Slum Village Part 1

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeart Radio. When they hear a salon Now, y'all, so down there we go. All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode, a very detroit episode, yes, of Quest Love Supreme. If you're if you're watching are Never Ending Soft onch or YouTube, then you know you know why this is uh very detroit episode. If you're just listening, I ain't describing nothing to y'all. Right now we got Team Supreme in the house. Fan, take a little what bro? What man? How's it going? We're waiting on this one for a minute. Man, we've we've been waiting for this one for a minute. Yeah, man, Little Brother we were honored recently in our city in Durham with a proclamation from the mayor and um, you know so it was we're celebrating not twenty a year as well as hip Hops, no fifty year of course, and uh you know there will be no Little Brother without the group that we have on today. So exactly exactly a dream come true that I've been waiting on this in four minute Shuger Steve, what up? Bro? What up? Everybody? How are you doing? Actually I should say what up? Though, Sugar Steve, how's it going. Everything's good. I'm a couple of our albums that have caught fire on our record label, and so but now I got to spend my whole day shipping fucking records all over the world. So that's that's a good problem to have. Man, you had a dream of your own label, and uh, it's happening. And you know that's amazing. Speaking of of albums that have set the world and movements on fire, I will say that the totality the higher legacy of our guest today just ring strong, and not only hip hop culture, but in music and everything from their production to their delivery, to their cadence. To be honest with you, just the love that they have for their city of Detroit, the love that they have for each other, for hip hop culture, for innovation, for like doing something original. I guess you could say that their chemistry is to me, like the most important element that has kept the legacy of this group alive. It's not about one specific member over another member. It's it's it's about just the overall chemistry and the contributions that various members have given this particular organization. And you know, me myself, nothing will ever ever, ever. I don't know. It's like, once you get in this industry, you kind of see things different from a production standpoint, from a creative standpoint, Like there's a part of your life where music means something to you before you get in the industry, and then there's a part of your life when once you're in the industry you see things different, like you see everyone as a peer. And I don't know when anything that this group has created, I don't know. I just I hold it like the holy scriptures coming from Moses. I don't know. I can go on with a gazillion descriptions about how important the legacy of this group is, especially on hip hop's fiftieth anniversary, but you know we're gonna get to just rap something we haven't done a long time. Friends of the show, y'all welcome Slum Village too, quest Love Supreme. I'm sorry that was like a lifetime achievement, right. I should have been to BT Wars this week. I don't know, you know, r J, Rice and and T three. Thank you man, Thank you for coming. What's the word man? Appreciate you having us? Thank you r J? Where are you right now? In the studio. We're finishing up this album. Okay, so you're you're still in Detroit right now? All right? And T three you the same. Yeah, I'm in Detroit, a crib chilling. I'm just happy to be here, man, and you know, happy to be a part of this wonderful shock. Thank you. Wait, I gotta ask, y'all. You know, I absolutely positively never miss an opportunity to talk out how important the city of Detroit was to my creativity. I mean, you know, in addition to just interacting with you guys, and you know, even for bout ten, for for for Dyla, anyone, I mean even ill Jet like whoever has come from the city Detroit. But a lot of my creativity, like a lot of the music I worked on, I technically did in that city. That's important to me. And you know, so I feel like I have a relationship with the city as well that was instrumental, like between ninety seven and around like two thousand and six, and even like when I tour, like I know places by heart, I go by myself. Detroit's a little bit different now, like from what I'd known it as twenty five years ago. Like just as residents of the city. How do you guys feel about what's happening in Detroit? Like is it progress? Like things are just different now, like former firehouses are now like five star hotels and we rebuild it, you know, Okay, And it's a good look for the city. You know, it was desolate and bleak for so long. You know that now we're finally getting you know what I'm saying, the downtown backhoud was supposed to be. We're finally getting the neighborhoo Is that was run down. You know, they're tearing them down and rebuild it. So you know, it's it's good for the city, you know what I'm saying, And I'm happy to see it. You know what I'm saying to make people want to stay in Detroit, you know what I'm saying, not ready to get up out of here and go somewhere else. Right, So the temptation has never been strong to be like all right, or let's relocate to Lanna, or like go down south or anything. Nah nah, not for me, na, na, no, no, no, no, not for us, because you know what, it's just the vibe you know, we like and you could be to yourself, you could be you could be bothered or not bothered. It's a choice you make, and I think I think that's something we like, you know, you know us, we kind of stick to ourselfs. So yeah, Detroit is a plus for that, you know what I'm saying. You know, oftentimes, like all right, take take a city, a musical city like Austin. Austin takes a pride in its weirdness. For me, though, like the black version of what I see all in terms of I've just never seen a city so open. And once I realized that, you know, you guys were raised on the Electrifying Mojo and if you know you guys listening, go on YouTube and just start listening to Electrifying