''Trinity (Past, Present and Future)'' is the third studio album by
Slum Village, released on August 13, 2002. The album was mainly produced by Jay Dee. Additional production was from Hi-Tek, Waajeed, Scott Storch, Karriem Riggins, T3, Black Milk, Young R.J., and Shelton "Ess" Rivers.
Overview
''Trinity'' marked the group's first shift away from its original lineup, due to
J Dilla
J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon vari ...
's departure following ''
Fantastic, Vol. 2
''Fantastic, Vol. 2'' (also referred to as ''Fantastic Volume II'') is the second album by American hip hop group Slum Village, released on June 13, 2000. During the time of its release the group was still composed of its earliest members T3, ...
'', to pursue a solo career. Longtime affiliate
Elzhi
Jason Powers (born May 12, 1978), better known by his stage name Elzhi (stylized as eLZhi), is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is a former member of Slum Village and now records as a solo artist. In his youth, he made numerous vis ...
, 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, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
, which would subsequently cause problems for the group. Although the first single "Tainted" was a respectable success, the album received poor promotion thereafter.
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 other's flows and subjects on the same songs.
While on tour to support the album, Baatin began to experience health problems, which led to a diagnosis of
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wi ...
. He was soon kicked out of the group while still in the hospital, which greatly upset him. The dispute was later resolved, and Baatin reunited with T3 and Elzhi in 2008, before dying of a suspected drug overdose in 2009.
Critical reaction
Fans were 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 favorable reviews and gave praise for the group's original song concepts as well as Elzhi's lyrical abilities.
Track listing
#"Intro 1" (prod. by T3) – 0:32
#"Intro 2" (prod. by Waajeed) – 2:26
#"Insane" (prod. by Waajeed) – 2:37
#"What Is This?" (prod. by Black Milk) – 2:25
#"Tainted"
(feat. Dwele
Andwele Gardner (born February 14, 1978), better known by his stage name Dwele, is an American R&B singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.
Biography
Gardner was raised on the west side of Detroit in a musical fam ...
) (prod. by Karriem Riggins) – 4:26
#"La La" (prod. by Waajeed) – 4:52
#"All-Ta-Ment" (prod. by T3) – 3:42
#"Disco" (prod. by T3) – 3:05
#"Trinity" (prod. by Black Milk) – 2:09
#"One" (prod. by J Dilla) – 3:50
#"Hoes" (prod. by J Dilla) – 3:28
#"Star (Interlude)"
(feat. T. Banks) (prod. by T3) – 0:22
#"Star"
(feat. Dwele) (prod. by Waajeed) – 3:20
#"Slumber" (prod. by Hi-Tek) – 4:10
#"Let's" (prod. by J Dilla) – 5:18
#"S.O.U.L." (prod. by Karriem Riggins) – 3:25
#"80's Skit" (prod. by Slum Village) – 1:48
#"Unisex (Interlude)" (prod. by T3) – 1:49
#"Love U Hate" (prod. by Shelton "Ess" Rivers) – 3:38
#"Get Live" (prod. by Scott Storch) – 4:43
#"Harmony" (prod. by Karriem Riggins) – 3:28
#"Who Are We? (Interlude)" (prod. by T3) – 1:05
#Fall In Love
(feat. Samiyyah) (prod. by T3) – 1:35
Album singles
References
{{Authority control
2002 albums
Slum Village albums
Albums produced by Scott Storch
Albums produced by J Dilla
Albums produced by Black Milk
Albums produced by Hi-Tek
Albums produced by Karriem Riggins
Capitol Records albums