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
The Look of Love
Slum Village Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What is the look of
It got somethin to do with umm
Bein a man and handlin your biz
What love got to do with it
Ask S.V. it's all bullshit
You know what love is
Be on some love shit - you know what love is
S.V. on some love shit - you know what love is
And to the bitches that love dick, and masturbate
No need for that, I get down for rap
Say word {*scratched: "Word"*}
Take it back, take take it back
What is the look of
It got somethin to do with umm
Bein a man and handlin your biz
What love got to do with it
Ask S.V. it's all bullshit
You know what love is
Say it with me one time - you know what love is
You know what love is
You know what love is
The motorbot, hasn't been slept on for a long time
It's time for me to put my mack down
But in the meantime...
Let me tell you 'bout a bitch named...
The woman looked so good she make you masturbate
Come into my life, let me show you how I operate
My name is Rassur, but you can call me, a gigolo
My teacher name is... yup yup, you know how we roll
I had a lot of shit to do, back in her astral
(Baatin nigga come back to earth) What can I do for you
Back in this bitch, comin through with my new suit
Nigga lookin fly, cause you know we got a lot of loot
When I'm on the mic, a nigga throw down his blunt
Just to hear what we say, up in this bitch
You know what love is
Say it with me now - you know what love is
What is the look of
It got somethin to do with umm
Bein a man and handlin your biz
What love got to do with it
Ask S.V. it's all bullshit
You know what love is
T3 is on the love tip y'all (you know what love is)
Yo the S is on some love tip (you know what love is)
T3 is on some love tip (you know what love is)
She said "I wanna be down with the S"
I said "Certainly let me taste your splendorness"
Bustin a Virgo, you were scandalous
Your fragrance got me losin consciousness
Your stance got me unbuckling my fucking pants
Spending, clams to finance on the two dollar romance
To do dick, to the tip, get a lick
Tell a bitch, the S is the shit, so eat a dick
You need to, you need to just give me your clit
As I get nasty like an old porno flick
Oral sex, got me caught up in the {?} bliss
T-Cedric, as I drop this dick between her tits
Yessssss... (you know what love is)
(Say it with me one now - you know what love is)
(You know what love is)
What is the look of
It got somethin to do with umm
Bein a man and handlin your biz
What love got to do with it
Ask S.V. it's all bullshit
You know what love is
Say it with me - you know what love is
Uh-huh, uh-huh, you know what love is
You know what love is
You know what love is
The chorus of Slum Village's "The Look of Love" asks, "What is the look of? / It got somethin to do with umm / Bein a man and handlin your biz / What love got to do with it / Ask S.V. it's all bullshit." The band seems to be rejecting the idea that love has anything to do with traditional masculinity or success in business (or perhaps more broadly, conventional markers of manhood). They encourage listeners to recognize that they already know what love is, and that it's not about superficial things like appearance or material success. The band also addresses misogyny and sexual objectification, encouraging women to embrace their sexuality and not feel the need to masturbate when they have access to consensual sex with partners (in this case, men who are down for rap).
Line by Line Meaning
What is the look of
What does love look like?
It got somethin to do with umm
There's some sort of connection between being a man and handling your business and love
Bein a man and handlin your biz
Being a good man who takes care of his responsibilities
What love got to do with it
Is love really necessary for success?
Ask S.V. it's all bullshit
The band doesn't think love is necessary for success
You know what love is
Love isn't something you need to explain
Say it with me one time - you know what love is
Join me in acknowledging that love is something we all know
Be on some love shit - you know what love is
If you're in love, you know what it is
S.V. on some love shit - you know what love is
Slum village is in touch with love
And to the bitches that love dick, and masturbate
Addressing women who are sexual
No need for that, I get down for rap
You don't need to masturbate when you have good music
Say word {*scratched: "Word"*}
Agreeing with something, like 'word up'
Take it back, take take it back
Rewind the music
The motorbot, hasn't been slept on for a long time
Haven't had sex in a while
It's time for me to put my mack down
Time to impress the ladies
But in the meantime...
While I'm waiting to impress someone
Let me tell you 'bout a bitch named...