Mojo, you got to realize that this dude was basically one of the last of the Mohicans in terms of there was a time when radio really trusted its DJs to do whatever they wanted to do. You know, now like you kind of are, You're a prisoner of corporate radio, which the playlists are like predetermined before you even you know, like September's playlist has already been determined for you. So whereas a guy like Electrifying Mojo back in the early eighties was like just playing some of the weirdest music ever. And so you know, once his listeners are growing up and immersing this music, it's it's like, no wonder Detroit is such a creative hub where people just think different. Is that weirdness still prevalent in Detroit right now as we speak or um, I think it's still happening. I think a lot of a lot of the people that are the younger people that are kind of weird, they came up after they came up on us. I get a lot of that from the people like Curtis Roach and a couple of other casts from Detroit. But then you know, has a whole another side, which is is hood. You know, people from these creative people to just hood, you know what I'm saying. And then then you got the creative hood, which is kind of a merging both, which is like side of baby, you know, something like that. So see, that's the thing. I even though I think you guys in the very beginning might have been slightly defensive towards how we saw y'all because is you know, like the music was one way, but you guys were saying something like crazy outlanted ship on top of it, like y'all justice, hood and creative. But I don't know, the first time I came from Detroit, I'm like, yo, this this is like a city that we'll listen to Thomas Dolby and do the Carlton but they're also going to beat your ass if you fuck with him, like and that's the shit I couldn't right, Yeah, I mean because he's always been a collector. Uh. We always been uh. I mean we grew up on Tribe and NWA. At the samet it wasn't either or it wasn't rock jazz. It's any music that we can find creatively, are we there? And then we grew up on techno, which is totally something else, you know in it something that I think you guys. Embracing electronic music and techno is the key to why Detroit so crazy? Yes, yes, creatively, yes, I see. See. You had it at one point where they would play all the hood stuff during the day, you know what I'm saying, That commercial stuff, than that nighttime when people going to the clubs was like all techno, you know what I'm saying. Stuff like that, so our prime time getting ready for the party was techno music, so you know, we had the opportunity that had that balance, you know what I'm saying, Like he was saying, can you take us back to the beginning to where like if I'm looking, I guess in archaeology terms, like if I'm looking for the spark that you know, the sticks and stones that like built a spark, where does the actual where does the story of slum Village begin? I would say it begin in Persian High School where we were. You know what I'm saying in school, Uh, you know Persian High School, which is this because when I was coming up to be a rapper, you know, it was weird that was considered weird to be a rapper, you know what I'm saying, Because it's just so like even though it was a few rappers, hood rappers that was out there, but well we was on. We was extra las extra, you know, so we were walking around you know, extra, closed, extra, you know, dreadlocks. You know, we were very we out there, you know. You know you know what I'm saying. So when I heard about other guys that were like me, I was like, oh okay, now we got a squad. You know what I'm saying. So now that you know, I ran into Dila because I heard about him through this guy, through that guy heard about by ten and d n yg and and it just all clicked up. So it was it wasn't a neighborhood thing, like they weren't your nextraor neighbors, like you heard about them from the other side of town or I mean we're in the same neighborhood, believe it or not. But I didn't not know them, which is like I mean, in Detroit, you're not gonna come outside your house and just walk around and you know, you know what I'm saying, So you go ahead to your house, you know what I'm saying, to your destination back because you don't want no static, you don't want nothing to happen, so you're just going to where you're going. So I even though we're close and we hauling coned gardens, it was just like different random parts like and I had them everyone for school, you know. So RJ Yo Um actually our listeners out there should know that. I mean, you come from a lineage of you know, Detroit hip hop, being as though you know your father is you know, the legendary RJ of RJ's latest arrival, Like I grew up listening to Shackles, Heaven and Your Arms the one for me, that's the one, Like, yeah, exactly, my litation right now, still on my Yeah. So can you talk about just growing up as sort of like lineage of Detroit culture? Like what is your childhood like with your parents that are popping? Like you know, I have them on Soul Train and I have them on you know what I mean? Like they were national, they were always played on radio. So what was it like just growing up in that environment? I grew up on the road, so between them touring and stuff, you know, like I was like out on a Fresh Fest and you know, stuff like that with them as a kid with Fat Boys and run DMC and all of that. So that's kind of how I grew up. So were there Jermaine sightings as well? Because I thought Jermaine was the only kid that was like allowed in the fresh Fest. Did you get to see them at all? Like? Nah? Because remember I'm I'm I'm ten years younger than Tea, Okay, So I was like two, okay, three years old. So Jerine dupri was like eleven twelve, Okay, I get it. Yeah. So between that and then, you know, when they would be on a road, when I got to a certain age, I would be my grandmother and my grandmother stayed in Coney Gardens because that's where my father grew up at. So that's how all of everybody kind of came together. Y'all describe Kuney Gardens like we I know it as a song. But what is