After being released by their previous label, the debut from
Slum Village (
Jay Dee,
T3, and Baatin) had been collecting dust for over a year. The trio of Detroit natives witnessed a renaissance for the album in underground hip-hop circles, as critical praise of the LP (Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 1) by
the Roots and
D'Angelo paved the way for it to become one of the most heavily bootlegged albums in recent years. Even though Fan-Tas-Tic was given the seal of approval by those highly influential artists, the man most responsible for this LP's resurrection was group member
Jay Dee. Due to his work with
A Tribe Called Quest,
Common,
Macy Gray, and a solo
Q-Tip,
Jay's stock rose considerably, and he became one of this industry's most sought-after beat technicians. With Fantastic, Vol. 2.10,
Jay consistently demonstrates what all the fuss is about, as his hypnotic instrumentals range from the straight soul of "Tell Me" (featuring
D'Angelo) to the sublime keyboard grooves of "Fall N Love" and the quirky "Hold Tight" (which features a pouty
Q-Tip). Yet even with all of
Jay's wonderfully melodious production, Fantastic, Vol. 2.10 is more of an enigma than it is a triumph. While
Jay exudes diversity behind the boards, he and the rest of his
Slum Village mates are trivial MCs, slapping together a host of inept rhymes that are ripe with misogynistic overtones. [A version of the album was also released with a disc of instrumentals.] ~ Matt Conaway