Telling a story about a woman
The woman looked so good she make you masturbate
Describing a very attractive woman
Come into my life, let me show you how I operate
Interested in someone who catches his eye
My name is Rassur, but you can call me, a gigolo
Introducing himself in a suave way
My teacher name is... yup yup, you know how we roll
Referring to a teacher with a nickname
I had a lot of shit to do, back in her astral
Talking about life before this moment
(Baatin nigga come back to earth) What can I do for you
A sudden interjection from one of the singers
Back in this bitch, comin through with my new suit
Wearing a new suit
Nigga lookin fly, cause you know we got a lot of loot
Feeling wealthy and stylish
When I'm on the mic, a nigga throw down his blunt
People put down their marijuana to listen to him
Just to hear what we say, up in this bitch
People want to listen to him talk
T3 is on the love tip y'all (you know what love is)
T3 is in the mood for love
Yo the S is on some love tip (you know what love is)
The band is feeling romantic
She said "I wanna be down with the S"
A woman is interested in the band
I said "Certainly let me taste your splendorness"
Flirting with the woman
Bustin a Virgo, you were scandalous
Jokingly talking about her astrological sign
Your fragrance got me losin consciousness
A powerful fragrance
Your stance got me unbuckling my fucking pants
Attracted to her body
Spending, clams to finance on the two dollar romance
Spending money on this relationship
To do dick, to the tip, get a lick
Getting sexual
Tell a bitch, the S is the shit, so eat a dick
Boasting about their musical abilities
You need to, you need to just give me your clit
Asking for sexual favors
As I get nasty like an old porno flick
Getting sexual
Oral sex, got me caught up in the {?} bliss
Enjoying himself
T-Cedric, as I drop this dick between her tits
Continuing to be sexual
Yessssss... (you know what love is)
Enthusiasm for what he's doing
(Say it with me one now - you know what love is)
Inviting others to participate
Uh-huh, uh-huh, you know what love is
Agreement about the power of love
You know what love is
Love is something we all know
Contributed by Audrey M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jonas Américo Domingues
[Hook]
What is the look of
It got something to do with um
Being a man and handling your biz
What love got to do with it
Ask SV it's all bullshit
You know what love is
Say it with me one time, you know what love is
SV on some love shit, you know what love is
SV on some love shit, you know what love is
And to the bitches that love dick, and masturbate
No need for that, I get down for rap, say word
Love sick word, love sick word
Take it back, take take it back
What is the look of
It got something to do with um
Being a man and handling your biz
What love got to do with it
Ask SV it's all bullshit
You know what love is
Say it with me one time, you know what love is
You know what love is, you know what love is
[Verse 1: Baatin]
The motorbot hasn't been slept on for a long time
It's time for me to put my mack down
But in the meantime
Let me tell you bout a bitch named
The woman looked so good she make you masturbate
Come into my life, let me show you how I operate
My name is Rassur, but you can call me a gigolo
My teacher name is, yup yup, you know how we roll
I had a lot of shit to do, back in her astral
"Nigga come back to earth"
What can I do for you
Back in this bitch, coming through with my new suit
Nigga looking fly, cause you know we got a lot of loot
When I'm on the mic, a nigga throw down his blunt
Just to hear what we say, up in this bitch
[Hook]
You know what love is
Say it with me now, you know what love is
What is the look of
It got something to do with um
Being a man and handling your biz
What love got to do with it
Ask SV it's all bullshit
You know what love is
[Verse 2: T3]
T3 is on the love tip y'all, you know what love is
Yo the S is on some love tip, you know what love is
T3 is on some love tip, you know what love is
She said I wanna be down with the S
I said, certainly let me taste your splendour-ness
Busting a Virgo, you were scandalous
Your fragrance got me losing consciousness
Your stance got me unbuckling my fucking pants
Spending clouds of finance on a two dollar romance
To do dick, to the tip, get a lick
Tell a bitch, the S is the shit, so eat a dick
You need to, you need to - just give me your clit
As I get nasty like an old porno flick
Oral sex, got me caught up in the {?} bliss
T-Cedric, as I drop this dick between her tits
[Hook]
Yes, you know what love is
Say it with me one now - you know what love is
You know what love is
What is the look of
It got something to do with um
Being a man and handling your biz
What love got to do with it
Ask SV it's all bullshit
You know what love is
Say it with me, you know what love is
You know what love is, you know what love is
You know what love is
JD Walker
Thank you Dilla for making some of the most memorable music ever. I could hear one of your songs and remember what I was doing at that time.
Mr Tony Williams
So smooth
jinac
"I could hear one of your songs and remember what I was doing at that time." i swear
Maximilian D.
Dilla is out of this world (literally, sadly), but his approach to producing was just as transcendent, and it will endure through his music. Although sampling is considered as stealing by simpler minds, he was just a producer extraordinaire.
Maximilian D.
d It's never too late to change your mind about stuff like that, I guess. This deserves much more respect than it gets/did get, especially in his times, when music wasn't as quickly accessible as it is today.
I really don't get what makes people angry about using your own musical influences as a way to tribute their work. There's no ill intent whatsoever, it's just out of pure love for music.
Ganymede, Jupiter III
This sample...Dilla, I just can't get enough of it. Love how SV cut right through the bullshit too.
E.J. Arroyo
Best producer EVER. And one of the best musician of all times.
Eliseu Oliveira
J Dilla, inigualável.
negus
sem mais nem menos
DJSLTX
One of my all time favs! Get goose bumps every time that beat drops.