the neighborhood of kunde of Gardens? Uh? It's a hood, but it's not like you know what I'm saying. It's still got good people. It's still had a good batch of people there. It wasn't overly violet, but it did have its hood aspects, you know what I'm saying. We always had a nice park. I lived run right across the street of a nice park. We had a nice you know, place to play and whatever. So I mean, you know, I don't know why. Uh, you know, we had so much respect for And it's the only neighborhood really in the hood where you see where they got the actual the actual banner where it says Coney Gardens like they named this hood. You know what I'm saying, They really don't do that. It used to be like East West that you know, whatever the the streets, but they actually named the whole neighborhood. So once we saw that, you know, we just gravitated to it because you know, we had finally each other in in you know, in this awkward little place as late children of the seventies and eighties, just in your general childhood. How aware of you, guys, of the lineage of Detroit, like was living in Detroit just like to you growing up in the early eighties, Like ah, man, this town used to have something and then everyone left it, like there's no more music left like that, was there still a strong presence of the music lineage that the world knows as like Detroit. I definitely say, yeah, man, I grew up on the Motown sound. That's it was definitely part of my household, part of everybody. Everybody was still very proud of that. Even though Motown had left went to Callie, you know what I'm saying, we were still very proud of that. We still had the Motown Museum, we still had you know, we're still proud of all of musicians that came through. So that was a definite just soul music in general. We was we all grew up on that. That was definitely part of our you know, our bringing up. You know what I would saying. I want to ask y'all man specifically when you were talking about techno earlier New Dance Show and the scene, break that down, like what what did that mean to to Detroit culture? That was everything everybody used to run in the house and tune in our version of soul training. You know what I'm saying when you see answers who became popular in the neighborhood for showing up and and and also it broke a lot of rappers too, a lot of up and coming rappers they got a chance to perform on that. So the New Dance Show was everything for us. Um My wife work at the museum now for the for the New Dance Show. So it's still part of my life today. You know. Yeah, man, it's inspired us. I will say that the scene, you know, if you to our listeners out there, if you've not watched it, just to describe it. Like most most territories parts of the United States would have their local dance show, Detroit had the scene. Um, I know, Chicago had a show that was more geared to steppin Philadelphia. We had our show called Dancing on Air, which found some success and actually became national known as Dance Party USA. And that's where like Kelly Rippa used to dance on the show. Whatever. But yeah, a lot of localizes back when dances were regional. Um, you know, how they danced in Detroit is not how they were dancing in Texas. And you know, you you would only know when you were like visit cousins in the summertime, like what kind of dances that or whatever? So like for Detroit and dancing, do you guys know the history of the Earl Flynn? Like what is it about their This is the Earl Flynn still a Detroit move or is that just like one specific generation even your history were dancing? Like I know and um and by Tens version of Pregnant on the first Slum Village album, it's an inn A loop where he's ribbing over the Roger loop. Well you know he's it's only like forty five seconds, but he literally I read the lyrics and basically he's saying that I came to a jit, like I came to a party to show them how I dance and they're looking at me like I'm a weirdo. And you know, the JIT is a Detroit dance kind of like Chicago got footwork. I'm saying, Detroit has its own version, you know what I'm saying, a little more technical than the footwork. And that's what he was talking about. He said, when I walk in there doing my JIT, they're looking at me crazy. You know what I'm saying, Because he JiTT and he got dread locks, you know what I'm saying. So jitting was like a cultural thing here, I'm saying, like everybody jetted for the most part, So that's kind of how it worked. The Earl Flynn was like, if I ain't mistaken to you, that wasn't that like the gang Earl Flynn, he ain't called the Earl Flynns. And that was they moved that they used to do the left. That's where it came from. Yes, that's where it came from. It was a game. So answer me this. Around the Parade album period, you know, I would routinely like Prince's relationship with Detroit is just on some other level. Even when I would go back to old album credits at least like from Controversy nineteen ninety nine Purple Rain or whatever. I mean. I didn't even realize that Prince was Princess love for Detroit, Like all his Detroit shout out start with what up though? You know? And I'm like, Prince knows to speak? Like what is Prince know? And if you watch like concerts in eighty six, assuming that this is the earl Flynn like where you wave your arms back and forth, Prince was routinely So that was Prince's version of doing over the brothers feel a certain way like that or like, no, they have overwhelming love for him. See you gotta think, like you said, go back to the to the mojo mojo broke Prince. He would play a whole Prince album on the you know what I'm saying, sometimes even with the curse words and yeah, I was like, how does that happen? And call him. He would pick up the phone and call him and thank him. So they developed a relationship, you know what I'm saying, And they became really close. So he helped He helped Prince break in Detroit. Man, So you know, they became great friends. Man. You know. So it's just a dope that that Prince incorporated so much detroited there. Yeah, it was incredible. Yeah, when the Roots first visited. Detroit was the