BPT Remembers Baatin - R.I.P. 1974-2009

I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I was listening to Fantastic Vol. II back in the day. My introduction to Slum Village through MTV, surprisingly. Just coming home from school one day and seeing the video for "Tainted" helped open my eyes to areas of music i had yet to discover as an adolescent. The smooth keys and Dwele's voice got me hooked off the jump, reminding me of Boyz II Men. Each verse was different from the next, and all three were different from the stuff I had been regularly listening to. Looking at this video in retrospect, does that Karriem Riggins cameo allude to him producing this track? He definitely has production credits on Trinity.



I was saddened later on when I heard Baatin was no longer a member of SV. I mean, I enjoyed "Selfish" and Detroit Deli was a good album overall in my opinion. However I think I was just biased by being used to a different dynamic from SV. Shit, I was still trying to wrap my head around Dilla being a part of this in his career on top of Jaylib, The Ummah, and the Soulquarians (not to mention his solo work!). When I listened to "Reunion" for the first time, I couldn't help but just replay it over and over. The message was so heartfelt from these guys, and their words reflected that. They wanted to bring that missing member back to their family, that bond was unconditional.



After Dilla's passing, the tribute game was crazy. The song most used by fans and fellow musicians seemed to be the instrumental for "Fall In Love" - possibly due to its simplicity as a beat. Simple chord progression and rhythm, but still a beautiful piece of music. We as fans of this music keep it alive every time we pay tribute to it. Whether it be through recreation, or just replaying, we carry on the influence and the memory of greats like Dilla and Baatin. Unique characters in the story of Hip Hop.

Rest In Peace.