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,โ T3 adds. โIโm incorporating Baatin, and Iโm putting Illa J inโnot to take Dillaโs place, but just to have that essence of Dilla on this new project. Iโm pulling together all the producers that weโve used beforeโBlack Milk, Wajeed , Kareem Riggins, Pete Rock and all the people who have been down with SV from day one.โ
J Dilla died on February 10, 2006 after being diagnosed with TTP and Lupus.
Baatin died on July 31, 2009.
www.slumvillage.com
Eyes Up
Slum Village Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What to do, what to do, what to do?
Keep ya eyes up
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Keep ya eyes up
T3, keep yourself, respect Allah
Baatin levatatin' up in the sky
Sv, got they eyes on the prize well uh
Sv, got they eyes on the prize well uh
Sv, SV huh, uh
One on one, havin' some fun, in my master suite
Two is better than one, lets make it a master piece
You love it when my crew say we from the D
You love it when my crew say we work for apathy
I hate it when these motherfuckers player hate me
Motor-bot, the executioner of wack emcees
Motorbot makin sure niggas is casualties
Juggernaut, you can say my crew will never be soft
Sv, we the type of crew that never fall off
Eyes up
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Eyes up
Jay Dee, don't do no parties for free no lie (aight)
Jay Dee, don't do no parties for free no lie (aight)
Jay Dee, don't do no parties for free no lie (I said aight)
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Come on, come on
Say, (huh)
My jam knocks, we knockin' motherfuckers out they damn socks
Remastered it's the S of the Pad Lock
Been makin money, I been had a fat knot
Been loopin' up the shit to make ya head nod
You say (what) my jam knocks
You can hear me coming off the damn blocks
Since a kid I ain't never played wit damn blocks
And I was never ever known to cock block
Like jealous niggas that must wanna get socked
Them niggas make me wanna cop a damn Glock
You say, say, say (huh) my jam knocks
These ladies know, Jay, can make the bed rock
Be hittin' like Bam Bam, in Bed Rock
Compare the S to gators we them big blocks
We stir fry motherfuckers like a damn wop
Rock and rule niggas like my man Mop
So when my band rocks, watch the bands flop
You say (h-huh) my jam knocks
You can say the S is the soul shock
The soul shot known to make 'em shell shocked
When devious cats used to pop locks
I steal, when I used to pop locks
The S twist shit up like a dread lock
You say (h-huh) my jam knocks
You say (w-what) my jam knocks
So keep ya
Eyes up
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Eyes up
T3, keep yourself, respect Allah (aight)
It's like again y'all
Uh huh, uh huh, one, two
It's like again y'all
Uh huh, uh huh, one, two
It's like makin money's critical
Rhyme written, lyrical
Some emcees will never know
What we keep on giving and
Makin music beautiful, and we keep delivering
Y'all niggas to the fall
And I ain't forgivin' it, I should do some ill sh, like, like
Break your ligaments, then you would be feelin shit
Known to be doing shit, and if you do some shit
Know who you fuckin wit
Never fuck around with the click
Don't fuck around wit the click
You might get ya melon split
Uh huh, again y'all, uh huh, one, two
It's like uh huh, again y'all, uh huh, one, two, it's like
Eyes up
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Eyes up
The song "Eyes Up" by Slum Village is a track that speaks to the importance of not losing focus on what's important and not getting distracted by the negativity of others. The first verse begins with the group being criticized by "fake niggas" talking behind their backs, but instead of getting caught up in such negative energy, Slum Village advises to "keep ya eyes up." The second verse includes individual verses from each member of Slum Village, where they showcase their skills and assert their talents to those who doubt them. The third verse further reinforces the message of the importance of staying true to oneself and not getting caught up in trivial issues. The song ends with a repeated chorus of "eyes up," emphasizing once again the significance of keeping one's head held high.
The overall message of the song is one of resilience, determination, and not allowing oneself to get sidetracked by the small things. Slum Village speaks to the importance of having confidence in oneself and one's abilities, maintaining focus and not letting negativity bring one down.