second American city that we visited when we first started touring. And the place that they took us was a spot called the Hip Hop Shop, Okay, which I mean by that point, Maurice Malone. You know, hip hop fashions were starting in ninety four ninety five, starting they become a little national. It wasn't just localized, but was the hip Hop Shop sort of just like a localized hub for NMC back in the early nineties or like, how talk to me about the relationship of that establishment. Well, we had a few establishments, but that was one of the main ones, and that was the one that really you know, had the breakout artists, you know what I'm saying. That's where Royce and eminem A, D twelve L and just everybody was at this spot. So this was the spot for MCS. You go there, it was only on Saturdays they so closed or during the week. Maurice made his own clothes and sold them and then he let us have an open mic on on Saturdays. It was hosted by Proof Recupees, the Big Proof, And you know what I'm saying. It was just it was just some of that. We had some of the illest battles. Now so the village we didn't really battle, but we used to like premiere songs and play certain joints and do stuff like that. But it was it was some dope battles there, you know. M had a few battles there, a bunch of people. So it was it was it was our spot. It was our only spot really at that time. We had a couple of nighttime spots, but that was the time, and it was in seven mile, which is kind of scary if seven miles it's like a Martin Luther King Boulevard, you know, type of a right, But at that time, it was all up, you know what I'm saying. Everybody went there did ay thing. You had some guys smoking weed in the car, You had some people drinking a little beers and then going there do the hip hop, you know what I'm saying. And then it was just a dope spot for us to do it. So tut out to Maurice Malone for for doing that. Man setting that up in your opinion, like how how how is hip hop translated in terms of like okay, so a song like Ain't No Future in Your Front and like, was that just universally accepted by the entire hip hop community or did you you know, was it like, Okay, well, you guys are more West Coast sounding, so you know that's y'alls thing, and we're more East Coast sounding, so this is our thing. No, it was. It was universal because we Detroit. It's like the melting pot of every song. We listened to Luke in two Live Crew on a radio, we listened to Doctor Drey Snoop Dogg, were listened to Trot Twister, and they played everything in Detroit. So it was just like a dope song. Detroit just accepted it as a dope song. It wasn't out it sounded more cally. It was just, you know what I'm saying, represented the city as a whole speaker on the first moment in which it's like, okay, let's start a group. Now, I know before it was slum Village that the name was sounds cinep Yeah, alright, dopess backwards okay, oh okay. So it explained to me how like the year that starts in and the group in that formation, in that formation started off like I said, I heard about these cats. Number one, we was dancing ten speaking of dancing, everybody in my crew dance too. By the way, you had to dance, I can attest to this. Yes, you know what I'm saying. So everybody the crew dance. But anyway, I had heard about some cats. I heard heard about Della and this, and I heard about by ten. But first it was like me and by ten, and I got with by ten and why g first and we had a group called hard to Oppose, which one he did two songs, but yeah, it was it was more West Coast gangster sounding a little bit, but yeah, we had those couple of songs. We did that, and then then we heard about Della about the beats and then why she introduced me to that. Then we decided to do official cinepod stuff, which means we went to the studiou Mos studio, this hood studio and we recorded these couple of records and one of the records had um a Flip Wilson sample in it. So it's very zany, that very elegant. That is what you what you heard from, uh, Cinepode. So the Cinepode lineup was me, Uh, why gi uh by ten della Udi in this. Yeah, qt was in this because that's when dancers was really a part of it, and Qut started off dancing first, so he was a part of it. So you're saying at this point Lens was kind of y'all north Star, Yeah, never stop between them and uh organized early yes, but definitely LNS for sure. Okay yeah, so um and so we made our couple of first records on which was called Radit Tat tat the sound of the Whack and you know, we all doing a chance, we're doing this and uh you get you know all that, you know all that because everybody was doing that at that time. And uh and we did a couple of records that cent Apop only that before we formed Slan Village. There are records, I said, only two records on two records literally to two No. No, no, I mean like physical like I can find this on eBay records. Oh no, not physical records. No, okay, y'all. Just I was about to say, man, okay, nohysical records back then, like what was the price sin of making music? Like? Who was? Because you're naming a lot of mcs and a lot of beat makers, So like what was what was the division of labor at least for that particular project, Like I think why j produced one and Diller produced one hut he only did backgrounds and me by ten Della wrapped and uh featured this one guy um, this guy who was who turned out to be an R and B singer I forget his name. Uh yeah, but yeah, I was like, all right, right, no, I mean he underground, he didn't he didn't met blow Big, but he Okay, I see. And that configuration lasted for how long? And then how did it morph into the second phase of the group, which I guess is slum village um. And it maybe last for a few months before everybody decided at that time that you know, Danson was kind of been getting played out a little bit, so maybe maybe a year. Maybe dance was getting played out of it, so we didn't really need to dance no more. And Andy was like, Dilla's beats is incredible. I don't need to be doing no beats no more. And then it was like, well we only people left, so it was basically there. So we