After making inroads to the mainstream with 2002’s Trinity and 2004’s Detroit Deli, Slum Village’s eponymous 2005 album marked a return to its Detroit roots and a reaffirmation of hip-hop basics. Produced entirely by the Detroit collective B.R. Gunna (Black Milk, Young RJ, Fat Ray), the album makes no attempts to include guests outside of Slum’s immediate circle. Dwele, Phat Kat, Que D, and J Isaac are Detroit locals who've been close to the group for years. On the group’s early albums the rhymes were very loose, but as T3 and Elzhi have aged the rapping has grown tougher and more focused. Elzhi uses “Giant” to confront the looming shadow of the band’s legacy: “Let the people be the judge/We know and expect it/You hoeing the record way before the needle even budge/The most hated on, and I stayed alone, was rated wrong/And it’s a headache, like yanking domes with a straightening comb.” Slum Village still has a gentle touch and feel for meditative moods, but “1,2,” “Set It," and “Hear This” are easily the most rugged performances of the group’s career.