Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)

By the time Detroit Deli was released in 2004, T3 was only original member still in Slum Village. Jay Dee had departed for a successful solo career, while Baatin had left due to mental health issues. But by that time, Slum Village functioned more like a collective than an exclusive club. The sound it had formulated in the '90s became one of the most distinctive forms of rap music and an emblem of modern-day Detroit. Black Milk—a Detroit native and Jay Dee disciple—produced the bulk of Detroit Deli. He intuitively understood the haunted, sensual vibe that Slum Village symbolized. With T3 and Elzhi in control of the raps—with occasional cameos from underground warriors like Ol’ Dirty Bastard and MC Breed—“Do You,” “Keep Holding On,” “It’s On," and “Count the Ways” refined the group’s vision of Detroit’s shadowy, dreamy hip-hop. The album’s crown jewel, however, is the work of a Chicago native: a still up-and-coming Jay Dee acolyte named Kanye West. “Selfish” is one of the best Kanye songs not to appear on one of his own records, and it highlights the ways that Slum Village influenced his approach to music.