late J Dilla, Illa J.
Solo work
After his leaving the group circa 2000, J Dilla had a successful solo career before his death in 2006.
Elzhi has released two mixtapes:
Witness My Growth and
Europass, and one album,
The Preface, which was released on Fat Beats Records in August 2008. A demo tape with
DweleAndwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
titled
The Breakfast Club has also circulated.
Baatin's album
Titus: Chapter 10, Verse 13 was to be released on the label Operation Unknown but has not yet seen official released.
T3 released a mixtape in 2006 titled
Olio.
J Dilla's brother, Illa J, released an album titled
Yancey Boys for
Delicious VinylDelicious Vinyl is an American independent record label founded by Matt Dike and Michael Ross in 1987 and based in Los Angeles. Throughout its history, the label has had distribution deals with PolyGram, Warner Music Group, EMI, Red Ant, Rhino and Universal Music Group...
in 2008.
Studio Albums
- 1997 Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)
Fan-Tas-Tic , is the first album by Detroit group Slum Village. It comprises songs from their demo album, which was recorded in 1996 and 1997, but not officially released until 8 years later. It was nonetheless leaked onto the underground circuit and caused "quite a stir" in 1997. The whole...
(official release: 2005 through Counterflow Records)
- 2000 Fantastic, Vol. 2
Fantastic, Vol. 2 is the second album from Detroit's Slum Village, released in 2000. During the time of its release the group was still composed of its earliest members T3, Baatin and Jay Dee....
(GoodVibe Recordings)
- 2002 Trinity (Past, Present and Future)
Trinity is the third studio album by Slum Village, released on August 24, 2002.- Overview :Trinity marked the group's first shift away from its original lineup, due to J Dilla's departure following Fantastic, Vol. 2, to pursue a solo career...
(Barak/Capitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
)
- 2004 Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)
Detroit Deli is Slum Village's fourth album, released on June 29, 2004. It was released shortly after Baatin left the group, leaving only T3 and Elzhi.- Overview :...
(Capitol Records)
- 2005 Slum Village
Slum Village is Slum Village's fifth album, released on October 25 2005. The release includes a bonus DVD which includes footage on the making of the album as well as an interview with T3 and Elzhi on the group's history. The DVD also features Slum Village's first two music videos "Climax " and...
(Barak Records)
Compilations
- 2000 Best Kept Secret
Best Kept Secret is an album by J-88 . Released prior to Jay Dee's departure from Slum Village, the album is the missing link between Fantastic 1 and Fantastic 2, along with a few remixes by producers Madlib, and IG Culture. Although much of the material was previously unreleased, two of the...
(under the alias J-88) (Groove Attack Productions)
- 2002 Dirty District (Sequence Records)
- 2005 Prequel to a Classic (Barak Records)
Singles
- 1999 "Get Dis Money
"Get Dis Money" is a single by Slum Village. It was released off the soundtrack of the film Office Space, through Interscope Records, and later added to their album Fantastic, Vol. 2...
" (InterscopeInterscope Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
)
- 2000 "Climax" (GoodVibe Recordings)
- 2000 "Raise It Up
"Raise It Up" is a single by Slum Village. It was the last single to be released from their album, Fantastic, Vol. 2.- Structure :The song uses a sample from the song "Extra Dry" by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk...
" (GoodVibe Recordings)
- 2002 "Tainted" (featuring Dwele
Andwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
) (Barak/Capitol Records)
- 2002 "Disco (Remix)" (featuring Ms. Jade
Ms. Jade is a rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.In 2002 she released her only album to date: "Girl Interrupted" featuring the singles "Big Head", "Feel The Girl" & "Ching Ching"...
& Raje ShwariRaje Shwari is an American contemporary R&B and Indian music singer and songwriter. She has appeared on several songs by hip hop musicians. She was signed to Beat Club Records by Timbaland but is no longer with the label; she did not renew her contract due to differences.Shwari's family is from...
) (Barak/Capitol Records)
- 2004 "Selfish" (featuring Kanye West
Kanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
and John LegendJohn Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American recording artist, musician and actor...
) (Capitol Records)
- 2004 "Do U" (Capitol Records)
- 2005 "EZ Up" (Barak Records)
- 2009 "Cloud 9" (featuring Marsha Ambrosius
Marsha Ambrosius or Marsha is a former member of the English band duo Floetry. She is also a part of the songwriting team Knightwritaz.-Early career with Floetry:...
