By shelz.

At the turn of the century, Detroit trio Slum Village was climbing the Hip-Hop ladder of success and were being heralded as the obvious replacement for the dismantled Tribe Called Quest.  The trio of T3, Jay Dee and Baatin were even touring with their predecessors on Tribe’s farewell tour.  It was a nightly ritual of passing the torch; a goodbye to the past and a hello to the future of the alternative Hip Hop sound. Their first release Fantastic Vol. 2, dropped in 2000 to critical acclaim and plenty of folks were expecting the group to find themselves on the path to superstardom.

Label issues and a changing cast of characters deflated the Slum’s sails a bit, but they never lost touch with the underground. Their soulful, melodic sound was always a favorite of those who knew that rap was deeper than the mainstream.

As the crew sat in limbo working out their label woes, Jay Dee’s production career took flight and he eventually left the group to pursue some solo endeavors that would cement him as one of the most sought after beat makers in the genre.  Baatin bid the group adieu a couple of years later citing health issues as his reason. T3 and the newly added Elzhi would continue on as a duo, but Slum Village would never be the same.

The Hip-Hop nation lost Jay Dee to illness in 2006, 3 days after the release of his last album, Donuts.  The what ifs reverberated through the Hip-Hop community as his death occurred in the midst of his career’s high point .  After his passing, his tracks were used often not only out of respect for his life but also out of awe of his talent.  Even when Slum Village decided to regroup in 2008 and bring Baatin back into the fold, Illa J, Jay Dee’s brother was invited to participate to recapture some of Jay’s spirit. 

The stage was set.  The group was preparing their new album, Villa Manifesto, for release this year.  Videos were being shot and those who missed the chemistry between the original line up were looking forward to Baatin’s return.  His out of the box presentation and meandering, interesting ways of presenting ideas through rhyme were probably missed just as much as the luscious canvas Jay Dee would set for him and T3. Then the other shoe dropped. 

Titus “Baatin” Glover was found dead Saturday morning in Detroit .  Speculation abounds, yet the cause has yet to be determined.  Dead at 35 are hard words to swallow especially considering Baatin’s resilience through the mental health issues he’d experienced throughout his adult years, the reason he left the group in the early 2000’s.  The idea of his return not only to the group he co-founded as a youngster, but to a staunch group of fans who were excited about his getting back to his rap roots was hanging heavy in a landscape that regularly yearns for the good ole days.  Unfortunately, this is one giddy trip down memory lane that will be deferred forever.

It’s hard to believe that two members of the three piece we once knew as the possible keepers of the alternative rap flame are no longer with us.  Baatin’s death is yet another blow in a very cold summer that the Detroit scene shouldn’t have to go through. Instead of looking towards another round of life with Slum Village, we instead, haveto the obligatory musical tributes and mournful reminiscing.  And that’s a really raw deal. Hopefully Baatin’s family, his friends, and Rock City can take some comfort in the fact that Hip-Hop loves him and will miss him too.

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