was in the basement and one day and uh, did you know it was like when you're hearing this stuff, and I've I've heard even in the what what we called the camp the camp amp era, UM shout out to Aunt Fiddler, Um the camp amp era of Dilla's musical development. Um, Were you guys at all aware? Like, all right, this is a weird ass shit, Like I live in a territory and still to this day, I know that a part of my production has to appease the need to please the barbershop in Tariq's head, you know, whereas like sometimes I want to do some crazy, off kilter shit, but then I'll give it to Tarique, like he ain't going to fuck with this because it's just too weird sounded. But it's almost like like all those I think the earliest song I heard from you guys is was it here comes the Drums or bring the drums or yeah, yeah, I know what you're talking about, yes, which is crazy shit, you know what I mean? Even the early demos of the songs that wound up on Fantastic were just super weird, Like how is there no filter for especially coming from Detroit, which I imagine you have to have a protective shell of hardness to get respect. You guys, were just like anything goes and if it's weird, it's dope. Like, yes, this is true. I mean I think, like I say, most of our albums were based on comedy, so just us making each other lave is what we was really doing. So we had das. So we were you know, when we was working our little factory jobs together, we basically laughing all day, creating ideals using that for songs, just you know. So it just basically came out of humor and it was enough of us where we felt like we could just stay in our bubble and never be a part of the real world almost, you know what I'm saying. So it was just in our bubble just period. So there was no like when you play it for your boys and there's no cringing, like that's a demo fast forward, like all my boys was just as weird. So it was just like we was all found each other. It was it was a good hundred of us eventually, but you know what I'm saying, But the core was like a good team. So yeah, we was all just as weird and it was like the weirder the beat. Oh man, that's you know what I'm saying. Because to us, hip hop was all new. We didn't kind of grow up on no structure like you know New York did when hip hop was a certain type of way. And you know what I'm saying, it was just I creative, you can get you know what I'm saying. And that's that's kind of what we incorporated for people that show immersed in pop culture? How are you getting this stuff where? And we from my first fifteen years of coming to Detroit, there really wasn't nothing like I knew you guys. So you guys were entertainment enough, but for the average person, like what do you what was there for culture? Well? The cultures we're building this thing up, what I'm saying from from stone by stone, So you you saying, uh okay. When Club Gilly started coming up, we started building up our audience where we had a literal following of people. At least we can we can get a hundred people to come to our show, you know what I'm saying. And that's why when you hear when you hear the look of Love and you hear then you hear then audience singing it, that's just fans before we even got it got on. You know what I'm saying because we had already filled up a base. But he's my piece, you know what I'm saying. As far as the movie thing is, it was one theater in the hood that you could go to call a bell Air. Yeah, no, I didn't go there. I know about the bell Air. It was told I used to have to catch a bus to get to it. But yeah, it's nice theater though, but uh, yeah that's the spot. And I knew you was the movie man because you know we went to the movies. Uh one time we was on the road together somewhere. Yeah, that's that's my thing. I was like, damn nothing, what do y'all doing up here? So all right, So the thing is is that when Fantastic is finally coming to Fruition, so what's what's the discussion in terms of like, let's we we gotta make our own tape. And I heard there was a rumor that you guys were initially about to sign to Ruben Rodriguez is Pendulum label. Yeah that was that was a possibility, but that was that was later though a little bit later down. But yeah, that was was earlier before because I think Pensilum came out like ninety two correctly. Yeah, Pendulum is before a volume Fantastic volume one that was with Sally. That was true, Okay, yeah, that's what happened. Well, we were signed to John Sally and his dad. They had a they had a place called Hoop Studio. Okay, um, and uh, basically they were gonna sign us. They was there was it was between us and addicable Planets. Oh oh wow, and y'all almost Yeah, this explains it. The thing is is that you guys sounds like when I heard Fantastic, we were more amazed that, like, this isn't it doesn't feel like a demo. This founds It sounds like this group has had experience before, and y'all sounded like professional. Now, Fantastic winds up in my hands in like ninety six ninety seven, So even by ninety two, you guys were at least set or poised to make your grand arrival or whatever. So yeah, now that makes sense. Do you think you guys were ready for that back then? Or no? Are you glad how how it turned out? Yes? Absolutely, because if we would have came out, we had this song called Isn't the Magic? And it had the upright basse and it was it was everything you wanted to jazz, splash, rap, it could be. It was all that. You know what I'm saying. Aff Philler was on the planet. Shout out to Affhiller. I always show his love. Um. Yeah, so that was that was that record. Um No, I don't think we was ready because we were still developing styles and I just think, um, we weren't ready at the time. What do you think, Jack hey Man, Yeah, that's what I say. I think it worked out exactly how it was supposed to. I was recently doing this radio show about the Milestone Records label and McCoy Tyner specifically, and the guy who owned that label, War and Keep News said something to the effect of, um, when he first met Um McCoy, you know, McCoy was like, you know, you gave me this one session, then you never called me