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With the release of its third record, Detroit Deli: A Taste of Detroit, Slum Village has been paired down to a duo. Jay Dee and Baatin may be gone, but T3 and Elzhi haven’t missed a step. The bangin’ first single, “Selfish,” featuring Kanye West and John Legend, proves that as a quartet, trio or duo, Slum will not be counted out. The new disc is in the same vein of the group’s previous releases: ditties about women (“Old Girl” and “Dirty”); representing hip-hop (“It’s On” and “Zoom”); and the struggle in the streets (“Keep Holding On” and “The Hours”). And although the pair’s cadence seems disproportionate at times — Elzhi’s rapid-fire flow and witty wordplay outshines T3’s slow drawl, which often seems forced — the chemistry ultimately works in Slum’s favor. Taste and see.
