Hear Slum Village’s J Dilla-Produced New Album, ‘Yes!’
Slum Village won’t release their new album, Yes! until June 16th, but the full, 12-track LP – which features nine songs produced or co-produced posthumously by legendary beatmaker J Dilla – is available to stream below.
Yes! finds Slum Village (rapper T3 and rapper-producer Young RJ) blending savvy rhymes with spacious production – like Dilla’s trademark barely-offbeat snares of “Right Back,” the spiraling piano loops of “Tear It Down,” the bass-heavy groove of “Expressive” and the light jazz textures of “Where We Come From.” The album, set for release on Barak Records, features guest appearances from De La Soul, Jon Connor, Phife, Black Milk, BJ the Chicago Kid, Bilal, Illa J and J Ivy.
“Yes! sounds like progressive vintage soul, a perfectly blended stew with a dash of the past (Dilla & Baatin), a quarter-cup of the future (Young RJ) and topped off with the secret ingredient (me) and a top-notch supporting cast,” T3 tells Rolling Stone of the album. “Yes! is comfort food for the summer – enjoy!” Young RJ adds that the LP was “made for Slum Village fans, the true lovers of feel good music!”
The album is available for pre-order now at iTunes.
The original Slum Village line-up – T3, Dilla and rapper Baatin – formed in 1996 and built a devout following in Detroit’s underground rap scene. The trio’s debut album, 1996’s Fantastic Vol. 1, was shelved until 2005, with their official debut, Fantastic Vol. 2., arriving in 2000. Dilla, one of hip-hop’s most innovative producers, left the group in 2002 and died four years later. A series of line-up changes followed, and Baatin passed away in 2009.
Yes! Track List
1. “Intro” (produced by J Dilla)
2. “Fantastic/Love Is” featuring Bilal and Illa J (produced by J Dilla)
3. “Tear It Down” featuring Jon Connor (produced by J Dilla)
4. “Expressive” featuring BJ The Chicago Kid and Illa J (produced by J Dilla)
5. “Push It Along” featuring Phife Dawg (produced by Young RJ)
6. “Windows” featuring J Ivy (produced by J Dilla)
7. “Yes Yes” (Remix) (produced by J Dilla & Young RJ)
8. “Right Back” featuring De La Soul (produced by J Dilla & Young RJ)
9. “We On The Go!!” featuring Black Milk & Frank Nitt (produced by Black Milk)
10. “Too Much” featuring Keely (produced by J Dilla & Young RJ)
11. “Where We Come From” (produced by Young RJ)
12. “What We Have” featuring Kam Corvet & Illa J (produced by J Dilla)