again until until later on. And he said, well, back then, you weren't McCoy yet. You weren't McCoy tyner yet, meaning you know, he hadn't developed a unique style or etc. He found his voice. So when when you all were starting out this time period that we're talking about, was dillah dillah yet? Is what I'm asking like his earliest beats, had he found what we now know as what he did, the quest could probably answer this question. I think. I think as a as a listener, there were already signs of what was coming in the future, so sort of like and and you know, I've gotten my hands on a lot of these, like ninety two beats, ninety three beats. Yeah, even for back then, that was the really unorthodox thinking that. You know, I was like, wow, even early, like I'm pressed to find something that I'm like, that's not really whack, Like you see that he was searching for it. Of course he perfects it, but I don't know that's that to me, Like coming out the gate, it was an immediately like a jarring thing of like, this isn't like how the hip hop I grew up sounding is made, so but it didn't sound like an amateur making it. It sounded like someone doing it on purpose, right, But you all recognized at that, even early on, that he was a special talent. Yeah, when I heard those beats, I was like, this hit, this is it. Early early first of all, you think it just you and your neighborhood, like, oh, he's just good for your neighborhood. But then you started started branching off here, like wait a minute, this guy is really incredible, and like yo, like I said, he started off with just a pause and Cassette took that was then went to this and went to that learner. It was like, man, I was amazed. I was just happy to be alone for the ride. For the most part, before we even got a chance to develop what slum Village would come to be. I was just looking at him like, how's this kid? He my age? Well, how's he doing? You know what I'm saying. I'm looking right and with the same age. You know, you know what I'm saying, And he was just killing it. You know, what year were you born? R J? Like? How old you at the time when this is happening? Ninety two? I'm about eight nine years old. Okay. So when you're first hearing this, does it hit you different? I think as an adult, that hits me different simply because you know, I knew what the lay of the land was. For me. The lay of the land was like what tribe was doing, and what day I was doing, and what public enemy was doing, what Molly Mall was doing. And so Diller's arrival was more akin to that of like Godzilla come to town, Like wait, what the hell is that over there? You know that sort of thing. But for you to come, you know, to be much younger, it's not like you you had an established lay of the land of what once was, like, oh, black and white television. Suddenly like and the Wizard of Oz, everything turns to color. So for you, though, like, how are you receiving this at a at a young age. I knew it was dope because he was producing from my kids group, so he was doing some of our demos. Oh wait, really for sure, tell me about this. I didn't know this. I had a group called First It went from Spoil Rich Kids. Did you not? You know what I'm saying? And it's always and he was, and he was producing the demos for us because of the studio. We was all signed, so My Problems had us signed. He had Slum signed. He had Paul Rosenberg, Eminem's manager, was signed to the label. And he was rhyming. Yeah, he was rhyming. I need evidence it was dope too, Paul. But yes, as as Skinny Supreme. Did you know this, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's it's in Dan'sville. He talked about it a little bit. Yeah, no, no, I just never heard of the music, and I never heard the music, but I've heard the story. Okay. Yeah, So it was all of us up there and this Barack recordings. Na, this is who sounds. This is in ninety two when he opened the studio with Salad. We would go up there and I would see him. You know, I come home from school and seeing to make beats in my kitchen, you know what I'm saying. So it was just like, Okay, this is like a big brother and I'm seeing him, you know what I'm saying. Record And then he was making demos for us, so I always knew, you know what I'm saying, he was dope. So who's teaching you how to make beats at this time? Like how old were you when you started messing around on machines and what technology was at the studio. I started making beats the first time I was on the DMX drum machine, just programming in the drum machine and I was just picking up pops equipment. When I actually started producing was around the age of thirteen fourteen, and just being at the studio, I was like, man, I might as well give it a shot. So I asked my pops and he was like, man, I'm not teaching you nothing. You know what I'm saying, get the machine, figure it out if you want to do it. So I sat there and figured it out. Eventually the guys come to the studio. He liked playing some beats. This is around like ninety seven okay, you know what I'm saying, and ninety eight, and I played them and they laughed at the beats. De labartin t was just fell out laughing, and you know, they like these beats funny as hell. So after they leave out, you know what I'm saying, Deyla like, yo, man, let me show you some stuff. So he showed me, you know what I'm saying, how to work the three thousand, okay. So I'm like okay. So he liked work on that. When I come back, I'm gonna show you some most stuff. I want to hear what you're doing. So he would come back in check up what you got. Okay, this is how you work the effects in the three thousand to get delays and stuff. And then eventually, you know what I'm saying, Corrupt came to Detroit and I ended up producing some songs for Corrupt. How were you the time? Fifteen? Wow? Okay, So when Dilla heard the beats that I did for Corrupt, he was like, okay, now you're ready, and then that's when you know it. Just I kind of got in a mixed with that and then producing a climax with Diller right then mixing the record and all of us stuff. That's how it ended up at the video shooting with y'all a nice nice damn