Tainted by Slum Village - discover this song's samples, covers and remixes on WhoSampled. Slum Village discography and songs: Music profile for Slum Village, formed 1988. Genres: Hip Hop, Boom Bap, Jazz Rap. Albums include Like Water for Chocolate, Fantastic, Vol. 2, and Fan-tas-tic.
Fantastic, Vol. 2 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 13, 2000 | |||
Recorded | 1997−1998 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 74:52 (US) / 67:51 (UK) | |||
Label | GoodVibe | |||
Producer | Jay Dee, Pete Rock, D'Angelo | |||
Slum Village chronology | ||||
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Fantastic, Vol. 2 (also referred to as Fantastic Volume II) is the second album by Americanhip hop group Slum Village, released on June 13, 2000. During the time of its release the group was still composed of its earliest members T3, Baatin and J Dilla.
- 3Track listing
- 4Album singles
Overview[edit]
The album was initially completed in 1998 for A&M Records shortly before the label became obsolete, leaving Slum Village in limbo for over a year. During this period, however, the group's producer Jay Dee greatly increased his profile through work with artists such as Common, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu and A Tribe Called Quest. At the same time tremendous acclaim from notables such as Questlove of The Roots and Q-Tip built up anticipation for the long-delayed LP.
Slum Village eventually found an outlet with Goodvibe Recordings & Barak Records, and released Fantastic, Vol. 2 in summer 2000. Although sales were slow (due to heavy bootlegging[citation needed]) the group nevertheless had a huge impact on the underground circuit and were proclaimed torch-bearers for the departing A Tribe Called Quest.[citation needed]
In particular Jay Dee's much lauded production work, full of subtle grooves and soul claps, was a blueprint for the direction that neo soul would take in the coming years. The album was re-released minus the original version of 'Fall-N-Love', which was replaced by the remix due to sample clearance issues, as well as their collaboration with Common, 'Thelonius' (which originally appeared on Common's Like Water for Chocolate).
The album's cover was designed by Waajeed (of the group Platinum Pied Pipers).
Reaction and aftermath[edit]
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Alternative Press | 4/5[2] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[3] |
Houston Chronicle | 5/5[4] |
Muzik | [5] |
NME | 6/10[6] |
Pitchfork | 8.5/10[7] |
Rolling Stone | [8] |
The Source | 3.5/5[9] |
Spin | 5/10[10] |
The album received highly positive reviews and acclaim upon its release. The Phoenix New Times, for example, commented that '(Jay Dee's) production style has been subtly influencing better-recognized producers for years' and even went as far as to claim that 'Slum Village is going to single-handedly save rap music'.[1] The group themselves have since acknowledged the impact this record had, and while they benefited greatly from it, it has also overshadowed their later, though more commercially successful work.
The twelfth track 'Get Dis Money' was originally featured on the soundtrack to the 1999 Mike Judge cult film Office Space.[11] The second track 'Conant Gardens' was featured in the 2002 Frankie Muniz film Big Fat Liar as well as the 2003 Steve Martin film Cheaper by the Dozen.[12]
The album was re-issued as Fantastic Vol 2 10 in 2010.
Track listing[edit]
Original pressing[edit]
All tracks are solely produced by Jay Dee, except for 'Tell Me', which is produced by D'Angelo and co-produced by Jay Dee, and 'Once Upon A Time', which is produced by Pete Rock and Jay Dee. On subsequent pressings, the album includes the Jay Dee-produced songs 'Thelonius' and 'Who We Are' as bonus tracks. Questlove produced the preceding interlude to 'Thelonius' but as the entire track is lifted from Common's Like Water For Chocolate, he is not credited.
