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
Tainted
Slum Village Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tainted love (It's so good girl) real love
True love (It's alright baby) tainted love, real love, true love
Tainted love
Think of her think of me, think about us it's a intimacy
I'm tryin to strum like guitars in this beat
And consider ridin she'll kick the blahzay spleen
The type of man that try to give you what you need
And, he wanna know where you are where you be
Where you going where you today where you started to be (Damn)
If I was him I wouldn't even leave
I would trust you what you say that you are where you been
Say, he the type of nigga that's still cheap
Take his girl on a date and they go to Mickey D's
See, I'm the type that try to style in a jeep
Try to take you out to see things and occasionally creep
Yeah your man is doing things I can't really see
Don't sound too good it sound tainted to me
Real love (It's so real girl) true love (It's so right girl)
Tainted love (It's real) real love (It's so good girl)
True love (For real love) tainted love (Tainted)
Real love (Yeah yeah) true love (It's so good girl) real love
How many years does it take for a record to blow?
I'm doin exactly how many licks it took for my hoes
Spendin your cash flow cause she was so out hoe
Scandal love, cause love full of scandal
Too much chick for that ass she couldn't handle that
Well it's the same tainted love in the music business
People they lose thet brain just to get up in this
Let's be a star for day, everything in life is just ok
People say things they don't really wanna say
Hey but it's ok cause your a star for the day
People a smile at you when they really wanna frown
Well a that's just the way tainted folk get down
Just keep it real and, we'll see
When the situation is tainted love is always free
Love is always free love is always free
Real love, true love, tainted love, real love
True love, tainted love, real love, true love, real
You say you love me but is it really real
Would you, fix me green tea if I'm feelin ill
Would you, give me a back rub to sooth after a long day
Dinner by candlelight but your the main entree
And if so I do the same with other treats to give you
Trailin rose pedals from your door to beneath your pillow
With a bucket of champagne on your night stand
Experience with someone who want in they life span, the same
Real love, real, real, everybody knows that love's real love
Someone to trust in you for real
Everybody need love that's real
I would never want nothin tainted
Wait a minute what you feel
Faded if your lovin was tainted
True, oh, I know true love is hard to find
Just let it find you for real
If you found love to keep it real
Keep love from being tainted, being tainted
Oooh do you, be, alright
(T3: Just sit y'all, Dwele, on more time y'all come on)
If you, be, alright...
The lyrics to Slum Village's song Tainted explore the idea of love being tainted or true. The first set of lyrics contrasts between the feelings of real love and tainted love. The song then moves onto discussing a relationship between the singer and a woman who has a boyfriend. He compares himself to her boyfriend, stating that he is more attentive and caring than he is. The singer then goes on to criticize the petty things her boyfriend does, like taking her to McDonald's on a date. This man's ways of expressing love seem "tainted" to the singer, who wants to take her out and show her the world. The third verse talks about the music industry and how people lose themselves in the process of becoming a star for a day. The hook continues to contrast between real love, true love, and tainted love, emphasizing the importance of keeping love real and untainted.
Line by Line Meaning
Real love, true love (It feels good girl)
The feeling of real and true love is amazing
Tainted love (It's so good girl) real love
Although the love feels good, it's not entirely pure
True love (It's alright baby) tainted love, real love, true love
Amidst the tainted love, there's still hope for true love
Tainted love
Repeated from previous stanzas
Think of her think of me, think about us it's a intimacy
Ponder on the idea of the singer and his desired person being intimate
I'm tryin to strum like guitars in this beat
The singer is trying to create love through the music
And consider ridin she'll kick the blahzay spleen
Despite what he's trying to create, the woman may reject him
Plus, you got a man but he ain't quite me
The singer believes he's a better match for the woman despite her current relationship
The type of man that try to give you what you need
The singer is the type to provide for the woman's needs
And, he wanna know where you are where you be
The woman's current partner is controlling and overbearing
Where you going where you today where you started to be (Damn)
The partner is even keeping tabs on the woman's whereabouts
If I was him I wouldn't even leave
The singer thinks the partner should just trust the woman
I would trust you what you say that you are where you been
The singer trusts the woman's word about her whereabouts
Say, he the type of nigga that's still cheap
The partner is stingy and doesn't treat the woman well
Take his girl on a date and they go to Mickey D's
The partner doesn't even take the woman on nice dates
See, I'm the type that try to style in a jeep
The singer wants to impress the woman and take her on adventures
Try to take you out to see things and occasionally creep
The singer wants to show the woman new experiences even if it means sneaking around
Yeah your man is doing things I can't really see
The partner is doing things that are unclear or suspicious
Don't sound too good it sound tainted to me
All of these signs of a questionable relationship make it sound like tainted love to the singer
Real love (It's so real girl) true love (It's so right girl)
Real and true love should feel genuine and perfect
Tainted love (It's real) real love (It's so good girl)
The tainted love may be real, but it's not completely satisfying
True love (For real love) tainted love (Tainted)
The possibility of true love is what makes the tainted love hurtful
Real love (Yeah yeah) true love (It's so good girl) real love
Reaffirming the importance of real and true love
How many years does it take for a record to blow?
