Slum Village

Slum Village initially formed in Detroit’s Conant Gardens, featuring founding members T3, J Dilla (Jay Dee), and Baatin, who attended John J. Pershing High School. Their early work started with their first album, “Fantastic (Vol. 1)”, recorded between 1996 and 1997, though it was not officially released until 2006. In 1994, J Dilla’s connection with Q-Tip through Funkadelic keyboardist Amp Fiddler led to him joining The Ummah production collective, contributing to A Tribe Called Quest and other artists. The group also signed with Barak/A&M Records in 1998, releasing “Best Kept Secret” under the alias J-88 and “Fantastic, Vol. 2” in 2000 through GoodVibe Recordings, which included collaborations with artists such as Busta Rhymes, Common, and D’Angelo.

After J Dilla departed in 2001 to begin a solo career, Elzhi joined the group. This new lineup released “Trinity (Past, Present and Future)” in 2002, which reached the Top 20 of the Billboard 200. In 2004, the album “Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)” was released, featuring the single “Selfish” produced by Kanye West and featuring John Legend, which sampled Aretha Franklin. The group continued to navigate changes, including the passing of J Dilla in 2006 and Baatin in 2009. T3 remained central to the group, leading “Villa Manifesto” in 2010, which incorporated previously unreleased material from Dilla and Baatin, alongside contributions from Elzhi, Young RJ, and Illa J.

In 2015, Slum Village released “YES!”, featuring unused beats from J Dilla, with production efforts mainly by Young RJ. The group’s journey showcases a history of adaptation and a commitment to their musical legacy within the hip-hop genre. Recent releases include singles like “All The Ways” (2025) and albums such as “F.U.N.” (2024), demonstrating their continued activity and evolution in the music industry.