When you think of Detroit, two artists usually come to mind- Eminem and J Dilla. Eminem for obvious reasons and J Dilla for the legacy he’s crafted from a production standpoint. Dilla has been responsible for many of the Detroit underground success stories (Slum Village) and has had a hand in many well known artist’s records (Busta Rhymes, Common, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest). So when a group surfaces that is “deeply rooted” affiliates of Dilla the eyebrows raise and questions need to be answered. Magnif (who doubles behind the boards) and Griot come together to form Lawless Element, a Detroit duo that has garnered a bunch of hype but the question is “With all the hype behind them, can they deliver?” Those questions are answered with the group’s debut titled Soundvision: In Stereo.

    Upon first listen, the group can easily be defined as a poor man’s Slum Village (circa the Jay Dee era) with its pounding production and easy to relate to subject matter. Soundvision is crafted in such a way that the underground head will not be disappointed and the mainstream fan can definitely appreciate. The proof is in the pudding right out the gate with the banger “Crew” featuring Selfsays and P. Dot. Magnif’s production bangs as the emcees pass the mic off delivering boastful rhymes. One thing that made evident is the budding talents of Magnif behind the boards. As he commandeers 10 of the 12 tracks he showcases a developing flair for crafting beats. He can deliver the laid back chill cut (“Move”) and transition right into a hardcore thumper (“Crew”) effortlessly.

   As emcees though, Griot and Magnif don’t really cover new ground. As good as some of the production is, the duo doesn’t push the songs over the top with witty lyricism. Although not bad, they just don’t pack the wallop that makes good songs great. The guests, however, do add a boost to the album that is well received when Lawless falters. J Dilla offers a head nodder with “The Shining” while Madlib chips in possibly the albums best beat with “High.” Another pleasant surprise to the album is the vocal talents of Melanie Rutherford who blesses the otherwise average “One Night.” Diverse drops by to show why he is one of the more underappreciated emcees in the game with “Something” Remix.

   As mentioned earlier, the group can be touted as a poor man’s Slum Village, which does have its drawbacks. At 12 tracks Soundvision at times just feels like a slightly toned down Slum Village minus the engaging personalities of Baatin or, more recently, the high powered lyricism of Elzhi. It just feels as if Lawless Element hasn’t showcased all of their abilities and, in this instance, the quality over quantity theory doesn’t work out completely because many will want to hear more music to develop a conclusive critique on the group’s talent.  But this can all be rectified with growth as individuals and finding their respective niche when their highly anticipated next album eventually drops.