Line by Line Meaning
Fake niggas, talkin' shit about me and my click
People who aren't genuine and are spreading rumors about me and my group
What to do, what to do, what to do?
Feeling stuck and unsure of how to handle the situation
Keep ya eyes up
Don't let these fake people bring you down, stay confident and focused on your goals
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Asking the question- where are you mentally and emotionally in this situation?
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Urging the listener to stay strong and not give up
T3, keep yourself, respect Allah
T3 is reminding himself to stay true to his beliefs and respect Allah
Jay Dee, don't do no parties for free no lie (aight)
Jay Dee wants to be paid for his performances and is emphasizing that he won't do them for free
Baatin levatatin' up in the sky
Baatin is figuratively transcending to a higher level of consciousness
Sv, got they eyes on the prize well uh
Slum Village is focused on achieving their goals
One on one, havin' some fun, in my master suite
Enjoying intimate time with a partner in a luxurious setting
Two is better than one, lets make it a master piece
Collaborating with someone can lead to creating something great
You love it when my crew say we from the D
People appreciate when Slum Village reps their hometown of Detroit
You love it when my crew say we work for apathy
People appreciate when Slum Village takes pride in their work and doesn't work half-heartedly
I hate it when these motherfuckers player hate me
Slum Village doesn't appreciate when people pretend to be friends but secretly hate them
Motor-bot, the executioner of wack emcees
Comparing themselves to a machine that eliminates bad rappers
Motorbot makin sure niggas is casualties
Motorbot is making sure that bad rappers are being eliminated
Juggernaut, you can say my crew will never be soft
Comparing themselves to a powerful force, stating that they will never be weak
Eyes up
A reminder to stay alert and focused
Say, (huh)
An interjection expressing agreement or acknowledgment
My jam knocks, we knockin' motherfuckers out they damn socks
Their music is so good that it's figuratively knocking people's socks off
Remastered it's the S of the Pad Lock
Referring to Slum Village and their ability to improve and evolve their sound over time
Been makin money, I been had a fat knot
They have been making lots of money and have a large sum of cash
Been loopin' up the shit to make ya head nod
They have been creating beats that are so good that it causes listeners to nod their head
Like jealous niggas that must wanna get socked
Referring to envious people who may want to start a fight
Rock and rule niggas like my man Mop
Comparing themselves to someone who is in control and knows how to handle situations
T3, keep yourself, respect Allah (aight)
T3 is reiterating the importance of keeping true to his beliefs and respecting Allah
It's like makin money's critical, Rhyme written, lyrical
They consider making money and their wordplay to be essential to their craft
Some emcees will never know, what we keep on giving and
Some rappers will never understand the effort and dedication Slum Village puts into their music
Makin music beautiful, and we keep delivering
They take pride in creating great music and will continue to do so
And I ain't forgivin' it, I should do some ill sh, like, like
They are not forgiving those who have wronged them, and may take revenge on them
Break your ligaments, then you would be feelin shit
A graphic way of saying they will cause someone physical harm
Never fuck around wit the click
Don't mess with Slum Village or their crew
You might get ya melon split
You may suffer consequences for messing with them
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Dewitt Yancey, R.l. Altman Iii, Titus Glover
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James G
Straight classic. To this day I don't understand how this group was slept on
Omar Pacheco
Mad respect to Detroit Hip Hop. RIP Dilla and Battin
Trent Yates
Happy 48th birthday dilla ๐ ๐ ๐!!! Remember you was is and will always be a hip hop beatmaking legend, and one of my favorites.
Trent Yates
Funky ass beat. Trash rappers today keep your ๐ up, bc real hip hop like this is coming back real soon.
Gaspare Baldino
HUGE as a planet.. ridiculously DOPE DOPE DOPE Rest in beats KING๐DILLA
marcell brollem
"ya say what, my jam knocks"๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
Aaron Johnson
Dilla verse too raw wit it
Jon Moore
Best song on the album
frs1
So dope!!!๐
utubechuk
that bass!!!!