| Product Summary | | Label: Capitol Records | | UPC: 00724358304329 | | Release Date: 6/29/2004 | | Buy.com Sku: 61007312 | | Item#: MQUV75 | | Buy.com Sales Rank: 25079 | Format:  CD |
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| Song Listing |  |
Disc 1
| | Song Title | Sample | | 1. Zoom - (with Phat Kat) ~ Slum Village |  | | 2. Do You - (with MC Breed) ~ Slum Village | | | 3. Dirty - (with Dirt McGirt) ~ Slum Village | | | 4. Late 80's Skit ~ Slum Village | | | 5. Selfish - (with Kanye West/John Legend) ~ Slum Village | | | 6. Closer - (with Dwele) ~ Slum Village | | | 7. Shining Star / Old Girl - (with Melanie) ~ Slum Village | | | 8. Keep Holding On - (with Melanie) ~ Slum Village | | | 9. It's On - (with MC Breed) ~ Slum Village | | | 10. Hours, The ~ Slum Village | | | 11. Things We Do ~ Slum Village | | | 12. Count the Ways - (with Dwele) ~ Slum Village | | | 13. Reunion - (with J Dilla) ~ Slum Village | |
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| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Additional personnel: J Dilla, Dirt McGirt, Dwele, John Legend, Kanye West, MC Breed, Phat Kat, Melanie Rutherford, Big Herk. | | When J Dilla left Slum Village after Fantastic, Vol. 2, the group wasn't predicted to flourish, let alone survive, in the aftermath. After all, J was the star producer, T3 and Baatin just a pair of old friends yet to make their name outside the 313 area code. Nevertheless, their next record, Trinity (Past, Present and Future), saw the trio actually improving in the production realm, and bolstering their rap credentials by adding local phenom Elzhi. But after another lineup change -- Baatin was booted after increasingly erratic behavior later diagnosed as schizophrenia -- prospects for Slum Village again seemed dismal. This time, though, it has to come as a lesser surprise that Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit) shows the group at the same high level. Slum's anchor, T3, wisely handed over production reins to young guns BR Gunna, one of whom (RJ Rice) had proved his mettle with tracks from Trinity and 2002's Dirty District compilation. Rice and co. constructed a parade of digital R&B jams that skillfully navigate the divide between cutting-edge headphone productions and bumping club tracks. Despite posing in front of Detroit icons from Greektown to Mexicantown and everywhere in between, T3 and Elzhi set their sights beyond the region to collaborate with Chicago's most wanted Kanye West (on a track he produced) and Wu-Tang culprit Dirt McGirt. On McGirt's feature, "Dirty," BR Gunna's production has an atmospheric sheen and high-grade handclaps that surprisingly compliment McGirt's trademark mic-spraying. Even with a couple of glitzy features, Detroit Deli spends plenty of time paying respect to Slum Village's Motown roots; old friend Dwele stops by for two tracks, labelmate Phat Kat features on the opener, "Zoom," and Flint's own MC Breed drives down for "Do You." T3 and Elzhi get more personal on the record too, fortunately without descending into maudlin territory; "Old Girl/Shining Star" endearingly calls out single mothers, and the closer, "Reunion," features a J Dilla production and a few worried rhymes about Baatin's exit. ~ John Bush | | When Slum Village emerged in the 1990s, they were ostensibly a trio of Jay Dee, T3, and Baatin, However, the Detroit group quickly anounced itself a fluid collective, with members free to drop in and out. They weren't kidding, as on three major releases the group has sported different line-ups each time. DETROIT DELI finds Slum Village a duo of T3 and more recent addition Elzhi. However, all that turnover sees no drop-off in the level of the music and the discourse. | | If anything, Slum Village is at the top of its game on DETROIT DELI, flying from the gritty to the smooth to the funky with the greatest of ease. The outfit also displays its usual range in topics, from delivering a tender ode to ghetto womanhood on "Old Girl/Shining Star" to boasting defiantly, as on the club banger "Keep Holding On." The crew can employ unique and almost experimental beats, as on "Dirty" (fittingly featuring Dirt McGirt) and slide into the smoothest of comfortable grooves (the sweetly sly single "Selfish"). Jay Dee returns with a flourish on "Reunion," but the band's assertion of fluidity remains true, as whatever the official membership, Slum Village consistently releases complexly beautiful records. DETROIT DELI continues that trend. |
Producer: Young RJ; Black Milk; RL "T3" Altman III |
| | Artist Overview | | Fixtures of Detroit's underground hip-hop scene, Slum Village managed to persevere despite several line-up changes, mental illness, and deaths in the family. The group originally formed in the mid '90s as the trio of Baatin, T3, and the soon-to-be legendary DJ/MC Jay Dee. Dilla left in 2002 and was replaced by rapper Elzhi, who would stay on following Baatin's departure due to struggles with schizophrenia. Despite the tumult, Slum Village released numerous excellent recordings that harked back to hip-hop's True Skool era, replete with jazzy licks, clever lyrics, and a consciousness vibe associated with a bygone era in rap. Sadly, Slum Village was dealt another blow when alum J Dilla passed away in 2006 from complications due to Lupus. |
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| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 06/29/2004 | | Original Release Date : 2004 | | Catalog ID : 83043 | | Label : Capitol/EMI Records | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00724358304329 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Entertainment Weekly (pp.76-7)
- "DELI impresses most with production prowess....It's reminiscent of the Detroit outfit's sonically progressive debut..." - Grade: B- |
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