) (Barak Records)
Appearances
- 2000: "One-4-Teen (Funky For You)" (from the Bahamadia
Bahamadia is a Philadelphia-born hip hop artist, a DJ who later became an MC. As an affiliate of the Gang Starr Foundation, she released her critically-acclaimed debut album entitled Kollage in 1996. The album featured production by Guru and DJ Premier of Gangstarr...
album BB Queen)
- 2000: "Thelonius" (from the Common
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American actor and rapper....
album Like Water For ChocolateLike Water for Chocolate is a popular novel published in 1989 by first-time Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel....
)
- 2001: "LTAH" (from the Hi-Tek
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American rapper and record producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star...
album Hi-TeknologyHi-Teknology is the debut album from producer Hi-Tek, released on Rawkus Records. Most songs feature rapping or singing by other artists, and all are produced by Hi-Tek...
)
- 2003: "Wolves" (from the Phat Kat
Phat Kat , is a rapper from the east side of Detroit, Michigan. His career began in the mid 90's as part of 1st Down, which consisted of Phat Kat on vocals and Jay Dee on production...
album The Undeniable LPThe Undeniable LP is the debut album by Detroit rapper and close Slum Village affiliate Phat Kat. It was released twice, both on Barak Records...
)
- 2004: "Da Villa" (from the Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper of Jamaican descent. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
album Soul Survivor IISoul Survivor II is a 2004 album from hip hop producer Pete Rock. The album features guest appearances from a large number of hip hop artists, including Pharoahe Monch, Little Brother, Skillz, RZA, GZA, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Slum Village, Jay Dee and former partner CL Smooth.Pete, who dropped...
)
- 2004: "Aerodynamic (Slum Village Remix)" (from the Daft Punk
Daft Punk is an electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter...
Album Daft ClubDaft Club is an album by Daft Punk featuring numerous remixes of tracks from their 2001 album Discovery and one from Homework. It was released in 2003 .-History:...
)
- 2005: "Keep On" (from the Dwele
Andwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
album Some Kinda...Some Kinda... is the second studio album from R&B artist Dwele, released on Virgin Records.-Track listing:...
)
- 2006: "Time Has Come" (from the Exile
Aleksander Manfredi , better known by his stage name Exile, is an American hip hop DJ, producer and occasional rapper. His first record appearances came as a member of hip hop duo Emanon alongside rapper Aloe Blacc. They released various singles beginning with 1998's "P.S.I." before releasing their...
album Dirty Science)
- 2007: "Cuz I'm Jazzy" (from Guru
Guru , in the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury, is an American rapper and the lyrical half of the former hip-hop duo Gang Starr, together with DJ Premier. With his Jazzmatazz album series, he is also considered to be one of the pioneers of hiphop/jazz crossover...
album Jazzmatazz, Vol. 4Jazzmatazz, Vol. 4: The Hip-Hop Jazz Messenger: Back To The Future is the fourth entry in the Jazzmatazz series from Guru of Gang Starr.-Track listing:#"Cuz I'm Jazzy "...
)
- 2007: "Action" (from the Black Milk
Curtis Cross, better known as Black Milk, is a hip hop producer and MC from Detroit, Michigan. -Biography:In 2004, he formed B.R. Gunna, with Young RJ, and Fat Ray, and together they released Dirty District: Vol. 2, a follow up to a compilation released in 2001 by Slum Village, which he had...
album Popular DemandPopular Demand is the second solo album by Black Milk, a rapper and hip hop producer from Detroit, Michigan. It was released on March 13, 2007, which may be a reference to Detroit's area code, 313...
)
- 2007: "Gangsta Boogie" (from the Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper of Jamaican descent. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
album NY's FinestNY's Finest is a studio album by hip hop producer and emcee Pete Rock. The album was Rock's first studio album since 2004's Soul Survivor II, and was released on February 26, 2008 through the Nature Sounds record label. The album's cover art was created by Fuse Green and inspired by the cover of...
)
- 2007: "Got Me Goin' (Hip Hop)" (from the Statik Selektah album Spell My Name Right: The Album)
- 2008: "Brandy" (from the Dwele
Andwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
album Sketches of a ManSketches of a Man is the third album from Dwele. It was released on June 24, 2008 on his new record label with Koch Records.-Track listing:...
)
- 2008: "To Be Determined" (from the Evidence The Layover EP
The Layover EP is a studio release by rapper & producer Evidence. The EP was released on November 25, 2008.- Background :The idea for The Layover EP originally came about while he was on tour with Little Brother. It was originally going to be a 5 track release produced entirely by North Carolina...
)
External links