- Formed originally in high school, the trio that comprised the ‘classic’ Slum Village lineup is far removed than the one found today. At their creative peak, Baatin, T3 and the legendary J Dilla produced at least one album that will undoubtably go down as a bonafide classic, the aptly titled Fantastic, Vol. 2. In the years to follow visible cracks started to form in the core of the Detroit outfit. As Dilla started to garner widespread recognition his health took a sharp turn downwards and he died suddenly, to the dismay of the entire world. During the same time Baatin developed schizophrenia and also passed away, leaving T3 to re-evaluate the future of Slum Village.

After a hiatus and what everybody assumed was a final record in 2010, it's 2014 and the rap revenants rise from the ashes. The new roster features the fitting, yet still slightly odd additions of J Dilla’s brother, Illa J and producer Young RJ, son of the founder of Barak Records: a label that put out a handful of Slum Village releases over the years. Back from the brink of extinction Slum Village has released a teaser, vinyl only EP in preparation for their full length return later in the year. Simply titled Vintage, the EP offers four new tracks, a remix, and instrumental versions of each. The music on display is a surprisingly pleasing reiteration of the old school, with a shiny new coat of paint. It shows off some of the old-school hip-hop stylings that first made Slum Village so enjoyable: the combination of that A Tribe Called Quest-esque, upbeat, soul-infused hip-hop and Dilla’s trademark, chopped up and looped samples. Despite being pulled from the vault, this still sound pretty dang fresh to me.

If you strip back the extras on this EP what you're left with is a short and sweet taste of what the new-look Slum Village record will hopefully sound like. It's a positive and compelling little nugget that shows there's still some life in a group with few connections to its original form, really, there aren't many people who can pull that off. Despite the tragedy surrounding the Slum Village, Vintage seems to have come out from under the burden of history and begun an exciting second lease on life. This is a faithful ode, honouring the legacy of those who have fallen, which, considering the overwhelming, posthumous love for anything connected to Dilla, is no easy feat.

- Jay Edwards.