Slum Village Release A Lost Song With Q-Tip From The Fantastic Era (Audio)

Twenty years ago, Slum Village finished recording an album that would forever change the trio’s path. Fantastic, Vol. 2 took two additional years to release after its completion. Even after unexpected delays, shifting to indie label resources, and a newly-crowded Detroit Rap scene in the marketplace, the LP thrived as a stone in the sand for Hip-Hop.

Following the grassroots success of the Fan-Tas-Tic tape circulating during the mid-’90s, A&M Records signed the group comprised of Baatin, Jay Dee (aka J Dilla), and T3. Soon after, liquor company Seagram acquired Polygram (which housed A&M). The veteran label ceased operations. S.V. was in limbo at a time when things appeared to be heating up for a group (and its producer) strongly co-signed by A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, and De La Soul, among others.

T3 Discusses The Making Of Fantastic, Vol. 2 (Interview)

The LP would eventually find a home in the fledgling indie GoodVibe, and release in mid-June of 2000. Unlike the first project, F2 included a heap of diverse Rap guests. Pete Rock, Common, Busta Rhymes, D’Angelo, (A&M label-mate) Kurupt were involved in the first pressing of the album. So was Q-Tip. The Abstract appeared on “Hold Tight” (embedded below), one of the LP’s many enduring album cuts.

Honoring the 20th anniversary of Fantastic, Vol. 2‘s completion, Slum Village has now released a “Lost Remix” to “Hold Tight” from the vaults. “The alternate version holds on to the charmingly low-key quality of the original, while freshening things up with some subtle new production touches and vocal flourishes,” notes a press release from the group (now comprised of T3 and Young RJ). The tempo of this lost mix is quite different at the beginning of the song, with female vocals used as a percussion in the more upbeat take. There are also spacey accents in this mix.

Common & Questlove Share Stories About Bargaining For Beats From J Dilla & D’Angelo

For Slum Heads, this unearthed mix is not the same as the “Hold Tight (Remix)” from 2010’s Fantastic, Vol. 2.10 10th anniversary edition. This edition will be included on Ne’Astra Music (Slum’s label) upcoming Lost Scrolls, Vol. 2 compilation. In 2013, J Dilla’s estate released a limited edition Lost Scrolls compilation with the same artwork. Dilla’s brother Illa J and Frank-N-Dank’s Frank Nitt were both included in that music collection.

In mid-2017, T3 explained to Ambrosia For Heads that he was pivoting to a solo career (while always representing Slum Village). The surviving co-founder (Dilla died in 2006, Baatin in 2009) has carried the group’s torch through personnel shifts, label hurdles, and creative differences with former members and affiliates.

The Last Original Member Of Slum Village Is Stepping Away With A Solo Album (Audio)

In celebration of the Fantastic, Vol. 2 20th anniversary, T3 and RJ will reportedly be touring this coming coming summer. No release date has been stated at this time for Lost Scrolls, Vol. 2.

#BonusBeat: The original version of “Hold Tight”:

The song was recorded during a pivotal period for A.T.C.Q., surrounding The Love Movement.