Slum Village News

Underground hip hop and history: Miguel Cullen talks shop with Slum Village's T3.

Today marks the beginning of a Slum Village revival. Four years removed from their self-titled fifth album, the Detroit duo of Elzhi and T3 are preparing to unleash several new Slum-sponsored projects beginning with today's release of the Villa Manifesto EP .

The Raw Addict, 12.06.09.: My Best Of 2000-2009, Part 1 Posted by Phil Watts, Jr on 12.06.2009 My Favorite Hip-Hop albums of the decade, Part 1 !! It's almost the end of the year, so everybody is getting ready to do their best and worst lists of 2009.

LA's Stones Throw Records is widely regarded as the standard bearer for creativity in Hip-Hop. As the home for many of the finest MC's and Producers in the art including the likes of Madlib, J-Dilla, Penut Butter Wolf and of course tonight's acts Guilty Simpson and MED they stand out from their competitors through the consistency of their output.

On Saturday, October 17, Detroita s Hip-Hop community will come together to celebrate, honor and support one of their own.

Ohio producer J. Rawls has been putting in jazzy, quality work for a while, making music Black Star, J-Live, Aloe Blacc, Slum Village and recording as half the Lone Catalysts alongside Pittsburgh MC J. Sands.

Dirty Science is hip-hop for grown folks, non-believers, and heads alike, and a welcome debut solo album from Exile.

Soggy weather and a small crowd did not dampen enthusiasm on Rosa Parks Circle Saturday where local hip-hop artists banded together with mental health advocates to raise awareness of mental health issues.

Marsha Ambrosius, formerly one half of British soul duo Floetry has been featured on several songs including Styles P's "I'm Black"; The Game's "Start from Scratch" and "Why You Hate The Game" ; She is also famous for penning Michael Jackson's Butterflies.

Will Sessions is one of Detroit's best new bands. Since its debut last Halloween, it has recorded with Slum Village and neo-soul phenom Mayer Hawthorne, and re-created hip-hop tracks and live samples as a roots-inspired big band with Black Milk, Phat Kat and Guilty Simpson.

Rapper T3 has witnessed just about all the music business has to offer. Since forming the acclaimed hip-hop group Slum Village with Detroit Pershing high school friends Titus Glover and Jay Dee Yancey in the mid-'90s, T3 has endured a number of lineup changes, shady record-business dealings and, most recently, devastating losses.

The Detroit hip-hop community is rallying around one of its own. A benefit concert for Eugene Howell -- better known as Detroit hip-hop mainstay Hex Murda -- will be held Oct.

This summer, Sticky Fingaz unveiled his Rap-inspired film A Day In The Life [ click to read ]. With a huge supporting cast of both emcees and Hollywood actors, the Lionsgate-backed film features dialogue exclusively presented in Hip Hop verse, telling a story of one man's conflicted life.

Though the Karriem Riggins Virtuoso Experience was one of the most anticipated bands at the 2009 Detroit International Jazz Festival, it was also one of the most mysterious.

Hush V.2 After much TV exposure and a lauded major label debut, Detroit's other 'white meat' rapper hits rock bottom and rises again Fuckin' A The Majestic complex's new booker-flack-pimp yaks of future fests, blogs and Blowout Agent double-o-soul Melvin Davis put soul music on hold for a dependable post office gig.

Talib Kweli on stage with Black Star After shows at the Blue note and with Rock The Bells earlier this year, tonight marks the return of Reflection Eternal at BB King's , the crew that introduced the world to Talib Kweli with the Rawkus 12" single "Fortified Live" featuring then future Black Star partner Mos Def and Mr Man of Da Bush Babees .

Rock The Bells was a blur for me this year - in between trying to run to photograph the first two to three songs for most main stage artists and stalk artist/tour/road managers to ask your favorite rappers some pressing questions, my pretty little curly-cue head was spinning by day's end.

On Friday night, a slimmed down version of Rock the Bells took place at the Showbox.

Two popular cultural events, the African World Festival and the International Caribbean Festival and Parade, will join forces Friday through Sunday.

Mourners quietly paid tribute to Titus "Baatin" Glover on Monday during a public memorial held for the rapper, who was found dead on July 31.