TRACKLIST
A1 Fantastic
A2 Keep It On (This Beat)
A3 I Don't Know
A4 How We Bullshit
A5 Fat Cat Song
A6 The Look Of Love
B1 Estimate
B2 Hoc N Pucky
B3 Beej N Dem
B4 Pregnant
B5 Forth & Back (Rock Music)
B6 Fantastic 2
B7 Fantastic 3
C1 Keep It On
C2 5 Ela Remix
C3 Give This Nigga
C4 Players
C5 Look Of Love (Remix)
C6 Pregnant
D1 Things U Do (Remix)
D2 Fat Cat (Remix)
D3 Fantastic 4
D4 What's Love Gotta Do With It (Look Of Love Remix)
D5 2 You 4 You
DESCRIPTION
The contributions of the late Detroit producer James DeWitt Yancey -better known to the world as J Dilla- to the world of hip-hop cant be overstated, and nowhere is his legacy more apparent than his work as a member of Slum Village. A founding member of the trio, (Alongside rappers T3 and Baatin) Dilla provided the groups distinctly esoteric, free-wheeling sound, built around winding basslines, quirky drumbeats, subtle low-end frequencies, and classic jazz & soul samples. Against the backdrop of Dillas rich production, T3 and Baatins free-flowing style of rhyming would also earn wide critical praise, leading to comparisons as the successors to A Tribe Called Quest. (A label they themselves have rejected.)
It's on Slum Village's 1997 studio debut, Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1, that all these elements come together in the most proficient manner. An instant hit among Detroits underground hip-hop scene, the album seemed to combine all the best elements of the reigning alternative and gangsta styles of hip-hop into one cohesive style that was a hit among critics. Fan-Tas-Tics influence extended far beyond Detroit, as its sound heavily influenced the sounds of DAngelo, Erykah Badu, and The Roots just to name a few. (Roots drummer ?uestlove has even declared that: Hands down this album birthed the neo-soul movement.)
NeAstra Media Group now presents the album reissued on vinyl, for the first time in several years. Every wobbling bass note of J Dillas production has been preserved and every freestyle line of T3 and Baatin has been re-created, to maintain the legacy of a late-90s rap classic, and the legend of one of hip-hops greatest beatsmiths.