This has the best beats ever layed down by Jay Dee. The rapping was not to bad. This is a must buy rap album that finnally got back into production
The production quality is very high, but the lyrics don't match the level of production. I still like this album though.
Following his heralded production work on classic A Tribe Called Quest and Pharcyde albums, Detroit producer Jay Dee introduced his hometown group Slum Village, a trio consisting of T3, Baatin, and himself. After making a name locally, their demo tape "Fantastic, Vol. 1" was recorded and pressed regionally in 1996, leading to a record deal and subsequent celebrated major-label debut "Fantastic, Vol. 2." While Slum Village went on to find both commercial and critical success in the new millennium, "Fantastic, Vol. 1" never saw a proper release, and in 2005 Barak Records released a 24 track version following Jay Dee's tragic untimely passing. Owners of the original are quick to point out that this is not the demo tape--while the two do share tracks, the 2005 version has 14 additional tracks, many of which are short studio outtakes. The result is a unique, fascinating product; it has the unfinished feel of an album in progress that allows the listener to see a musical genius at work and the early formations of a great rap group.
With 24 tracks over 52 minutes, most of these wouldn't be considered songs--the more accurate description might be that they're "ideas for songs." The short clips include botched studio recordings, unpolished beats, single, disjointed verses, and a few live performances. Some of the vocals are distorted, the balance is often a bit off, and the recordings sound dusty. But even in such an intermediate state, the entire tracklist has in common a joyful, spontaneous feel and a rich, pure hip hop sound. With numerous guests, some who would become famous and others who wouldn't, it's easy to imagine an excited, optimistic crew of local MCs working on these tracks in Dilla's home studio. Dilla's genius is obvious here, and that the music has such a magical quality even in its unfinished form is a testament to his greatness. The beats are built on minimalist instrumentals and soul samples, which Dilla chops up like no other. It's a transcendent sound built on organic soul vibes, live jazzy qualities, simple and catchy melodies, and while not a far cry from his work with the Ummah, it is distinctive. He employs obscure soundbytes to give it an atmospheric, at times otherworldly vibe, but it remains pure, feel-good music with a bouncy, laidback tempo. Not unlike his swan song
, it presents beautiful music in a way we're not used to hearing it. We too easily take for granted what a finished album should sound like, and Dilla proves that hip hop can still be beautiful without a studio polish.
The most common knock on Slum Village is that they're underwhelming rappers who, for the most part, let the beats do the talking. And given the beautiful mood music that Dilla supplies them here, it's easy to expect that. Granted, most of the lyricism here is pretty insubstantial, but what they may lack in lyrics they make up for in spirit. They add to the music by both matching and contributing to the vibe Jay Dee creates, getting busy with ad libs, hooks by committee, and classic b-boy-isms. Even if the light rhymes get a little tiresome, it doesn't take away from the artistic, creative, and most of all fun tendencies of the recordings--it's both expressive and emotive. With a moldable style at their young ages, the unfinished, raw feel is tellingly appropriate. Young SV presents the spirit of classic hip hop.
"Fantastic, Vol. 1" is one of the first embodiments of Jay Dee's Detroit sound, and is both an artifact and a pleasure to listen to. It presents a genius at work, a group on the rise, a classic album in progress, and sounds great. While it doesn't play like a conventional album, fans of Slum Village and Jay Dee's catalog will find it especially endearing. Given Baatin's passing in 2009, I hope that this album will be revisited for another reissue.
This was a cd never put out to the public due to bad premo.. It is ashamed because the cd is a classic.. During the area when two powerful forces were still alive (Pac and B.I.G.) Slum Village were deeply in the back scenes making hip hop from the essence... R.I.P. forever Jay Dilla... You are a Classic Forever...!!!!!!
