According to the Detroit Free Press, founding member of seminal Detroit rap group Slum Village, Baatin, is dead at 35. The cause of the death is not yet public. Friends and family, from Dwele and 9th Wonder to Talib Kweli have sent their condolences through Twitter, spreading word of the Detroit MC's passing. "I'm at a loss right now. Hi-Tek was set to dj for Slum Village tonight. RIP Baatin. More influential than you can imagine. Slum Village forever," wrote Kweli.
Baatin, born Titus Glover, had a history of health problems, and left the group in 2002, after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Though Slum Village added gifted MC Elzhi shortly before Baatin left, the group suffered a major loss in 2006 when their other founding member, J Dilla, passed away.
Having finally recovering from Dilla's death, remaining founding member T3 recently reached out to Baatin to rejoin the group.
"I felt like the fans wanted Baatin to come back," T3 explained. "I felt like I really didn't want to do another album without Baatin. I wanted his energy..I found him and he was ready. He seemed like he had his stuff together."
News of Baatin's return to Slum Village began circulating, and the group officially announced the Sept. 22 release date of their reunion album 'Villa Manifesto,' the week before Baatin died.
"Baatin will be missed," Slum Village's T3 said in a statement. "I'm glad we got a chance to work together before he passed. We lost another Slum soldier, a dear friend and a brother. He touched many lives."
Baatin left two children, Michael Majesty Ellis, 9, and Aura Grace Glover, 1. There will be a public remembrance for the MC on Sunday in Detroit.He will be missed.
Reader Comments(1 of 15)
hayescazzieat 8-03-2009
jodi......
If your going to bash one type of music to promote another then learn to SPELL and speak in complete sentences. I don't blame rap, I blame the parents.
skylark741at 8-03-2009
Thank you. i agree completely.
Davidat 8-03-2009
Who?
rneu323399at 8-03-2009
Oh well!!!!! Making alot of noise,but not helping the people!
thomasat 8-03-2009
Wow you have to be kidding me, Rap doesn't kill kids, KIDS KILL KIDS, Guns Kill Kids, But rap does not kill kids. I grew up listening to some of the most violent rap and I'm not dead nor have i killed anyone so how does rap kill kids!?!?! Think before you speak. And yes the reason why kids kill kids is because their parents don't direct them in the proper way.
monteraydaveat 8-03-2009
thomas,,, guns don't kill people, people kill people, read up on great brition, no guns at all, so when someone wants to rob you, they jump out of a bush, and beat the hell outa ya with a ball bat or pipe wrench, then help themselves to your wallet, at least here, you have half a chance of just starring down the barrel as you get the wallet out for the robber, don't give up your 2nd amendment people, you'll be sorry
gsplgtrat 8-03-2009
So how many people did he help elivate our of the slums to become better citizens? By the way skylark, music can move you to tears, anger, freight, or even riot. There is emotion in all music. It is what the performer does with his lyrics and message that determine what the outcome will be.
laura32583at 8-03-2009
ya...and i can blame miss spelled words on my pencil....im not a rap fan..im a country girl through and through...but dont blame rap music for kids doing stupid things.....where are the parents....?
Jenniferat 8-03-2009
Does it matter he died a rapper? How about he was someone's son,brother,father,cousin et cetera. Would it make a difference if he had been a doctor, lawyer, teacher? A man is dead- Period! I've never heard of him, but I can still have compassion for those that did. You claim "rap" music kills? How about heartless people kill. You seem heartless-Do you kill?
josephzman63at 8-03-2009
I blame Clinton.
Troyat 8-03-2009
Alscotti57- Good job at being ignorant. That type of stereotyping is inflammatory and further propagates the racial and/or social divide that we have to deal with.
Rap is a commercialized music genre that has exploited and raped a thriving international and multi-racial subculture that we like to call Hip-Hop. Unlike most of these jokers on the radio, Baatin, as well as the rest of Slum Village, relayed politically and socially conscious messages.
Jodi (and others)- If you are tired of seeing a messed up generation of kids then do something about it by being proper parents and dont just point the finger at someone/something else for your shortfalls. Furthermore, what do "Mexicans taking over the job force" have to do with anything related to rap, metal, blues, jazz, electronica, country, pop, classical or any other form of music?
Regardless of what social/ethnic/political ideologies you all subscribe to, someone has just passed on, the least we can do as mere humans is offer condolences to the ones he left behind.
In memory of Baatin, RIP
mweberhbrat 8-03-2009
who!!!!and was he of any importance was he more important then our troops who die daily due to the total lack of military trianing by our traitor of a president
Jenniferat 8-03-2009
You wouldn't recognize a courageous man...Our president, yes OUR president- has been hated by a few hundred, like you, all his life, now he is hated by millions, just like you. Are you able to recognize that you stand a coward, for being a little sheep, follower? You are just as much the worlds problem as you say Barrack is. Your type of hate goes only skin deep though. You are nothing new! When you can make just a smidgen of an attempt to WANT to help another human being, not of your own, then you can be a courageous man too.
Leahat 8-03-2009
Are you talking about Bush, because if you remember correctly he's the one who sent our love one overseas.
agray67278at 8-03-2009
Since when were hispanics taking over the labor force? Mexicans are at the bottom. Just so that Jodie will have a clue the order is as follow:
Whites, Asians, African Americans, and the Mexicans. I suggest you listen to a couple of raps songs (along with hooked on phonics), it may enlighten that feeble mind of yours.