The problem lies in the fact that Slum Village isn't nearly as interesting as lyricists and their album follows rather than precedes these other groups. If Fantastic, Vol. 2 had hit the streets in the mid to late '90s rather than in 2000, it would have been a landmark album with Jay Dee's signature neo-JB's hip-hop. Unfortunately, his sound isn't new anymore, and though many may like the fact that Slum Village doesn't rap about decadent topics, one often finds Eminem's psychosis, Easy-E's promiscuousness, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's odes to bud, and DMX's inner conflicts more entertaining than Slum Village's mundane topics. In the end, no matter how much one hears Jay Dee's squeaky clean production, it never gets old, justifying the hype surrounding Fantastic, Vol. 2 and making it an exciting record for anyone in love with purist hip-hop.