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
Get Dis Money
Slum Village Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What you say, get this money
If they say what you gon do today
Just say
Hey, I wanna get paid
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
Hey, hey, hey, h-hey, hey
What you say, get this money
Just say
Hey, I wanna get paid
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
We dedicate this to these people out here getting bank
Where the oops you loose the money its reali-tay
Never front on a clique that you can't evaluate
See I got things out here I need to situate
I got a fresh ass car on some gloss paint
People walking down the street untill they feet stank
I got accountants out here handling big thangs
As I slip into the crib wit the sashay
Have my room wit the shark wit the big tank
Don't get mad cause I'm doing things you just can't, can't, can't
Hey, hey, hey, h-hey, hey
What you say, get this money
If they say what you gon do today
Just say
Hey, I wanna get paid
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
My man
You need to get back like the rebate
And bitties he need to step up like the home plate
My man
Now what you know about the Great Lakes
We contemplate on gettin money like a sweepstakes
Sipping dark grapes, party in the dark shade
You see a nigga cold chilling like a Marl-ey Marl
And bitties ride like a Harl-ey
Money make, a Ric, a Ric-o Suav-e, hey
Radio play the S like arcades
Everyday the holiday so nigga stay paid
Celebrate the holidays with the money
Ain't about to wait so nigga stay away
Hey, hey, hey, h-hey, hey
What you say, get this money
If they say what you gon do today
Just say
Hey, I wanna get paid
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
Somebody said that radio would never ever play
Some of that Detroit, Motor City for play
Honestly earning my dough, keeping it real y'all
Countin my cash, just showing you how the boss ball
I never thought that we would make it up this far
Grippin my cream color Cadillac, North Star
Detroit Motor City finest is who we are
This is for my ladies who get out, chill at the bar
When I was a young boy chilling in my daddys nuts
All I could hear was a rhyme and dope cuts
Growin up thinking I was nothing, but a glut
Another day, another buck, another slut
All I wanna do is get paid
Oak town dont stop, stop, stop
Hey, hey, hey, h-hey, hey
What you say, get this money
If they say what you gon do today
Just say
Hey, I wanna get paid
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
Hey, hey, hey, h-hey, hey
What you say, get this money
If they say what you gon do today
Just say
Hey, I wanna get paid
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
The lyrics of Slum Village's song Get Dis Money speaks to the universal desire to make money every day. The repeated chorus "Hey, hey, hey, h-hey, hey, What you say, get this money, If they say what you gon do today, Just say, Hey, I wanna get paid, 'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day" highlights this desire. The group dedicates the song to the ones hustling and making bank in reality, regardless of the possibility of losing it all. The song is a call to action that encourages listeners to focus on making money every day by avoiding idleness and celebrating life's milestones with wealth.
The lyrics of the song carry a tone of confidence throughout. The group talks about their effortless lifestyles, such as driving fancy cars and having accountants to handle their finances. Their bosses' lifestyles could seem unattainable for some, but they emphasize the message that we can all strive towards daily earnings. The song also offers a mention of their hometown, Detroit. The lyrics evoke nostalgia to their youth when they hoped to make it one day. The song raps in a relatable manner to listeners, making it a classic hip-hop money-earning anthem.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey, hey, h-hey, hey
Let's focus on the money, the reason we're here.
What you say, get this money
We need to make money, it's our primary goal.
If they say what you gon do today
If someone asks what our plan is, let's respond with getting paid.
Just say
Keep it simple and just state that we want to make money.
Hey, I wanna get paid
Every day we should be focused on making money.
'Ery day, 'ery day, 'ery day
We need to hustle and make money every single day.
We dedicate this to these people out here getting bank
This song is dedicated to those who are focused on making money and succeeding.
Where the oops you loose the money its reali-tay
If you make a mistake, you can lose a lot of money, and that's reality.
Never front on a clique that you can't evaluate
Don't mess with a group of people if you don't know what they're capable of and can't handle them.
See I got things out here I need to situate
I have priorities and things to take care of, which is why I'm focused on making money.
I got a fresh ass car on some gloss paint
I have a new, nice car with shiny paint, which means I'm successful and making money.
People walking down the street untill they feet stank
People walking everywhere trying to make money, even if it means their feet are sore and smell bad.
I got accountants out here handling big thangs
I have accountants taking care of my finances and making sure I'm making big money moves.
As I slip into the crib wit the sashay
As I go home with my confident stride, knowing I've made a good amount of money.
