Walking that fine line between mainstream and indie hip-hop, Slum Village's latest release trinity (past, present and future) on Capitol Records defies categorization.
Slum Village's sophomore effort was released Aug.13 to good reviews. Trinity is a concept album, 23 tracks long, entwining the band's memories, current reality and predictions for its future.
Initially, Slum Village was comprised of rappers Baatin and T3 and producer Jay Dee. Jay Dee has also produced projects The Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. On trinity, Jay Dee makes only a few appearances, leaving the majority of the production up to Jay Dilla, DJ Hi-Tek and various other guest producers.
Artists Q-tip, ?uestlove, D'Angelo and Black Star all supported Slum Village's 1999 debut, Fantastic Volume 2. The band's latest release perpetuates the same methodology - ingenuitive, post-modern hip-hop that still gives a nod to the past.
So where does this album go wrong? The production is smooth, creative and surprising. The concept itself is valid and promising.
Trinity begins with a Capella-styled round, unique in its presentation through vocal effects and arrangement. What follows is an eclectic blend of minimalist beats and bass underneath imaginative samples.
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Unfortunately, some of the lyrical quality is not on par with the production and music underneath it. "Tainted," the album's single, is stylistically similar to N.E.R.D. in its semi-sarcastic approach, but never really launches into the satirical potential that N.E.R.D. exploits so well.
The lyrical rhythm, though driving, is almost too predictable and hook-oriented for the full impact of the words to gestate in the listener.
Still, vocal blends on tracks like "All-Ta-Ment," "One" and "Unisex" are remarkable and worth suffering through some of the lesser tracks for.
"One" is the best cut on the album. Rhythmically interesting, utilizing syncopation and unpredictable samples propel the song. "One" exemplifies the capacity for ingenuity that Slum Village is capable of, and makes the rest of the album pale in comparison.
Overall, trinity (past, present and future) makes a lot of promises with the music that the lyrics can't keep.
In rare, yet still bright moments, Slum Village's talent as a group shines. But the rest of the album relies too heavily on standard content and brilliant producing to pick up the slack.