- All songs written by James Yancey, Titus Glover and R. L. Altman, except as noted
- 'Intro' – 1:25
- 'Conant Gardens' – 3:04
- 'I Don't Know' – 2:25
- 'Jealousy' – 4:05
- 'Climax (Girl Shit)' – 3:31
- 'Hold Tight' (feat. Q-Tip) (James Yancey, Titus Glover, R.L. Altman, Kamaal Fareed) – 3:12
- 'Tell Me' (feat. D'Angelo) (James Yancey, Titus Glover, R.L. Altman, Michael Archer) – 4:37
- 'What It's All About' (feat. Busta Rhymes) (James Yancey, Titus Glover, R.L. Altman, Trevor Smith) – 3:36
- 'Forth and Back' (feat. Kurupt) (James Yancey, Titus Glover, R.L. Altman, Ricardo Brown) – 4:26
- 'Untitled/Fantastic' – 3:54
- 'Fall in Love' - 3:47
- 'Get Dis Money' – 3:31
- 'Raise It Up' – 4:27
- 'CB4' – 3:45
- 'Once Upon a Time' (feat. Pete Rock) (James Yancey, Titus Glover, R.L. Altman, Peter Phillips) – 5:54
- 'Players' – 2:26
- 'Eyes Up' – 4:22
- '2U 4U' – 3:08
- 'Go Ladies' – 4:43
- 'Thelonius' (feat. Common) (James Yancey, Titus Glover, R.L. Altman, Lonnie Lynn) - 4:29 (Hidden track)
- 'Who Are We' - 3:44 (bonus track found on later pressings)
2010 re-release[edit]
On February 2, 2010, the album was re-released as the two-disc Fantastic Vol. 2.10, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the original album. This Barak Records release features additional tracks, alternative versions of a few songs, instrumentals, and a different intro from the original release. The songs changed or replaced are 'Hold Tight', 'Fourth & Back', 'Once Upon a Time' and '2U 4U'. This version of 'Once Upon a Time' is produced by Pete Rock only. 'Climax', while the same version of the song, now features a different ending followed by a skit. 'Fall-N-Love' is listed as the 'original version' but is the same version to be found on the original release, this is because of some earlier presses replaced it with the 12' remixes because a sample problem. It is notable for including many small skits that appear between songs that never appeared on earlier presses.
Disc 1:
- 'Intro'
- 'Conant Gardens'
- 'I Don't Know' (feat. Jazzy Jeff)
- 'Skit #1'
- 'Jealousy'
- 'Climax'
- 'Hold Tight (Remix)' (feat. Q-Tip)
- 'Tell Me'
- 'Skit #2'
- 'Fourth & Back (Original Version)' (feat. Kurupt)
- 'Untitled'
- 'Fall-N-Love (Original Version)'
- 'Get Dis Money'
- 'CB4'
- 'Once Upon a Time (Pete Rock Remix)' (feat. Pete Rock)
- 'Players'
- 'Eyes Up'
- '2U 4U [Live Drums]'
- 'Hustle' (feat. Busta Rhymes)
- 'Go Ladies'
- 'Skit #3'
- 'We Be Dem #1'
- 'We Be Dem #2'
- 'Get It Together'
Disc 2:
- 'Conant Gardens (Instrumental)'
- 'I Don't Know (Instrumental)'
- 'Climax (Instrumental)'
- 'Hold Tight (Remix) (Instrumental)'
- 'Tell Me (Instrumental)'
- 'Untitled (Instrumental)'
- 'Fall-N-Love (Instrumental)'
- 'Get Dis Money (Instrumental)'
- 'CB4 (Instrumental)'
- 'Players (Instrumental)'
- 'Eyes Ups (Instrumental)'
- '2U 4U (Instrumental)'
- 'Hustle (Instrumental)'
- 'Go Ladies (Instrumental)'
Album singles[edit]
Single information |
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'Get Dis Money'
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'I Don't Know'
|
'Climax (Girl Shit)'
|
'Raise It Up'
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Raise It Up[edit]
Raise It Up uses a sample from the song 'Extra Dry' by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk. It was initially used without permission, as producer J Dilla obtained a copy of the song from a bootleg recording, and assumed that the artist was an obscure producer who was unlikely to notice. Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo however happened to be fans of Slum Village, and rather than demand a payment for the sample, instead asked the group to remix one of their own tracks; this ended up becoming Slum Village's remix of the song 'Aerodynamic'.[13]
The remix of 'Fall-N-Love' used a sample of Alice Cooper's 'Shoe Salesman'.
Outtakes[edit]
- 'Once Upon A Time' - was originally titled 'On A Mission', and was on a white label before the album's release. This version is also produced by Pete Rock, but without Jay Dee's added touches.
- 'Get Dis Money' - a version with an alternative verse from Baatin.
- 'The Hustle' (Ft. Busta Rhymes) - white label.
- 'Beej N Dem' - one of the many tracks from Slum's demo debut 'Fantastic' that was re-recorded for Volume 2, this was the last and most high-end cut of this song that was released.
- 'Forth & Back' - the second of three recordingss for 'Forth & Back', another song concept from 'Fantastic', this version uses a more radio-friendly beat, sampling Tom Browne's 'Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)'. The order of verses remains intact, including the feature from Kurupt, except Jay, T3, and Baatin's verses are all older vocal takes with completely different lyrics.
- '2U4U' - a version with drums by Jay Dee & Karriem Riggins.
