Trinity (Past, Present And Future)

Detroit has more to offer to the hip-hop world than the obstreperous likes of Eminem, as proven by the consistently inventive output of the progressive, underground hip-hop trio Slum Village. In the past, the group's credibility leaned heavily on the production abilities of Jay Dee, one of the most celebrated beatmeisters to rise up from the Detroit underground and be embraced by mainstream artists on a national level. Consequently, Slum Village might be forgiven for a certain degree of creative downturn after Dee's exit. The amazing thing is that there is none. With true team spirit, T3 takes his erstwhile partner's production mantle with almost shockingly successful results on several tracks.For those who'd grown enamored of SV's hypnotic, moody, endlessly surprising sound, TRINITY picks up admirably where the group's Jay Dee-era work left off.

Rolling Stone (10/3/02, p.100)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...[On] this headphoneready follow-up [to their debut] Slum's contrary essence - venomous lyrics spit over languorous beats - still commands attention..."

Entertainment Weekly (8/16/02, p.72)
- "...The Detroit ensemble has perserved, and impressively so." - Rating: B

NME (9/7/02, p.35)
- 7 out of 10 - "...A solid second album..."

CMJ (7/29/02 p.5)
- "...The group shows that it has more soul than the most gimmicky James Brown wannabe who's adorned with all the bells and whistles money can buy...it's obvious this album represents hip-hop in its best light. Truly one for the ages."