So you were literally young RJ. Yeah, literally, so can you tell me how and the whole process of making Fantastic one, because for me, the bomb at Dela dropped on me was that he made the music for Fantastic Volume one. After the vocals were done, he was like, he would just do a high hat and you guys would just rhyme to the high hat. I would say this number one, It is what happened. Volume one got done because a beat, a dumb beat. It was the group five Ella shout out to them and Filla, that's on all of y'all. Ella, Wait, y'all singing? Wait? Is this five F three two one ll thing again? Are y'all like beefing with each other on the song. Yes, yes, wait wait wait, I was only playing are you saying, first of all, every song on volume one is me to talk about Dyladylla talk about me or him talking about I don't even ask that question. I'm talking about other crews. Yeah, you guys are just basically using the microphone as a pumpit bully like method. Yes, yes, yes, you gotta give me specifics because when Dyla saying I'm sick, niggas popping up in my crib, but he talking about talking about me because this nigga he told me, he says, he'll tell you to come to his crib and then he won't ask for the dog, and then say, I'm popular, but I'm a popular decree a. You're talking the cup I walked over here, never knew this ship something like that. Man us tons of stuff like that. Yes, and so counfeit niggas be running yeah like yeah, yeah coming back. Yes, that's all we did all day was talking about each other on the bus. You were lightly ranking on each other. Yeah, I mean, you know, because that's kind of niggas we was. Wait, so I don't know why the fuck I'm fucking with you well, that's that was a chick that the dealer was messing with. That's that. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. I ain't talking about it. But then by ten threw a couple of slick lines in there too, though, So yeah, yeah, day all we used to do. But like I said, it's it started off with the beef with them, and Dyla had produced a whole tape now man, you clumb Villerston came out with official nothing yet and it was brady like Dilla did us stuff before he did Jaws Boom. So hilcome watch the hypening us up. The first song we're gonna do is players talking about them. That's the first one he did. Players. We were talking about them and this other guy from the old hip hop scene that I was talking about personally because we was dating the same girl and he got mad and and I tried to anyway. But yeah, it's something like that. So so that's how it all kind of started. You know. After that, what is the seven eighty eight? Seven eighty eight is our birthdays, So I'm i'm uh Dilla's February seventh, um Uh November eighth, and by Tennis March eighth, so it's it's just our birthdays a weird, all right. So it was inspired by that. So we we did like half of the take to just clicks, and then half we did beats. So I went off. But even with the beats that we did, he still remixed. It wasn't the same either. So so that's how we did Volume one, and we did it, like you said, we did it in a week because we had all these rhymes that we had songs, you know what I'm saying, just from ten years of being together. You gotta we used together for a long time before we actually came kind of out, you know what I'm saying. So where did that record Volume one on? Because it sounds like y'all just recording on like headphone mic like us we recorded. We recorded part of it on headphone mis we because we had two mics, and then we had to do part of it straight to that. So it's stuff right to that. Let mean one takes that, I mean, if you fuck up, we had all over again do it again because we're doing straight to that's then we took part over to our j's studio and once we got some time to do that, so it's all over the place with the yeah. Yeah, that's why we had the role because like we didn't did it like twenty seven times like fuck that big good yeah. I mean, but I enjoyed the process and when we made it, or we made it, if you listen to me at the end, I was like, oh, I already knew already, like the end the uh one of those dogs, I already knew it was gonna be a classic. And I was like, oh, this so question all right. I always wanted to know this, and I know I'm like ask you to remember like inside jokes from like almost thirty years ago, but so on fat Cat song or at least at the end of how we bullshit after listening to this song for like twenty five years, I listened. I listened to uh fantastic like its entirely last night for the first time in like maybe like maybe for like five years. Like it's it's been a minute since I just sat down and listen to any album in its in its entirety, But it finally hit me. Am I correct in assuming that you guys at the time that you recorded it, the Soul Train Awards must have just came on because you're obviously talking about Escape. Like at the very beginning, like you guys are trying to remember their name. You're like, you know the group, the Sings, Get back your seat, relaxing, right, But then there's a moment where I believe that you guys are mocking calling me bads. First single of their sophomore album, Time and Change. Yeah, yeah, that's true. That's true. Yeah yeah, because comedy. Everything was comedy. That is true. All right. Do you remember the second album that called me bad? Did Fante where Tim and Chance? Yeah? Yeah, where they they decided to enlist Bootsy and the p Funk All Stars as their bands. But it was really weird, like anywhere they were going, like literally like I'm looking at Gary Mubble and Walker and Bootsy Collins and Catfish, but just be side guys to call me bad, not like hey, like at least in Delight, Like Delight was like yo, yo, we got from Brucie's Rubber band as our band. But literally I saw a performance on the Soul Training Awards. Finally I looked it up, and I believe that that's what you guys were mocking, because like, at no point, dude, did you guys think that that was ever going to get out or get back to them or anything like that. So I think I think we thought we was being so colded that people was gonna really be like, oh, you