All of these outtakes are on the re-release of the album.
References[edit]
- ^Birchmeier, Jason. 'Fantastic, Vol. 2 – Slum Village'. AllMusic. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^'Slum Village: Fantastic, Vol. 2'. Alternative Press (144): 111. July 2000.
- ^Takahashi, Corey (June 23, 2000). 'Fantastic, Vol. 2'. Entertainment Weekly: 102. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^Chonin, Neva (June 11, 2000). 'It Takes a Village to Enliven Rap Scene'. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ^Lysnkey, Dorian (September 1999). 'Slum Village: Fantastic Vol. II (Interscope)'. Muzik (52): 73.
- ^'Slum Village: Fantastic, Vol. 2'. NME: 40. May 27, 2000.
- ^Ex, Kris (June 4, 2016). 'Slum Village: The Fan-Tas-Tic Box Set'. Pitchfork. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^Sheffield, Rob (August 17, 2000). 'De La Soul: Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump / Dilated Peoples: The Platform / Slum Village: Fantastic, Vol. 2'. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 21, 2003. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^'Slum Village: Fantastic, Vol. 2'. The Source (116): 214. May 1999.
- ^Caramanica, Jon (June 2000). 'Slum Village: Fantastic Vol. II'. Spin. 16 (6): 158–159. ISSN0886-3032. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^'Office Space (1999) - Soundtracks'. imdb.com. IMDb. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
- ^'Cheaper By The Dozen (2003) - Soundtracks'. imdb.com. IMDb. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
- ^Stones Throw x Ed BangerStones Throw Records meets Ed Banger Records. stonesthrow.com. Retrieved on March 22, 2009.
External links[edit]
- 'Raise It Up' music video on YouTube
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fantastic,_Vol._2&oldid=916609974'
Birth name | Jason Powers |
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Also known as | eLZhi |
Born | May 12, 1978 (age 41) |
Origin | Detroit, Michigan, US |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper |
Years active | 1998–present |
Labels |
|
Associated acts |
Jason Powers (born May 12, 1978), better known by his stage name eLZhi, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is a former member of Slum Village and now records as a solo artist. In his youth, he made numerous visits to the Hip-Hop shop in Detroit, taking advantage of open-mic nights hosted by fellow Detroit rapper Proof. These sessions gave him the opportunity to be surrounded by Detroit's most talented MCs such as Obie Trice, Magestik Legend, Finale, Invincible, Phat Kat, Guilty Simpson, Royce da 5'9', One Be Lo, J Dilla, Baatin, D12 and Eminem.
- 1Biography
- 2Discography
Biography[edit]
Out of Focus[edit]
In 1998, Elzhi recorded a number of songs with Detroit hip-hop artist DJ Houseshoes with DJ Rios. These recording sessions yielded material that would become the Out of Focus EP, but the project was abandoned due to personal obligations and a lack of distribution options in Detroit. During the mixing process, DJ Houseshoes passed the DATs onto Dilla, who intended on remixing the whole album before his passing.[citation needed]
In late 2000, Elzhi acquired Dilla's master tapes and provided his close friends with CD's of the Out of Focus EP, plus 3 extra tracks. With a few CD's out in the open, the EP eventually leaked onto the Internet under the name 'Unreleased Solo Project', but many CD's sold or distributed under this title are mislabeled with inaccurate track-listings and credits. The project was re-released in 2011 on his official website with a 27-minute bonus track showcasing verses from past features.
Dilla asked Elzhi to take his place in the group Slum Village because he believed in Elzhi's gift and Dilla was battling Lupus.
925, Waajeed, and Jay Dee[edit]
In 1999, Elzhi became affiliated with the 9-2-5 Colony, a group formed by Nick Speed and Magestik Legend. The trio of emcees recorded only a few songs together: 'Gun Talk', 'Oh Shit' and 'Farewell'. In 'Farewell', produced by Lacks, each emcee spits a verse about their relationships with women. Elzhi uses a verse he had originally recorded for the DJ Houseshoes-produced 'What I Am', a discarded song from the Out of Focus sessions. 'Farewell', like the rest of the 9-2-5 material, remains incomplete and unreleased.
In 2000, Elzhi began extensive collaboration with Waajeed, and the pair created an untold number of songs. 'Stunted Growth' is one of the few tracks to ever emerge from this era of recording.
