Rapper-producer Jay Dee left after the group's first national album, 2000's Fantastic, Vol. 2 (Barak) and rhymer Elzhi was added to the mix for 2002's Trinity (Past, Present And Future) (Barak/Capitol). Now, with the release of Slum Village's new album, the stunningly impressive Detroit Deli (Barak/Capitol), the group consists of just T3 and Elzhi. Throughout the changes, Slum Village's musical mission has remained constant: to deliver soul-stirring sonics that represent Detroit to the fullest. That vision is fully realized on Detroit Deli. Throughout the sensational 15-cut collection, T3 and Elzhi give listeners an intimate look at life in The D, from where they shop, hang with friends and eat to the type of cars they drive (check "Zoom") and what clothes they wear.
Slum Village represents the Midwest's funk heritage on the inspirational "Do You," which was produced by Jay Dee, and teams with Chicago's Kanye West on lead single "Selfish," a sly, piano-driven song where T3, Elzhi and West rap about their desire to have a monopoly with women. They then team with Ol' Dirty Bastard on the riotous "Dirty" about having to battle for a woman and deliver a Player's Hand Guide of sorts on the sensuous "Count The Ways," Both produced by B.R. Gunna.
Even though Slum Village excels at making this type of lighthearted music, they show on Detroit Deli that they also hit hard with more serious subject matter. On the moving, guitar-driven "Keep Holding On," they rap about people not losing faith in their lives, while on the stirring "Old Girl/Shining Star," T3 and Elzhi send a open letter of hope and support to single mothers working hard to survive.
"The inspiration came from my boy's niece who has a gang of kids and is out here struggling," Elzhi says. "She's stringing her kids around on the bus, just to get by. By me just looking at that, I'm like, 'I need to write a song because I know she's not the only one going through it.' Slum Village has never touched on ladies like that and everybody is calling girls hoes and Bs, dissing these ladies, so we wanted to touch the ladies in a different way."
The group also takes a different route on "Reunion." Jay Dee joins T3 and Elzhi on the insightful cut, which offers three different takes on the group's status. "It's like you're going through three state of minds at one time kind of in reverse," T3 says. "What we're trying to say is that we wish we were together, we might be together and then we're not together at all. We're trying to give you all the aspects of how people are coming at us, the type of stuff we're dealing with and kind of give you a glimpse of the stuff we're dealing with in the group."
Indeed, songs such as "Keep Holding On," "Old Girl/Shining Star" and "The Reunion" signal Slum Village's evolution; they mark the first time the group has let listeners in on their personal feelings. "I don't think people really know us and we never really touched on our emotions like that," T3 says. "We wanted to bring some realness, besides just the soul music. Elzhi, as a guy that saw Slum Village on the outside, he brought it to my attention that we never touched on serious topics and that we should try to touch on them more. I was with that and I have a lot to say, so why not?"
Detroit Deli also stands as Slum Village's most musically rich album to date. B.R. Gunna producers Black Milk and Young RJ, both 20 years old, handled the majority of the beats, while Kanye West produced "Selfish," Jay Dee handled "Do You" and T3 along with young RJ produced "Closer" and "Count The Ways." The beats are as divergent as the album's subject matter, ranging from soulful to futuristic, but they always remain powerful and innovative.
The same can be said for Slum Village's storied career. After releasing Fan-tas-tic Vol. 1 independently, Slum Village became one of hip-hop's hottest groups. While working on Fantastic vol. 2, they were joined in the studio by such luminaries as D'Angelo, Busta Rhymes, Kurupt, Pete Rock, and A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip, among others. The resulting album became an underground classic and Slum Village was seen as the second coming of the Native Tongues (A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, De La Soul) by member Q-Tip, as well as fans and journalists alike.
Jay Dee left the group after Fantastic, vol. 2 in order to work on his solo career, but Slum Village pressed on, releasing in 2002 the Dirty District mixtape and later that year its third album and first with new member Elzhi, Trinity. Many fans looked at rapper-producer Jay Dee as the group's backbone, but Trinity proved that Slum Village could provide without its sonic architect, as that album's single "Tainted" became the group's biggest hit.
"We've always stuck to our guns," T3 says. "We've never tried to change to get commercial success. We always just did what we did and when you do what you do, eventually somebody's going to have to give you your respect for having the courage to do what you do."
Now back where they started, Slum Village yet again thrills and delights fans and gains yet a larger audience hungry for the smoking beats under the hot lyrical talent of T3 and Elzhi. Slum has begun to bring more of their personal feelings to their music, allowing the listeners and fans to touch more on the emotions and realness and touched on more serious topics. Prequel to a Classic features previously unreleased joints and jams from Slum Village with production by B.R. Gunna, J Dilla and Kareem Riggins. The mixtape gives listeners the best of some of their material since Fantastic Vol. 1.
T3 has said in a recent 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 , Kareem Riggins, Pete Rock and all the people who have been down with SV from day one.”
J Dilla died on February 10, 2006 after being diagnosed with TTP and Lupus.