know what I'm saying, you know as possible, we trying to be coming. That was and that was shout out to frank Nick. That was Frankneck. That was saying that too. That was Frank Nick for real. Okay, So I mean, like I said, everything was based on jokes comedy. I don't know why we decided to say that before the song that uh that we was getting ready to record, I don't know, but we just kept it like, oh okay, what was your level of shock that not only is this going to take off in your city, but at what point do you realize that this cassette demo might actually be not only hip hop's most important creative shift very quietly though, I mean not like in terms of Doctor Dre like turning the whole world around with the sound of the West Coast the defunct sound, but at what point do you realize that this thing is going to be bigger than just something local or something that's dope for hip hop, but almost like damn near its own genre or a way of life, Like at what point does that hit you believe it or not? If once we got that demo or that Volume one took q tips hands right and he started calling this person and people like you and like Yangelo and all of these people saying, oh man, that's what I'm looking like. Okay, these are people that I admire, you know what I'm and I love their music. And that's when you know, okay, we do got some legs, you know. You know what I'm saying, We got something to stand though. But you know how long that tastes because it's word of mouth. First of all, you had to mail the tape Mamber. You got to yes, okay, now you gotta wait. Then they gotta listen to it. Then they gotta play. A boy y'all ain't in the same state. So he but q To single handedly played it for everybody. You know what I'm saying, Yeah he did. I can attest that. Um. The first time I heard Fantastic Volume one, UM, I was in Germany and living off a per diem and weekly stipend. So you know, like you know, to to be a brook Star Havin musician, living on about three hundred seventy five dollars a week on your own defense for yourself, and the temptation, you know, to pick up the phone to call the United States long distance for twenty five minutes right right, No, literally, like I told them, like set up a microphone to the speaker phone. I want to hear this whole entire thing that was that was That was a one hundred and sixty eight dollar phone call that I could not afford and mountain no. Seriously, I was like, Okay, I can live off of palm freetz. There's a joke in the roots community palm freatz, booku tamuntum. Usually after midnight when bodega's or like those those like late night spots that are about to close, right before they closed, they might like sell the food for cheap. So when you're touring Europe, you know you'll go to the kebab, dude, and you'll cut off half the price. So I was like negotiating my meals, like I can live off of street street, Kebab's, Bookoo tamats and palm freatz. And at the venue, I knew I was good for a turkey sandwich like, you know, they give you food at the venue. So no, man, I had to starve one week for some village over the telephone. But sans. But on the other side of things, so is it jarring to be in this bubble that's so influential and which on one hand people are embracing you, But on the other hand, it's almost like we get to sample and taste of the nectar of the fruit before you yourself get to enjoy that. Well, it's it's a lot. It was a lot for us. Number one out the gate we got we got kicked in the in the in the rump because Hugh to have decided when he we did finally get him on the record day, he wants to use our record as a platform to leave the hip hop. Right. Anywait, when I heard that verse, I was like, wait a minute, Right, So guess what New York said to slum village boom you you got rid of dry clients? I like, no, I didn't. I just wanted the first, right, you know what I'm saying. I just wanted the first. I didn't know when I went down there he was talking. I was walking with two tip down the street, was going to the Burrow's Pizza and we was going to some studio or something after that, and he was like, man, you know, I'm really thinking about quitn man, I'm I'm out, And then he loops up to the original whole type right and are spitting these sentimental lyrics. It's something about this group that makes people want to you know, some some sort of artists release that happens that makes everybody confrontational or a Slum Village cassette. Yeah, it's it's weird. So right now, this is this is twenty five years of of of a legacy of of of of this brand, way of this brand name, a way of life. Um, amazing influential music that I deemed very refreshing. Can you guys tell me, especially in hip hop's fiftieth year, Um, how is hip hop still refreshing to you? Right now? I'm slum Village is a space where we're just creating whatever we feel that that's not in the market. I can do me like to the total. So because because the label situation nate there no more. You don't have to nobody saying hey, make sure you do a hit single or man, you know, make sure it is nobody know where's nobody coming. It's wild, wild West. Everybody out there with their pistols, and they like and anything. You can't hit anything, you can hit. It don't matter what it is. It's just you can deliver it to the audience and present it in a compelling way. It don't matter if it's trapshit, boom bapshit whatever. I love that. Yes, I'm out there with my pistols. I'm ready to go. So right now, I'm having the best time in my life making music. Right now. Slum Villages am just living in your heart. I mean it's like the beginning, Like what you feel that's dope and incredible for you in your heart. That's what you're given to the world. Okay, QLs listeners, this is sugar Steve. That's where we're gonna stop. Part one of this two part interview with Slum Village. Check back next week or on your podcast feed for part two of this Questlove Supreme conversation with T three and Young RJ. In part two, they discussed Slum villages evolution through the years, new music, and more. See you There Must Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.