June 22, 2003 @ 1:47 pm

Slum Village - Trinity (Capitol)

Lynne d. Johnson

Profound lyricism has never been Slum Village’s strong suit—Jay Dee’s mellifluous hip hop beats were always the group’s ace in the hole.

Profound lyricism has never been Slum Village’s strong suit—Jay Dee’s mellifluous hip hop beats were always the group’s ace in the hole. While no longer a formal SV member, the stellar producer contributes three in-novative tracks to their latest album, upholding the rhythmic quality of their previous work. Other producers help maintain Trinity’s low-lit vibe, among them DJ Hi-Tek, Scott Storch, and jazz musician Kareem Riggins, who accents a harmonious R&B chorus with sharp keyboard textures on the standout track “Tainted.” Though T3 and Baatin’s verbal syncopations punctuate Trinity’s big-bottomed sound, their words are consistently trite. Fortunately, new group member Elzhi ups the lyrical ante, providing densely layered verses. On the skittish “One,” he raps, “It took one hit, tongue kiss and make come quick / It took one hit for a wack rapper to make millions / Causin’ the illest niggas to switch and spit what they ain’t feelin’.” SV has said that Trinity represents past, present, and future; if so, Elzhi looks like their trump card for tomorrow.

Article tags: Slum, Village, Trinity, Capitol 

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http://www.vibe.com/music/revolutions/2003/06/slum_village_trinity_capitol/

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