Slum Village - Fantastic, Vol. 2

Released: August 8, 2000

James "J Dilla" Yancey [RIP] remains one of the best producers, dead or alive. From his wonderful production on The Pharcyde's Labcabincalifornia to making Donuts, his most powerful work yet; we could always remember him as a legend, with hip-hop heads like me, calling him a GOD! But other than that, the Detroit producer did also have a group that went through a lot of phases: Slum Village.

Unlike many legendary rap groups who'd only last a few years, Slum Village is still here today, it's just been... changed around for the past 15 years. The original SV consisted of Baatin, T3 and Dilla, who was known as Jay Dee at the time [2/3 of the original had both left the group and later passed away, T3 is actually the only original member who hasn't left or died]. The group resided from Conant Gardens, Detroit, growing up together and going to the same high school. When the group was formed, they began to be popular in the underground hip-hop scene of Detroit (just like Eminem). SV were supposed to release their album, Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 1 in 1997, but ended up being delayed because of label issues and leaked (the original Vol. 1 would be officially released in 2005, featuring their demo material). However, that did cause a stir and the group gained a lot of popularity, especially when the public were focusing more on Dilla (unlike before when he contributed on A Tribe Called Quest's last two albums). The album later turned into Vol. 2 with a mastered and mixed approach, although already finished in 1998, finally released in 2000.

Fantastic, Vol. 2 was released on August 8, 2000 (although some say June 13) on GoodVibe/Barak, as their original label, A&M, was to be inactive around the time their album was originally about to drop. As anyone should know, the album was almost entirely produced by J Dilla (apart from 2 songs), and although criticized for its "lack of lyrical content", it is mostly remembered for Dilla's production. The album features 21 tracks (including 2 bonus tracks), and was promoted with 4 singles including "Climax (Girl Shit)" and "Raise It Up". The album managed to get special guests, especially from Common (on a song which was previously on his album, Like Water for Chocolate), Busta Rhymes, D'Angelo, Pete Rock, Kurupt & Q-Tip. Here, Slum Village revolve around the positive vibes and the funky rhythms from Dilla, and like the leaked Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 1, the group gained more notoriety with it.

Vol. 2's sales was slow, due to the heavy bootlegging of Vol. 1, but with the album having newer and remastered songs from the demos, the album had a heavy impact, notably on the underground hip-hop scene, and people focused a lot on Dilla (as I said before), especially putting this as some of his best production. And speaking on the album, I nearly thought it celebrated its 15th anniversary just last week (June 13), which this year, fell on a Saturday [I could've chose to do this on that day, but I wanted to keep true to the fortnight schedule], but then I realised it was August. And as said in the beginning, Slum Village would later go through a lot of phases: Dilla would leave, after this album, to pursue a solo career (which was actually so successful) and would be replaced by Elzhi (who'd prove himself to be worthy). Baatin would also leave after the second album due to health problems (he'd later pass away, but the cause of the death still remains unknown), turning the group from a trio to a duo. After nearly everybody ended up departing from the group, right now, Young RJ & Dilla's younger brother, Illa J are the latest members there (with T3 still part of the group).

But anyway, as we go through this 21-track offering, is the "word of mouth" true? Did Slum Village actually lack a lot of lyrical content? What about Dilla's production, and the features? How many songs will be on my recommended list? Well, let's find out...

1. Intro
Meh, just your normal rap album int... hol' up, hol' up, wait a minute?.Am I hearing something so sweet?! This intro isn't that bad, it just has the group chanting something (that same "something" was in a certain interlude on Vol. 1), with the beat being really nice and the vocal sample loop of Phife Dawg saying "Slum Village" on Butter (from The Low End Theory) was suiting. If only they had an actual whole verse to start the album...

2. Conant Gardens
The crew does a song dedicated to the Detroit neighbourhood they grew up together in: Conant Gardens. It's a really groovy song where the whole crew (yes, that means Dilla too) gets into it and spits a few bars back and forth. Baatin here has a deeper flow, instead of having it squeaky. They all kill it on the song (T3 was mostly the one that stood out on this track) and I really like the back-and-forth flow and funky vibe that Dilla put on this. This is not necessarily one of my favourites, but however, it is something to get you warmed up for the rest of the album.

3. I Don't Know
This was originally on Vol. 1 as a really short track, but for the album purposes, it ends up coming with an extended verse. It's a decent song, it's not something I'd really rock with, to be honest. I do like the fact that it's extended though.

