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
Keep Holding On
Slum Village Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Detroit Deli (A Taste Of Detroit)
Wuttup tho?
Feelin' a little under the weather today.
But had some stuff to get off my chest ya know?
Now wut I'm 'bout to say to y'all
I ain't never said to the general public.
Feel me.
Verse 1:
I know I might
Sound like a got a cold and I'm speaking
But I'm cold and I'm sneezing
But I'm grown and breathin.
Hear the tone in my speaking
And it's home where he's preaching.
Both of my parents gone for a reason
Daddy's wrong just for leavin'
Mother moved on and I'm breathing.
(?) spirits above the stones and the deamons
She belongs in a teaching
Where there's a throne and a kingdom
And deep inside my bones I'm believing
That the poems that I'm reading is the songs to my freedom.
Lik-e-ly known as deceiving
What I'm shown it ain't pleasing
Make me wanna throw stones at a deacon
And it home when he preaching
See that's satan makin my heart cold as a breeze
'Till it's colder from freezing.
Gotta get right
I might not make it over this evening
'cause your time here is shorter than breath
Gone from wheezing.
And heard my nigga tone he was bleedin'
Through his clothes
It was leaking from some chrome that was squeezing
Now when I'm all alone
I be thinking I'm against all odds
Hoping that god will show me the evens
But I'm sick of being poor through the seasons
Smoke a drole through the drinkin with 2 hoes through the weekend
Bout to go to my seed andâ?¦
Chorus:
Life can sometimes be so hard to bear
When you feel that theirs no one who cares
There are times you feel all hope is gone
Don't loose faith and just keep holding on and on and on
Keep holding on and on and on and on and on
Verse 2:
But sometimes I feel alone in these streets
It gets cold in these streets
My heart and soul on these streets
I lost my moms
So I hold to a piece
Of a place, state and time
Where we both in the grind
And what's love to a fatherless son?
Although he had love for his son
(Pensions?) were none to seldom
I would sit on the porch 'till the mail come
And when it came
There never was a letter with my name
My moms was there for me
She held it down 'cause she cared for me
She never left
Even in her last breathe when she sat next to death
She was always at her best never stressed
That's whyâ?¦
Chorus
You gotta keep holdin' on
You gotta keep keep holdin' on
Keep holdin on just
Keep holdin' on
Keep holdin' onâ?¦
Chorus
Fades out
The song “Keep Holding On” by Slum Village featuring Melanie Rutherford reflects on the hard and brutal realities of life, grief and loss. Taking us through a personal journey, the singer first reflects on the bitterness and pain of being abandoned by his mother and losing his father. He then tries to make sense of his personal struggles and doubts and finds solace in the power of faith and resilient hope. Despite the coldness and harshness of the streets, the singer chooses to hold on to the memories of his loved ones and resist breaking your spirit by keeping faith in a better future.
The lyrics show a deep sense of longing and grief, with the singer's voice almost stammering in pain as he speaks from the depths of his heart. The chorus serves as a reminder that we must keep holding onto hope, faith and love even amidst the toughest of circumstances. The song encourages the listeners to persevere, stay strong and not give up during tough times. The raw vulnerability exuded in the song, coupled with the beautiful melody and voice of the vocalists, make "Keep holding on" a powerful and inspiring song to inspire its listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Wuttup tho?
The singer greets the audience in a colloquial manner
Feelin' a little under the weather today.
The singer is not feeling well physically or emotionally
But had some stuff to get off my chest ya know?
The singer has something important to share
Now wut I'm 'bout to say to y'all
The artist is about to reveal something private
I ain't never said to the general public.
The artist has not shared this information with many people
But y'all gotta hear me yo.
The singer implores the audience to pay attention
Feel me.
The singer wants the audience to understand and empathize with them
I know I might
The artist acknowledges a possible assumption
Sound like a got a cold and I'm speaking
The artist's voice may sound congested
But I'm cold and I'm sneezing
The artist is experiencing cold symptoms
But I'm grown and breathin.
Despite the physical discomfort, the singer is alive and mature
Hear the tone in my speaking
The artist draws attention to their emotional state through their tone
And it's home where he's preaching.