As Elzhi and Waajeed became closer, so did El's affiliation with Slum Village. Constantly working on his music, Elzhi had the opportunity to record songs over some of Jay Dee's unused beats (e.g. 'Days and Nights Analyzin' and 'Concrete Eyes') and attracted the attention of Slum Village member T3 slum Village, who took the young artist under his wing, bringing Elzhi to the attention of Jay Dee. This connection paved the way for Elzhi's national debut on Jay Dee's Welcome to Detroit album, for which he received his first ever pay check in the rap game. Elzhi's verse on the song 'Come Get It' was acclaimed by Hiphopsite.com upon its release.
Slum Village[edit]
In 2002, with Jay Dee no longer an official member, Slum Village began recording their follow up to Trinity. During the sessions, T3 invited Elzhi to collaborate on a few tracks. One of the earliest of these was the 'Aerodynamic Remix' by Daft Punk, which was featured on the Kiss of the Dragon soundtrack. Originally, Slum Village intended Elzhi's presence on the album to be nothing more than a featured guest. But, recognizing their chemistry, Baatin and T3 invited Elzhi to become a full-time member, a choice enthusiastically supported by J Dilla. In July 2010, Elzhi officially announced his departure from Slum Village.
Libido Sounds and the Future[edit]
In 2004, Elzhi and Nick Speed formed the Libido Sounds label in order to release Witness My Growth, a double CD compilation of Elzhi's unreleased solo material from as early as 1997. The double disc includes exclusive J Dilla collaborations, as well as highlights from the Out of Focus EP. Production credits on the mixtape include J Dilla, Waajeed, Karriem Riggins, Page Kennedy, B.R. Gunna, DJ Magnetic, Houseshoes and The Alchemist.
His first solo project with national distribution, The Preface, was released on August 12, 2008.[1]
eLmatic[edit]
On May 10, 2011, Elzhi released a mixtape as an homage to Nas's debut album Illmatic, with Will Sessions recreating the sounds of the iconic album. The mixtape was greatly received by hip hop fans and considered one of the best projects released in 2011. He has released three videos for the mixtape, 'Halftime', 'Memory Lane', and 'It Ain't Hard to Tell', which has hit 1 million views despite not being backed by a major record label.[citation needed]
Lead Poison[edit]
In November 2013, Elzhi successfully raised over $37,000 for a Kickstarter project designed to facilitate the creation and release of his next studio album. Following an extended delay, Elzhi announced in January 2016 that his new album Lead Poison was officially completed. Lead Poison was released on March 11, 2016.[2][3][4]
Jericho Jackson[edit]
On December 31, 2017, 9th Wonder posted a snippet of new music on his Instagram, revealing that Elzhi and Jamla producer Khrysis were working on a project under the name Jericho Jackson, named after the character in the film Action Jackson. The project was finally announced on February 9 as Elzhi & Khrysis are Jericho Jackson, releasing the single 'Self Made' along with this information. The second single “Listen” featuring Amber Navran of neo soul band Moonchild, was premiered by Billboard on February 20. The album was released February 23, with Elzhi primarily on vocals, and Khrysis entirely producing the album.
Discography[edit]
Solo albums[edit]
- 2008: The Preface
- 2011: Elmatic
- 2016: Lead Poison
- 2018: Elzhi & Khrysis are Jericho Jackson(with Khrysis as Jericho Jackson)
With Slum Village[edit]
- 2002: Trinity: Past, Present And Future
- 2004: Detroit Deli: A Taste Of Detroit
- 2005: Slum Village
- 2009: Villa Manifesto EP
- 2010: Villa Manifesto
Extended plays (EPs)[edit]
- 1998: Out of Focus
- 2000: The Breakfast Club(with Dwele, Lacks, Big Tone & 87)
- 2010: Out of Focus EP(re-release with 20 min bonus track)
Mixtapes[edit]
![Slum village the source Slum village the source](https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/300x300/394de16945cd4fa2941b87a888800c68.jpg)
- 2004: Witness My Growth: The Mixtape 97-04
- 2005: Prequel To A Classic(with Slum Village)
- 2008: EuroPass: An Exclusive Tour CD (Tour CD)
- 2009: The Leftovers (Unmixedtape)
References[edit]
- ^'MichiganHipHop.com » Elzhi 'The Preface' In Stores August 12'. www.michiganhiphop.com.
- ^http://hiphopdx.com, HipHopDX -. 'Elzhi Says Depression & Addiction Fueled New Album 'Lead Poison''.
- ^'PREMIERE: Elzhi The Great 'February' - Mass Appeal'. 24 February 2015.
- ^'Elzhi Announces New Album, Struggle with Depression & Drops a Bold New Single (Audio)'. 29 January 2016.
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elzhi&oldid=929745791'