4. Jealousy
Oooooohhhh.... this is actually not bad. They all do their thing. But I really focused on Dilla's verse, which actually got to the content a lot more than the others, and the beat is soooooooooooo good! Is it recommendable? Just a little bit... because it's actually very decent. But nothing stood out as much, to be honest though.

5. Climax (Girl Shit)
The skit at the end of the previous track leads to what can be the smoothest track on the album, that focuses on doing a threesome. I wouldn't say it's misogynistic, like how they were criticized for, but it's a good song. Dilla's beat is very easy to get you into the song so much, that you end up not caring for the lyrics as much. And speaking of the lyrics, they were actually very good and I liked the concept of the song. I managed to really get used to this song a lot, and I really loved it. Dilla started the song really smoothly, with T3 once again killing his verse, while I've gotten used to Baatin's verse a lot more than his. This is a very great song!

6. Hold Tight (Feat. Q-Tip)
Not bad, not bad. It sounds like a leftover on Q-Tip's solo album, Amplified, to be honest, and if that song was on there, I would've liked that album a lot more. But no, other than some of Dilla's beats and the songs on there, it was TERRIBLE! But anyway, on to the song, it's actually very decent and Tip does a very solid job, especially shouting out Ali Shaheed & Phife Dawg, as they still remained good friends after their Tribe disbandment. The beat was really great, and Tip suited a lot on there as if this was his song at the first place. T3 still kills it, but Baatin did a pretty good job here. I really liked this song, probably one of the best on the album!

7. Tell Me (Feat. D'Angelo)
D'Angelo is up next, and while I liked his vocals on it, the whole song's just decent. Even the verses weren't that good... well, apart from T3. But that doesn't cut it.

8. What's It All About (Feat. Busta Rhymes)
After a funny skit of some smooth ass old-school singing, Busta Rhymes comes through on a jam that actually could've been a single (cos you know Busta was the man back then), and he actually flows on it really well. As for the crew, they all do well, and other than Busta, Baatin was the best here. So yeah, it's a good song, something to vibe to.

9. Forth & Back (Feat. Kurupt)
Now, on Vol. 1, there was an original version of this, with its bracket title being "Rock Music". While that one remains a really good song, the album version is just... mediocre for me. The beat isn't that up to my standards, although it was kinda funky, and overall, I just don't really like it.

10. Untitled/Fantastic
This song isn't much of a double track like you'd really expect it to be. It just feels like a normal track with 2 names. But this is a really nice song. The crew both kill it, and with no hook, I like how they all take turns on the smooth beat. Close to the end, however, we get an interlude, which was known as "Fantastic 2" on Vol. 1, which, while not better than the actual thing, was nice to stick at the end of the track. But yeah, this is a great track overall.

11. Fall In Love
Pretty much THE best track Slum Village has ever done, Period! This song has everything: the sample, the banging drums, the smooth singing on the hook, and the verses from T3 & Baatin, which were their best on this album. It's sad how most pressings of the album omitted this song due to sample clearance issues, because this was toooooooo good to be on here. 15 years later, this song is actually something to "fall in love" with due to its lovely content and the way Dilla flips the Gap Mangione sample. Everything about it is so great, oh my, it's so... I got a lot to say about this, but I'm gonna leave it here.

12. Get Dis Money
Oooooooooohhhh... This song is awesome! One of the most upbeat tracks on the album. Unlike a lot of money-oriented songs where it's more of a dark gangsta vibe, this is something anyone could bump to a lot. I really liked how the group overall really suited the song. And while T3 is still hot on the mic, Baatin managed to step up. Being the album's first single, this could've had a video with a wavey/smooth concept to it. But yes, the overall song is such a good track to the album.

13. Raise It Up
One thing about this song is that Dilla took a bootleg of "Extra Dry", a song by Thomas Bangalter (1/2 of Daft Punk), and sampled it. Why did I say that? The reason is mainly because Dilla flips the hell out of that song and the fact that Thomas didn't sue the group (unlike so many musicians these days, he actually appreciated it and had them to remix "Aerodynamic") was actually really nice of him. Anyway, on to the actual song, it freaking BANGS! Because of the sample from Thomas, the song has an electronic/8-bit video-game feel, and it's good to bump to. While the crew all did their thing (with Dilla rapping the opposite of what he does. and Baatin having the "Maybe it's..." flow), T3 had the best verse with his "That's Me" flow. I can listen to this any day with no problem, cos it's actually sooooooooooo good. But I liked the beat at the end though, that's something to calm you down from the amazing song we've just had.

14. CB4
I really digged the beat & content of the song. Yeah, this is probably all I can say!

15. Once Upon A Time (Feat. Pete Rock)
Pete Rock is here on the album, on a song not entirely produced by Dilla, mainly because Pete got his contributions heavily on here. While Pete is way better on the boards, through the classic tracks he has produced, he actually started the song with a very solid verse, to be honest. It seriously wasn't that bad. As for the group, they all do well, with Baatin once again taking the shine. I've managed to get used to this song a lot, and when I had the chance to listen again, this was actually a very great track on the album. Pete killed the mixing, and the beat was really freaking hot. Overall, this is probably a favourite. Oh yeah, and why the hell is there a really long skit at the end?!

16. Players
This is a really short song, but who cares, this song is so AWESOME! Dilla flips the vocal sample of "Clair" as it says "players". I do remember coming across this song when Kendrick Lamar did an early freestyle on it as a tribute to Dilla. Hearing the original was a solid and extremely comfortable listen, with Dilla's beat being so hypnotizing and mesmerizing as hell. Another one of my favourites.

17. Eyes Up
I came across this song on my 14th birthday (April 25th) when I got my PS4. I used Spotify to play "Players", as it leads to this song. And I really dig the song a lot. Now, Dilla's verse was hot, I can put that in second place on who did the best, but no one comes close to T3 on this one. This one is much more hypnotizing than the previous track, which is still awesome as hell. Great ass song!

18. 2U4U
This is smooth, it has the same vibe that I got from "Climax", and this is really awesome. It does feel short though, especially when the song doesn't necessarily have a chorus. Each member comes off very decent and they manage to impress me on the same level. Damn, there are so much good tracks on this album, that most of them may not even fit on my recommended list.

19. Go Ladies
It's smooth, and it's the beat that mostly saves the song. This is probably a minor favourite, and it's actually a very awesome song, especially to conclude the album. The chorus, to be honest, sounds like something I'd have heard from Phonte on The Listening (hol' up, wait a minute... oh yeah, he used that hook line for "The Get Up", I knew I recognized it). No one really has the best verse here (maybe Baatin), T3 starts this off nicely, with Dilla smoothing it up with a very nice verse and Baatin doing a really great to conclude the song. The group manages to impress me a little with their verses, which had more of a "get down" vibe to it, the beat is somewhat funky and something anyone can vibe to. It's one of the grooviest tracks on the album, which mostly stands out as a very decent ending.

The following are bonus tracks:

20. Thelonious (Common feat. Slum Village)
Now, probably due to the fact the group couldn't get this album on time, this ended up being stuck onto Common's Like Water For Chocolate. But this comes as a bonus track. Now, I'd rather have this on my LWFC recommended list, because that suits on there. But the overall song fits on here a lot more than on Common's album. T3 started off alright, with Common sounding like a feature (when this was actually his song), and Baatin was actually decent, compared to T3 & Com. Now here is where Dilla steps the hell up on this one (especially when T3 has been my favourite on this album), because he concludes the whole song with the longest and most outstanding verse out of all 4. With the beat feeling more aimed at SV, this is why this song is so great, especially on this album.

21. Who Are We
This would be found on later pressings on the album. I didn't like it as much to be honest, but it's decent. The ending switch-up was sick though!

For an album that was highly anticipated for 3 years, Fantastic, Vol. 2 ends up being boring. The beats were the only one that saved the album. Slum Village didn't have much to talk about and the album ended up coming out as a mediocre... Hold up, excuse me, that was the wrong thing to say. Fantastic, Vol. 2 is pretty much the first word of the title: Fantastic! The album was a really comfortable listen, and it really shook me from the start. It was sooooooooooo good, that I even had to add an "additional recommends" list down below (and that went through a lot of changes). Everyone were saying that this album had a lack of lyrical content, but I can't see the lack, especially when the group nearly killed every freaking track they were on. Every track has their own place and it doesn't come out as filler material, like most albums do. Dilla's beats were so great on the album, most of the time; they were the ones that saved even the weakest songs. If T3, Baatin and Dilla didn't break up or left, who knows what discography would've been made? It's unfortunate that this was their only album (if you don't count Vol. 1) where Dilla was present most of the time, because this was where they were at their finest. As said before, the group nearly killed the whole album, with their dope rhymes and lyrical content. Baatin was decent with his squeaky and hardcore flow. T3 was my favourite with his flows and his verses were nearly always great to listen to. And as for Dilla, we always see him mostly as a producer, especially with his wonderful work on Donuts, but you can't deny the man could actually spit some hot fire, mostly when he had the best verse on Common's "Thelonious". All the songs on the album either had 1 of the three vibes I got from the album: smooth, dark, and laidback. 15 years later, they're still rocking even without the help of Baatin & Dilla (RIP), with T3, Illa J & Young RJ still continuing the legacy (heck, they just released an album on Tuesday). So buy this, bUy ThIs, BUY THIS! This album still stands out, with Dilla's beats being the standout on there. I had so many favourites, and if you're reading this, I bet you will too. This was so good to listen to, and if anyone is new to J Dilla, it's good to start off with this "fantastic" album.