Have my room wit the shark wit the big tank
I have a room with a large shark tank, showing my wealth and success.
Don't get mad cause I'm doing things you just can't, can't, can't
Don't be jealous of my success and wealth because it's something you can't achieve.
My man
Addressing a friend or acquaintance.
You need to get back like the rebate
You need to step back and re-evaluate your financial situation, like getting a rebate on something you've purchased.
And bitties he need to step up like the home plate
Women need to step up and work hard, like a baseball player stepping up to bat.
Now what you know about the Great Lakes
Asking what someone knows about the large bodies of water in the midwestern US.
We contemplate on gettin money like a sweepstakes
We're focused on making money like it's a contest or competition.
Sipping dark grapes, party in the dark shade
Drinking wine and partying in a dimly lit area.
You see a nigga cold chilling like a Marl-ey Marl
Someone is very relaxed and comfortable, like Marley Marl, a DJ and producer.
And bitties ride like a Harl-ey
Women are riding motorcycles, specifically Harley-Davidson, a symbol of freedom and independence.
Money make, a Ric, a Ric-o Suav-e, hey
When you have money, you're able to be smooth and charming, like Rico Suave, a Latin pop singer.
Radio play the S like arcades
The radio plays the song with the rapper's name (maybe Slum Village) like an arcade game that keeps replaying.
Everyday the holiday so nigga stay paid
Every day should feel like a celebration because you're making money and staying financially stable.
Celebrate the holidays with the money
The holidays should be celebrated with the wealth you've accumulated.
Ain't about to wait so nigga stay away
We're not waiting around for anyone, so people should stay away if they're not on the same hustle.
Somebody said that radio would never ever play
Someone said that the radio would never play their music, but they proved them wrong.
Some of that Detroit, Motor City for play
The radio is playing music from Detroit, known as Motor City because of its history with the automobile industry.
Honestly earning my dough, keeping it real y'all
I'm honestly making my money and keeping it real with everyone.
Countin my cash, just showing you how the boss ball
I'm counting my money to show that I'm a boss and that I'm successful.
I never thought that we would make it up this far
They didn't think they'd be as successful as they are.
Grippin my cream color Cadillac, North Star
They're driving a cream-colored Cadillac, a symbol of luxury and success, specifically a Northstar model.
Detroit Motor City finest is who we are
We represent the best of Detroit, also known as Motor City.
This is for my ladies who get out, chill at the bar
The song is dedicated to the women who go out and enjoy themselves at bars, showing that they're financially independent and don't need a man to support them.
When I was a young boy chilling in my daddys nuts
A humorous way of saying that they come from successful parents.
All I could hear was a rhyme and dope cuts
All they heard growing up was good music with great lyrics.
Growin up thinking I was nothing, but a glut
They initially thought they didn't have much potential, but they proved themselves wrong.
Another day, another buck, another slut
On a daily basis, they're making money and attracting women.
All I wanna do is get paid
Their ultimate goal is to make money.
Oak town dont stop, stop, stop
Oakland, their hometown, doesn't stop hustling and making money.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALLEE WILLIS, HERBIE HANCOCK, JAMES DEWITT YANCEY, R.L. III ALTMAN, TITUS PRINTICE GLOVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ShonTolliverMusic
This song got me through one of the lowest points of my life, unemployment. I used to get up at 4am to drive to another city to work in labor lines for under the table money. I listened to this track as I started my car those cold mornings and listened to the beat. It help give me that drive i needed to make it. RIP DILLA, SV forever. peace
@iShredStreets
Glad you made it through, man!
@amenx
🐐
@josephhoward4010
I feel that, bro. Some people don't get how real this life can get for us. Even honest, God-fearing men find themselves at the bottom of the barrel.. just trying to hang on and make it work. After a decade and a half, at 34, think I finally found my break as an electrician and a way to start a family.
@Istaychiseled
I’m proud of you bro, stay strong!
@bambam6231973
Proud u made it through...God bless
@nkosilathidube3627
This beat is so so good. Baseline is nuts and I love the way it comes in. It comes in like someone forgot what they were saying, then finally remembered in the middle of someone else's sentence
@RomondoLocke721
This song was so important to Detroit...it put the city on the hip hop scene. Dilla and Slum Village rep'd the city well with this "D Boy" anthem. R.I.P. Dilla!
@leonrice8715
Facts!!!
@lambda494
I just discovered this song 5 minutes ago. I can't believe how amazing that sample is.