Artist: Slum Village
Album: Slum Village
Record label: Barak Records
Rating:
Reviewer: Henry Adaso

Even though Slum Village has been nick-named the Destiny’s Child of Rap for switching members frequently, the changes have not hindered surviving duo (T3 & Elzhi) from delivering consistent Detroit City-bred grit. Don’t expect quality material to take a nose-dive just because founding members J Dilla and Baatin hit the road after two albums. On their new self-titled LP, the Villagers are spitting as if they’re strictly out to prove a point.

The no-holds-barred yet entertaining style that won them a cult-like following since Fantastic, Vol. 2 is still intact, even when addressing naysayers. The introductory "Giant" finds T3 giving non-believers the middle finger: “Beside the ‘Tin thing, we wasn’t the in thing/ like Mr. Ching-a-ling// so we didn’t get a second single or video/So I say fuck ‘em, get the dick like a pretty hoe.” "Can I Be Me," an appeal for originality is another in-your-face entrée backed by exquisite electric guitar and urgent percussion.

But things are not all mean and vicious on Slum Village. The airwaves-acceptable "Ez Up" shows that the fellas from the D like to have a good time, as the production duo B.R. Gunna whip up a fertile sonic bed for SV’s catchy rhymes while singer J Isaac supplies a beguiling hook designed to move the masses. The soulful Dwele-assisted "Call Me" clearly targets the opposite sex (a la Detroit Deli’s Selfish), reminding listeners that no Slum Village album is complete without a tribute to the ladies.

When it’s time for serious spitting and introspection, T3 and Elzhi engage in a friendly competition rendering gut-wrenching punch lines with enough vigor to make even MC Breed proud. Over Black Milk’s triumphant percussion on "Set It," the waterproof Elzhi morphs into lyrical mode, indulging in a combo of wordplay and riveting imagery. On the pensive "Def Do Us," the two pledge eternal loyalty to each other, but not without denigrating their former counterparts: “Dilla left because of the albums we sold and Baatin’s most focused on doing his own thing.”

The downers are sparse and do little to hurt the album. Dated references like "05" could have been themed better, but SV still manages to keep the listener’s attention without uttering a word (thanks to Young RJ’s cohesive beat). Although in-house beat-maker B.R. Gunna ensures that stellar production is in abundance, the Moss-produced "1, 2" is the foster child that doesn’t belong here sonically. To make matters worse, the MCs’ attempts to impress with double time rhyming fall flat on the face.

Despite their past pitfalls and pervasive penchant for females, S. Villa has succeeded in crafting a musical manifesto that validates the essence of moving on, proving once again that one monkey don’t stop no show. Not even two.