The singer is most comfortable sharing their message in a home-like environment
Both of my parents gone for a reason
The singer's parents are not present for a specific cause
Daddy's wrong just for leavin'
The singer feels negatively towards their absent father
Mother moved on and I'm breathing.
The artist's mother has moved on, but the artist is still alive
(?) spirits above the stones and the deamons
Unknown meaning or lyrics
She belongs in a teaching
The singer's mother's calling is in education
Where there's a throne and a kingdom
The mother's role is powerful and respected
And deep inside my bones I'm believing
The artist has a strong feeling of faith
That the poems that I'm reading
The artist finds meaning in the poetry they are reading
is the songs to my freedom.
The artist connects with and finds freedom in the poetry
Lik-e-ly known as deceiving
Unknown meaning or lyrics
What I'm shown it ain't pleasing
The artist is dissatisfied with their present situation
Make me wanna throw stones at a deacon
The singer feels anger towards a religious leader
And it home when he preaching
The negative feelings are most pronounced at church
See that's satan makin my heart cold as a breeze
The singer feels temptation and is becoming emotionally distant
'Till it's colder from freezing.
The artist's emotional state is becoming worse
Gotta get right
The artist realizes they need to improve themselves
I might not make it over this evening
The singer is unsure if they will survive
'cause your time here is shorter than breath
Life is short and fleeting
Gone from wheezing.
Just like a breath can end, life can end suddenly
And heard my nigga tone he was bleedin
The artist's friend was injured and bleeding
Through his clothes
The blood was visible through the friend's clothing
It was leaking from some chrome that was squeezing
The friend was shot and bleeding from the gunshot wound
Now when I'm all alone
The artist thinks about this experience when they are by themselves
I be thinking I'm against all odds
The singer feels like they are facing impossible challenges
Hoping that god will show me the evens
The singer hopes for divine intervention to turn their circumstances around
But I'm sick of being poor through the seasons
The singer is tired of being financially struggling all year round
Smoke a drole through the drinkin with 2 hoes through the weekend
The artist describes a way they try to cope with their difficulties
Bout to go to my seed
The artist is going to see their child
Life can sometimes be so hard to bear
Life is often difficult
When you feel that theirs no one who cares
The singer has felt alone and unsupported
There are times you feel all hope is gone
The artist has felt hopeless before
Don't loose faith and just keep holding on and on and on
The artist encourages perseverance and resilience
But sometimes I feel alone in these streets
The artist experiences loneliness regularly
It gets cold in these streets
The singer experiences physical coldness on the streets
My heart and soul on these streets
The artist's emotional state is tied to the streets
I lost my moms
The singer's mother passed away
So I hold to a piece
The singer holds onto a memory or object that reminds them of their mother
Of a place, state and time
There is a specific location, period, and circumstance the singer recalls
Where we both in the grind
The artist and their mother were both working hard to survive
And what's love to a fatherless son?
The artist questions the significance of paternal love for someone who grew up without a father
Although he had love for his son
The singer's father had affection for them even though they were absent
(Pensions?) were none to seldom
Unknown meaning or lyrics
I would sit on the porch 'till the mail come
The artist had an expectation of their father sending letters
And when it came
When the mail finally arrived
There never was a letter with my name
The artist's father never sent them a letter
My moms was there for me
The singer's mother was their emotional support
She held it down 'cause she cared for me
The artist's mother worked hard and took care of them because of her love for them
She never left
The singer's mother remained present in their life
Even in her last breathe when she sat next to death
The singer's mother was by their side even as she was dying
She was always at her best never stressed
The singer's mother remained strong even during tough times
That's whyâ?¦
The artist's mother is why they continue to push through adversity
You gotta keep holdin' on
The artist emphasizes the importance of persistence
You gotta keep keep holdin' on
The singer repeats the importance of perseverance
Keep holdin on just
The singer advises to continue holding on
Keep holdin' on
The artist reiterates the importance of holding on
Keep holdin' onâ?¦
The artist concludes the song with a final call to persevere
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind