Fantastic Vol. 2

The progressive hip-hop of Slum Village may use familiar elements (James Brown samples, simple, funky bass and drum samples, tag-team rapping, scratching interludes) as its building blocks, but the group's real talent lies in its ability to transform the commonplace into something new and striking. It's refreshing to hear a hip-hop group that doesn't fall into either the misogynistic, violence-promoting gangsta world, or the self-conscious, self-righteous tendencies of the more politically correct rap acts. It's even more impressive to hear it pull off a coup like this one. meer...

Slum Village is concerned with the same subjects that have occupied pop artists for decades; love, sex, cars, and neighborhood pride. The band delivers its tales with minimum attitude and much unexaggerated skill. FANTASTIC VOL 2 features a star-studded guest list, including Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, and even retro-R&B king D'Angelo, who all add their talents to the mix. Ultimately, though, it's the distinctive, funky Slum Village sound that reels the listener in.

The Source (5/99, p.214)
- 3.5 Mics (out of 5)
- "...T-3, Jaydee and Baatin provide the right combination of humor, arrogance and unmistakable mic talent....overall FANTASTIC is a mellow album with plenty of non-skippable material..."

Vibe (8/00, p.168)
- "...An entertaining LP that's relaxed without being boring. Put your headphones down, lower the volume on your stereo, and prepare for a Zen-like experience."

Rap Pages (7/00, p.53)
- "...A very good hip hop album....memorable & nonetheless important..."

Rolling Stone (8/17/00, pp.109-10)
- 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...It's Native Tongues hip-hop the way it should be done, right down to the low-key voices that fade away behind the Harvey's Bristol Cream-texture synths..."

Muzik (9/99, p.73)
- 5 stars out of 5 - "...FANTASTIC VOL II has something for everybody: cerebral sex rhymes...juicy block party funk...superior skits...and a stellar line-up of guests....Can SLum Village kick it, Yes they can."

Entertainment Weekly (6/23/00, p.102)
- "...This impressive debut argues a resurgence for low-octane rap..." - Rating: B+

The Wire (6/00, pp.57-8)
- "...Anti-baller pro-pleasure....the most gratifying HipHop album since Mos Def's BLACK ON BOTH SIDES."

Alternative Press (7/00, p.111)
- 4 out of 5 - "...The greatest hip-hop group you've never heard of. And from the quiet, introspective, hushed-funk sound of this record, they don't care. And it's exactly this in-their-own-little-world quality that makes [their] debut this year's contender for the year-end Top-10 lists..."

NME (5/27/00, p.40)
- 6 out of 10 - "...gold dust on the hip-hop bootleg circuit....there are no pimps, no niggaz, and even the swearing is delivered with urchin charm..."

CMJ (6/5/00, p.31)
- "...The trio waves its Native Tongues flag high and proud in a [Detroit] landscape....exhibiting the true magic of these 3 sons of the 'Quest."