Slum Village Celebrate 25 Years of ‘Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 2’ at The Jazz Cafe [Show Review]

Slum Village kicked off a three-day residency at London’s Jazz Cafe the other day. The hip-hop group, founded by the legendary J Dilla, is celebrating 25 years of their classic album Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 2.

Dilla has been quoted as one of the greatest producers of all time. Dilla’s rich history dates back to the Transatlantic slave trade. The cultural understanding of music and rhythm amongst the African people was far more complex than Americans or Europeans. The word “polyrhythm” refers to the use of two or more simultaneous rhythms. It was initially suppressed by White America; nevertheless, the practice of polyrhythm bled through into jazz, blues and subsequently R&B, disco, and all popular music.

While Motown remains Detroit’s most iconic musical export, the Motor City also gave birth to techno. Growing up with the sounds of Marvin Gaye, George Clinton’s P-Funk, James Brown, and countless other Motown stars, Dilla found the rigid syncopation of electronic music “soulless,” understandably. As a result of this, Dilla was one of the first to implement polyrhythm into electronic music while disregarding the quantization feature on his drum machines, which gave his beats a “human” feel. A revolutionary product of his upbringing.

Slum Village formed in 1996. The name is a nod to the Conant Gardens neighbourhood of Northeast Detroit, the community where founding members J Dilla, T3, and Baatin were raised. The group share a melancholy history with both Dilla and Baatin sadly passing. Nevertheless, T3 and Young RJ continue the SV legacy tonight.

A number of acts from the “school of SV” opened the show, including Vice Souletric and Abstract Mindstate, the first male/female rap duo in history, who have a Young RJ-produced project in the works.

Since it was the anniversary of Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 2. T3 and Young RJ honoured the project by playing standout tracks such as “Climax,” “Tell Me” (with D’angelo), “Get This Money,” and “Players.” Despite his passing, Dilla’s genius transcends the grave on nights like these. There’s this indescribable meticulousness in both the beats and the rhyme schemes that must not be forgotten.

Joining T3 and Young RJ on stage was DJ Los. This jockey epitomizes the golden age of hip-hop with live scratching and all the necessary means to bring SV to life. During “The Look Of Love,” arguably SV’s greatest track, Los dropped the levels to hear the crowd singing along. A charming callback to the studio version, found on Fan-Tas-Tic Vol.1, which opens with a snippet of the crowd cheering and chanting the hook.

SV treated us to classics like “Fall in Love” and “Selfish” with Kanye West and John Legend to close the night.