Wondering how long it takes for music to succeed
I'm doin exactly how many licks it took for my hoes
Comparing promoting music to promoting oneself as a performer
Spendin your cash flow cause she was so out hoe
Spending money to get attention from a woman who only cares about money
Scandal love, cause love full of scandal
Being in a relationship full of scandal isn't real love
Too much chick for that ass she couldn't handle that
The woman wasn't able to handle the singer's level of attention and affection
Well it's the same tainted love in the music business
Tainted love is also present in the music industry
People they lose thet brain just to get up in this
People will do anything to become famous in the music industry
Let's be a star for day, everything in life is just ok
Being famous, even for a day, makes everything in life feel alright
People say things they don't really wanna say
Fame makes people say things they don't believe just to stay popular
Hey but it's ok cause your a star for the day
Trying to justify artificial happiness from temporary fame
People a smile at you when they really wanna frown
People in the music industry fake their emotions just to stay popular
Well a that's just the way tainted folk get down
This is how superficial, tainted people act to stay popular
Just keep it real and, we'll see
Being true to oneself is more important than being famous
When the situation is tainted love is always free
Tainted love lacks the commitment and true love that always come with a price
Love is always free love is always free
Repeating that true love doesn't come with a price
You say you love me but is it really real
Doubting the authenticity of the other person's love
Would you, fix me green tea if I'm feelin ill
Asking if the other person would take care of the singer when he's sick
Would you, give me a back rub to sooth after a long day
Asking if the other person would take care of the singer after a tough day
Dinner by candlelight but your the main entree
Having a romantic dinner with the other person at a personal cost to them
And if so I do the same with other treats to give you
Promising to reciprocate with other caring gestures
Trailin rose pedals from your door to beneath your pillow
Planning a romantic surprise for the other person
With a bucket of champagne on your night stand
Continuing the romantic surprise with champagne
Experience with someone who want in they life span, the same
Finding true love with someone who wants the same things as you
True, oh, I know true love is hard to find
Acknowledging the difficulty of finding true love
Just let it find you for real
Trusting that true love will come naturally
If you found love to keep it real
Urging the other person to be honest about their love
Keep love from being tainted, being tainted
Emphasizing the importance of avoiding tainted love
Oooh do you, be, alright
Encouraging the other person to be okay on their own
(T3: Just sit y'all, Dwele, on more time y'all come on)
Non-lyric, describing an interjection in the song
If you, be, alright...
Continuing the encouragement for the other person to be okay on their own
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Missing Link Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDWELE GARDNER, JASON POWERS, KARRIEM RIGGINS, R.L. III ALTMAN, TITUS PRINTICE GLOVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@missjuut
..." I know true love is hard to find
Just let it find you for real
If you found love to keep it real
Keep love from being tainted, being tainted
And you'll be alright...."
<3 one of my all time evergreens.
Thank you, Slum Village & Dwele for this song.
@HigherLearning222
It's crazy how the early 2000's gives me an old school nostalgic feel now. The early 2000s were underrated.
@Lench1Cix00
Fr tho
@asuarez1985
You ain’t lying.
@lionyleftwich4418
Agreed!The BEST music ever came out in the early 2000s💯💯💯
@rook9309
I agree everyone talk about the mid 90s but not enough seem to remember how dope early 2000’s was.
@gabgotcho
Thru
@MPPharaoh
Neo Soul was such a fuckin beautiful era. I’ll never get tired of listening to this genre.
@malcolm.hsu6355
Bro soul??😳😳😳
This hip hop bruh cut the sub genre ish out. Hip hop is one BIG bag of styles.
@christinagraham2915
Dwele is no soul
@nowezoginindza5290
me too!! my best love memories!