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
Faster
Slum Village Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah yeah
Whoa oh oh
Yeah
I'm feelin' like I'm whippin' in a Porsche girl
You all up in my thoughts
Its simple & reinforced
Love that love that that that love
You never feel it til it happens
Then it happens
Cause I guaranteed your life
Is like math subtract it from your past
And the math you think its like fast
Talladega honey moon up in Vegas sharin' paper
Cross my fingers hopin' we don't break up
Now we made it through the basics
We seen it in an instant
Girl id love to see your ass naked
We should stay connected
Every second record is a
Girl you got me smilin' so "F" it
I take it there I take it as a blessing
I use it as a weapon
I rhyme they should use it as a reference
When people stay stick together we forever its embedded
And every time we go somewhere we always leave a presence, the essence
Hold your breath
Don't let this go away
Its moving faster faster faster
Don't let go (don't let go)
Night and day
Its moving faster faster faster
From mix to the intense
The second I hope you smell the incense
Entice the moment of innocence
This how we came together
For better bon suited on how to break hearts
Separated then secluded
Desire was a overwhelming conclusion
Those things of passion created a guard for the delusion
It makes sense
In a mutual choice the muse
And states of simple bliss forever we still here
And in a intense climax the moment a miss
And the moment of passion is intense enough to commence
At last we in the depths of orgasm
The experience brought us this far
Now we out fast
Take the time when expand emotions recommence to the intense
The second is innocence
Guess the time when expand emotions to the 8 tenths
A second of innocence, innocence
Hold your breath
Don't let this go away
Its moving faster faster faster
Don't let go (don't let go)
Night and day
Its moving faster faster faster
Yeah its like you million miles away
And I cant take that
Lets get that grip and see where that take us
You need that, feelin' that young girls dream of the Italy
Gotta lay her boat up stream
Love that Paris in the springtime
Wakiki when I,
When I lost in your eyes I see me in ya
It feels brand new
Just listen, ya mans true
What you wishin' I cant do
Its my mission,
I plan to in addition stay through the good the bad
Whether the rain or shine
Your remain is mine
Body and brains, ya fine
Yeah you all that and then some
What a perfect place to begin from
And baby if you let yourself go
Maybe we could go
Tell you this is all I know
And we could do any dance flow,
A broad way show
Tell you this is all I know
Hold your breath
Don't let this go away
Its moving faster faster faster
Don't let go (don't let go)
Night and day
Its moving faster faster faster
Its moving faster faster faster
Its moving faster faster faster
Its moving faster faster faster
The lyrics of Slum Village's song "Faster" is about the passionate love between two people who have found each other and want to hold onto the moment. The opening line, "Hold your breath," reflects the urgency of their feelings, and the desire to make this moment last as long as possible. The lyrics describe the intensity of the relationship between the two people, likening it to a sports car driving at high speed. The speed and intensity of their connection is both exhilarating and scary, and they want to hold on tightly to each other so they don't lose this feeling. Despite the fear of losing each other, they are committed to staying connected and keeping the passion alive. The lyrics are about enjoying the present moment and not letting it slip away, even though time seems to be moving faster and faster.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold your breath
Get ready for something exciting or exhilarating.
Yeah yeah
Affirmation or agreement.
Whoa oh oh
Expression of amazement or excitement.
Yeah
Affirmation or agreement.
I'm feelin' like I'm whippin' in a Porsche girl
I feel confident and powerful like driving a fancy car.
You all up in my thoughts
You are always on my mind.
Its simple & reinforced
Our love is uncomplicated yet strong and resilient.
Love that love that that that love
I adore this love we share.
So much that we should back up
Our love is overwhelming and we need to take a step back and appreciate it.
You never feel it til it happens
You don't truly understand love until you experience it.
Then it happens
And once it happens, it changes everything.
Cause I guaranteed your life
I promise you a fulfilling life with me.
Is like math subtract it from your past
Your past doesn't define you, so let's start a new chapter together.
And the math you think its like fast
Our love is moving quickly like a mathematical equation.
Talladega honey moon up in Vegas sharin' paper
We're so in love that even a fast car race or a honeymoon in Vegas can't tear us apart.
Cross my fingers hopin' we don't break up
I'm worried that something might ruin our relationship.
Now we made it through the basics
We have passed the early stages of our relationship.
We seen it in an instant
We knew we were meant to be together from the moment we met.
Girl id love to see your ass naked
I'm physically attracted to you.
We should stay connected
We should keep in touch and continue our relationship.
Every second record is a
Every moment is worth cherishing and remembering.
Girl you got me smilin' so "F" it
You make me happy, so nothing else matters.
I take it there I take it as a blessing
I see our love as a gift.
I use it as a weapon
Our love gives me strength to face challenges.
I rhyme they should use it as a reference
I write songs about our love to inspire others.
When people stay stick together we forever its embedded
When people commit to each other, their love is lasting and deep-rooted.
And every time we go somewhere we always leave a presence, the essence
Our love leaves a positive impact on the places we visit.
From mix to the intense
Our love ranges from calm to passionate.
The second I hope you smell the incense
I hope you appreciate the romantic atmosphere I'm creating.
Entice the moment of innocence
Let's enjoy the purity and naivety of our love.
This how we came together
Our love story is unique and special.
For better bon suited on how to break hearts
I'm skillful in loving you and breaking hearts.
Separated then secluded
We were apart and alone before we found each other.
Desire was a overwhelming conclusion
We were meant to be together because of our strong attraction.
Those things of passion created a guard for the delusion
Our intense passion prevented us from being unrealistic.
It makes sense
Our love story is logical and perfect.
In a mutual choice the muse
We are each other's inspiration and motivation.
And states of simple bliss forever we still here
We experience pure happiness and we're still together.
And in a intense climax the moment a miss
Sometimes we miss the chance to fully enjoy the most passionate moments.
And the moment of passion is intense enough to commence
Our love is so intense that we can't resist it.
At last we in the depths of orgasm
We are fully committed to each other sexually.
The experience brought us this far
Our sexual chemistry has strengthened our relationship.
Now we out fast
We're moving on and enjoying life quickly.
Take the time when expand emotions recommence to the intense
When we feel strongly about each other, we need to take advantage of it.
The second is innocence
The most innocent moments can be the most passionate.
Yeah its like you million miles away
Sometimes it feels like you're far away from me emotionally.
And I cant take that
I feel distant and disconnected from you sometimes.
Lets get that grip and see where that take us
Let's work on improving our relationship and see where it leads us.
You need that, feelin' that young girls dream of the Italy
You crave love and romance, like a young girl dreaming of Italy.
Gotta lay her boat up stream
We need to overcome obstacles to achieve our dreams.
Love that Paris in the springtime
We appreciate romantic experiences like Paris in the springtime.
Wakiki when I,
We think of idyllic places like Waikiki when we dream of love.
When I lost in your eyes I see me in ya
When I get lost in your eyes, I see myself in you.
It feels brand new
Our love feels fresh and exciting.
Just listen, ya mans true
Trust me, I'm honest and loyal to you.
What you wishin' I cant do
Tell me what you want and I'll do my best to make it happen.
Its my mission,
I'm committed to making our relationship a success.
I plan to in addition stay through the good the bad
I promise to stay with you through the ups and downs of life.
Whether the rain or shine
No matter what happens, I'll be there for you.
Your remain is mine
You belong to me and I'll protect you.
Body and brains, ya fine
You're intelligent and attractive.
Yeah you all that and then some
You're amazing and I love everything about you.
What a perfect place to begin from
Our love story has a perfect foundation to begin from.
And baby if you let yourself go
If you open up and let yourself love me, we could be amazing together.
Maybe we could go
Maybe we could have a wonderful future together.
Tell you this is all I know
I'm honest about my feelings and what I'm capable of.
And we could do any dance flow
We could face any challenge together.
A broad way show
We could live the extravagant life we dreamed of.
Its moving faster faster faster
Our love is moving quickly and we need to appreciate it.
Don't let this go away
We should hold onto our love and cherish it.
Night and day
Our love lasts all the time.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COLIN MUNROE, CRAIG LANE, JASON POWERS, R.L. ALTMAN, RALPH J RICE, TITUS GLOVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daryle Granderson
Everything even Death is moving Faster with each Breath.. Rest in power all those gone until I'm gone ..😞🎶🎶🎶Faster🙏🏽💙💯🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊✊🏽🔥
Christine Cash
12 people don't know what good music is. I LOVE this track! #DetroitStandUp
hybridcypher
That beat and hook really tugg's at your heart strings man.Its so sad to see baatin go, nearly shed a tear during this song, its not easy losing some one you love. Rest in Power Baatin & J Dilla. The most spirtial & one of kind Mc's ever & the greatest beat maker thats ever lived. We miss you both
BigPaksView
just BOUGHT the album. Loving it
crazyalcayne
Dope! Can't wait for the album!
FTMusikTV
Overly Dope! This is what i call REAL music! Much love from the UK
joe lee
the world should have songs like this the different meanings in any siturstions
mixtape
They did that.. This song still go hard in 2020..
Tonya Johnson
2021💕
Landus Pemberton
I CONCUR!!!!!