The Furious 5ive
Fall In Love
Raise It Up
Get Dis Money
Eyes Up
Players

Additional Recommends
Hold Tight
2U4U
Go Ladies
Once Upon A Time
Climax (Girl Shit)

But yeah, all of the tracks are recommendable, even the weakest ones!

But wait, there's more!

Released: July 31, 2000

A month later, Slum Village would released Best Kept Secret, an album full of 7 Fantastic leftovers and 3 remixes. Some of these songs were previously on the leaked Vol. 1, but either have been extended or separated a little. However, they used a different alias when releasing it called J-88, and instead of releasing it on Barak, they did it on a different label called Groove Attack. But that's all I have to say about this project before we get started, I could've did a brief paragraph on this, but I'm just gonna get into it: TBT style!

1. From Detroit With Love (Intro)

Just an intro that pretty much leads to the next track.

2. The Look Of Love
While everyone's Slum Village favourite (including myself) is "Fall In Love", this one is just up there with that song. With Dilla's laidback beat and T3 & Baatin's verses, While I really liked T3's verse, Baatin was up there as well, especially having a really decent starter verse. The overall song is really good to vibe to, with the sombre guitar sample and everything I really loved about it. Why is it so hard to describe such a wonderful song?!

3. Get It Together
This was alright. It was funky and all, but nothing stood out as much.

4. Stupid Lies
Now, this one is better. I can bump to this one, and it's actually a very decent song. It can be forgettable at times though.

5. The Things You Do
Now, the remix was on Vol. 1, with no sign of the original (unless this was the remix, who knows), but there's a different one that managed to get on this. I could actually imagine A Tribe Called Quest on this, especially during the Beats, Rhymes and Life era in 1996. I do like this one better than the Vol. 1 remix, because I can feel something way funky on this one. Great song!

6. Keep It On (This Beat)
Like "The Look of Love", this was originally on Vol. 1, and managed to be stuck on here too. You can notice the difference that it had been cut off at the end, to prevent it from switching to a James Brown sample. But anyway, this song is a really decent song on the album. I can rock to it a lot, and it's probably the best on the album, other than "The Look of Love". Seriously, this was a really great song, which actually amazed me from the first time I actually listened to it.

7. The Look of Love (Part 2)
Now, there are 4 versions of "The Look of Love": the original and 3 remixes from Dilla. While they could've added "What's Love Got To Do With It?" or the one with a "Lyrics to Go" sample, they added this one, which was lackluster, compared to the other remixes. So... meh!

The following are remixes from Madlib & IG Culture:

8. Get It Together (Madlib Remix)
This one is a lot better than the original, which I found a little boring. This one is more funky, and the group actually suited the beat a lot more than the original. Decent effort from the Slum.

9. The Things You Do (Madlib Remix)
This was just... alright. Doesn't beat the original as much!

10. Get It Together (IG Culture Basement Jerks Mix)
Nah nah, this one is just awful for my standards.

Sigh... damn! I always look forward to listening to a compilation full of album throwaways, just to see if they could've been on that album or not. A prime example could be Drake with his platinum mixtape, If You're Reading This It's Too Late, where most songs (although supposed to be throwaways from Views From The 6ix) were better on that tape, especially feeling like he created that specifically for that project. Best Kept Secret doesn't do that for me at all. While maybe 3/10 tracks could've been on Vol. 2, the rest were just mediocre to bad. Some of the beats felt lackluster and it wasn't something special, like Fantastic Vol. 2 was. If Dilla sorted out his production a little on there, then I would've appreciated it a lot. Part 2 of "The Look of Love" was horrible where Dilla gave a mediocre beat, instead of putting on a different version. Overall, it was alright to check the leftovers, but they aren't really worth purchasing at all. Just look at the recommended list, and you can just take a listen at those ones down below!

Recommended Tracks
The Look of Love
Keep It On (This Beat)
The Things You Do