Dirty Slums

Representing for Detroit, Slum Village hit the scene in the mid-'90s, recording its classic debut, Fantastic Vol. 1, in 1996. Fantastic Vol. 2 finally surfaced in 2000, as well as Best Kept Secret (under the pseudonym J-88). Beloved for its mellow flows and subdued, bass-heavy production—helmed by a young J Dilla—Slum Village soon found itself the toast of the hip-hop underground, though multiple personnel changes would keep the collective on the periphery of the mainstream. First Dilla left the group to focus on his solo career; then Baatin split, before eventually returning for the Villa Manifesto project. In 2010, Elzhi was kicked out. For Dirty Slums, the lineup is T3 (the last original member), RJ, and Illa J (Dilla's little brother). Hosted by Mick Boogie, it's a mixtape that aims to let the world know that SV is still in business, despite its ever-changing roster. Assisted by a gang of features (De La Soul, Phonte, Phife, Joe Scudda, Black Milk, Big Sean, and more), this release isn't quite the same as Slum Village's glory days, but it's still pretty solid. Check out "Turning Me Off" and "Special."