Baatin died on July 31, 2009.
www.slumvillage.com
Do You
Slum Village Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things you do to me, things you do to me, things you do to me
Things you do to me, things you do to me
Things you do to me, things you do to me
Check this shit out
Yo, I got an eye for you, so why do I socialize
'Bout run it back, run it back, I got an
Don't ask me why I look in your eyes
And fantasize 'bout you and I
Then I wish I, now I'm the
Fly shit that you like run it back I'm the
Fly shit that you like, and I
Despise you and didn't surprise to see me in
The ride, you told me lies, and all this time
You was the sly shit I despise
Why you be shy? Can't look me in the eye
I wonder why you do the do to me
Things you do to me (run it back)
Things you do to me, things you do to me (run it back)
Things you do to me, things you do to me
I knew this girl by the name of Hot Pants
I miss her pants, babe you know you accelerate
You made me wait, for a goddamn day
I mean the nerve of this chick, giving ass so late
But you straight, you straight maybe you shouldn't be so hard
I mean, oh, my God run it back oh my god!
Mean 1-1-1, its not a murder uh
And even if I was I wouldn't murder ya, come here, girl
Give me all your uh, give me all your uh
Things you do to me, things you do to me
Things you said to me, things you do to me
Things you do to me, things you do to me
Things you do to me
What's the problem Ach-im? You better come clean
Get you whacked cause you wack
It's like a Kodak (run it back)
What's the problem Ach-im? You better come clean
Get you whacked cause you wack
It's like a Kodak, what I mean, your photograph
My mind, had me runnin' for telegraph
For you, oh, for our conversation we will fuck
On the roof at a tantra, say mama hold it back
The stimulator, tantrum master
Visualize the lotus, ladies and women the khakis is in my lingum
Notice the tactic, your mine (run it back) your mine
Things you do to me, uh oh
Things you do to me, things you do to me
Things you do to me, things you do to me
Things you do to me, things you do to me
Things you do to me, things you do to me
Things you do to me, things you do to me
Things you do to me
The song "Do You" by Slum Village is a classic hip-hop track that is a testament to the '90s and early 2000s era of the genre. The lyrics speak about the importance of staying true to oneself and doing what one feels is right for them, despite what others may think or say. The repetitive chorus of "Do you, 'cause n***a I'mma do me" emphasizes this sentiment, essentially telling people to mind their own business and let others live their lives.
The verses in the song showcase the group's lyrical prowess as they rap about their lavish lifestyle, rhyming about "sick whips," "thick and chunky" jewelry, and "Benjis, Range Rovers, and gold." But the song is not just about wealth and status, but also about the struggles that come with it. The lyrics touch on themes of perseverance, resilience, and the constant hustle that is necessary to attain success.
Overall, the song is a classic example of the type of hip-hop that emerged from the Midwest during the '90s, infused with soulful beats, introspective lyrics, and a focus on individuality and authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
If you ain't feelin' me, may just walk away
If you don't like me, feel free to leave
Is all I doin', what more can I say
I'm just being myself, there's nothing more I can do
Do you, 'cause nigga I'mma do me
You do you, and I'll do me
Let me attempt to spit this
Let me try to rap this
Assist this with a pen in my fist
I'll write this with my pen to make it better
I'm scriptin' Sonny Liston's lost be
I'm writing about Sonny Liston's defeat in a poetic way
Quick six whips sick clique it's Slum V
We're a group of six talented rappers from Slum Village
We stick chicks 'til their extensions fuzzy
We party with girls until their hair extensions are a mess
Jewelry's thick and chunky ridiculous
We wear expensive and flashy jewelry
Boy, and picked his gumby I'm comfy
Like Slick Rick, I feel comfortable with my style
'Till you insist you'll take my existence from me
Until you try to take away who I am, I'll keep doing me
We keep a dollar up like Richie Rich's puppy
We're always making money, just like Richie Rich's pup
When you see me in a spot never less than a dime
When you see me, I'm always looking my best
Y'all might roll with 6 we sit with a 9
You might have a group of six, but we're always with a perfect ten
See, I'm a sick rapper with a flow that's divine
I'm a talented rapper with a unique and inspired way of rapping
Y'all might flip the flow but don't flip it like mine
You can change your flow, but don't copy mine
I'mma stack till I spit 'til I can't go broke
I'll keep making money until I can't anymore
I want the Benz, the Range, I want it all, I want gold
I want to be rich and have all the things that come with it
Then I dips in the whips with the chicks in the clothes
I drive around with girls in fancy cars and clothes
Keep serving these yo's with the bad tenencies
We keep providing these bad guys with what they want
Let a nigga do his thang, shit stop sweatin' me
Let me do what I want without judging me
But of course it be effortless we pullin' up in the Porsche
We make it look easy when we arrive in our Porsche
Medallion the size of a horse on my necklace
I wear a really big and expensive necklace
We done it again, done got under your skin
Our music is making an impact on you
We come hot like a gun pop running you jems
We come in strong, like a gun shooting at you
Can none stop this thing of ours
No one can stop what we're doing
The ladies they fein' and double team in g strings and bras
The girls are into us and they party wearing very little clothes
Make 'em scream like electric strings guitars
We make the ladies scream like guitar strings sound when amplified
Don't hate on the squad 'cause my niggas is stars
Don't criticize us because we're already famous
Do you
Do what you want
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: James Dewitt Yancey, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind