Trinity (Past, Present and Future)
Encyclopedia
Trinity is the third studio album by Slum Village
, released on August 24, 2002.
's departure following Fantastic, Vol. 2
, to pursue a solo career. Longtime affiliate, Elzhi
, joined the remaining members; a move which was initially disapproved by hardcore fans, but with time has been accepted, and even praised.
Another major change was Slum Village's new recording home, Capitol Records
, which would subsequently cause problems for the group. Although the first single "Tainted" was a respectable success, the album received poor promotion thereafter. Also, while on tour, Baatin began to experience health problems which lead to a diagnosis of schizophrenia
, putting further strain on the group. He soon left, or as he stated at the time was "kicked out while in hospital". The dispute had been long resolved and Baatin had since reunited with T3 and Elzhi
in 2008.
With the production element of Fantastic, Vol. 2 receiving the most acclaim the last time around, filling Dilla's shoes was always going to be a hard task for even the most competent trackmaster, but the team assorted for Trinity (including Dilla himself) didn't stray too far from the feel of the previous album. The beats are, perhaps, less jazzy and subtle but even further left of field on tracks like the aptly titled "Insane", and the first of three Dilla contributions, "One". The group's chemistry, while not as freeflowing and snappy as before, remained intact, and there seemed to be a more concentrated effort by each member to match each others flows and subjects on the same songs.
Slum Village
Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
, released on August 24, 2002.
Overview
Trinity marked the group's first shift away from its original lineup, due to J DillaJ Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
's departure following Fantastic, Vol. 2
Fantastic, Vol. 2
Fantastic, Vol. 2 is the second album from Detroit's Slum Village, released in 2000. During the time of its release the group was still composed of its earliest members T3, Baatin and Jay Dee....
, to pursue a solo career. Longtime affiliate, Elzhi
Elzhi
Jason Powers is a hip-hop artist from Detroit, Michigan. Many Underground fans know him as "Detroit's Best Kept Secret". As a former member of Slum Village he now records as a solo artist...
, joined the remaining members; a move which was initially disapproved by hardcore fans, but with time has been accepted, and even praised.
Another major change was Slum Village's new recording home, Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, which would subsequently cause problems for the group. Although the first single "Tainted" was a respectable success, the album received poor promotion thereafter. Also, while on tour, Baatin began to experience health problems which lead to a diagnosis of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, putting further strain on the group. He soon left, or as he stated at the time was "kicked out while in hospital". The dispute had been long resolved and Baatin had since reunited with T3 and Elzhi
Elzhi
Jason Powers is a hip-hop artist from Detroit, Michigan. Many Underground fans know him as "Detroit's Best Kept Secret". As a former member of Slum Village he now records as a solo artist...
in 2008.
With the production element of Fantastic, Vol. 2 receiving the most acclaim the last time around, filling Dilla's shoes was always going to be a hard task for even the most competent trackmaster, but the team assorted for Trinity (including Dilla himself) didn't stray too far from the feel of the previous album. The beats are, perhaps, less jazzy and subtle but even further left of field on tracks like the aptly titled "Insane", and the first of three Dilla contributions, "One". The group's chemistry, while not as freeflowing and snappy as before, remained intact, and there seemed to be a more concentrated effort by each member to match each others flows and subjects on the same songs.
Critical reaction
Fans were mainly split between those welcoming the addition of Elzhi and those who were against it and felt that J Dilla was too instrumental in the group's previously established identity to be replaced. Many critics, however, wrote favourable reviews and gave praise for the group's original song concepts as well as Elzhi's lyrical abilities.Track listing
- "Choir (Interlude)" – 0:32
- "Intro" – 2:26
- "Insane" – 2:37
- "What Is This?" – 2:25
- "Tainted" (feat. DweleDweleAndwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
) – 4:26 - "La La" – 4:52
- "All"-Ta-Ment – 3:42
- "Disco" – 3:05
- "Trinity" – 2:09
- "One" – 3:50
- "Hoes" – 3:28
- "Star (Interlude)" (feat. T. Banks) – 0:22
- "Star" (feat. Dwele) – 3:20
- "Slumber" – 4:10
- "Let's" – 5:18
- "S.O.U.L." – 3:25
- "Marvelous Marv & 80's (Interlude)" – 1:48
- "Unisex (Interlude)" – 1:49
- "Love U Hate" – 3:38
- "Get Live" – 4:43
- "Harmony" – 3:28
- "Who Are We (Interlude)?" – 1:05
- Fall In Love (feat. Samiyyah) – 1:35
Album singles
| Single information |
|---|
| "Tainted" (featuring Dwele Dwele Andwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:... )
|
| "Disco"
|