Slum Village – Evolution

Slum Village – Evolution
Ne’ Astra Music: 2013

As the cliche goes, all good things must come to an end. For the Detroit-based, ever-changing rap group Slum Village, it appears that their time has passed. Following the departure of the formidable rhyme-slinger Elzhi, the structure of the collective changed yet again and many fans (lingering after the passings of Dilla and Baatin) voiced their distaste. More than ever, Slum Village has fallen victim to a negative association, perhaps because they are Slum Village in name only. T3, the sole surviving member of the original group, joins forces with Illa J to handle a majority of the rapping on the album, while Young RJ provides the sonic backdrops for nine of the eleven tracks. Unfortunately, the result is largely lackluster.

Never before has the music of Village felt as uninspired as it does on Evolution, with lyrics, beats, and vocal mixings all falling short. The lack of intensity of the drums on the RJ-produced intro track, “BraveHeart”, is ironically striking: The absence of a hard-hitting snare or kick becomes increasingly noticeable as the song tires on. Even the synth arrangement, which is presented as the main instrument of the track, sounds remarkably dulled. Havoc shows up for an exceptionally monotonic contribution, and a chorus about being “savage” and “raised by wolves” is anything but menacing. It’s a sad way to kick off an anticipated release, and these concerning observations continue to pervade the remainder of the project. For instance, the elementary rhymes delivered without compassion in “RIOT!” (“I’m like a wise guy living true lies/Call me Mr. Minx ‘cuz I’m much too live”) take away from an otherwise interesting (and actually loud) beat from RJ, consequently preventing a stronger finish to an album with a weak start.

The issue of vocal delivery permeates nearly every song off of this LP, and while poor mixings certainly prevent further the voices of T3, Illa J, and others from filling the head and capturing the attention of the listener, the problem lies first and foremost with charisma. Specifically, the lack of charisma is what plagues Evolution from start to finish. There is very little here that draws one’s ear, and rewindable moments are few and far between.

When an artist does not possess exceptional songwriting skills, nor a signature sound such as the rasp of a Nas, the importance of technical proficiency increases tenfold. However, the intricate patterns, vivid imagery, and mouth-dropping finesse once associated with Slum Village, and with Elzhi in particular, are no longer prominent. The raps are messily put to wax (Listen: “Scared Money”) and the hopes of a Village fan quickly fade away.

2 out of 5