Shabazz Palaces - S/T 2xCD

Do you remember Digable Planets? It was Ladybug, Doodlebug, and Butterfly. They came out back in 1993 and were mad underrated even though they had 1 blowup single, the ubiquitous "Cool Like Dat". They had the jazz/rap fusion sound of the golden era of hip-hop (a la tribe called quest) done to perfection mixed with some very dense hepcat lyricism. Well fast forward 17 years and you get this release from Palaceer Lazaro, fka Butterfly. I find it hard not to get excited about this one if you ever turn on modern top-40 rap radio. The beats are sparse & bass heavy, progressively structured & layered w avant-garde lyricism and delivery. This is some seriously cerebral headphone/headnod and sometimes freeform stuff. This is the anti-jerk music, buried in funk. It even has the rare distinction of taking a couple spins to be fully rewarding, like all the original classic hip hop albums.

The bottom line is that it is a great double-disc with high replay value. It has the underground charm and promise that can make you feel like you're a part of something way cooler than you may even aspire to be.





Sounds like: a more esoteric Digable Planets, Camp Lo, Del the Funkee Homosapien, Outkast

Tracks: (160kbps)
disc 1
01 kill white t, parable of the nigga who barrels stay hot, made by hardkings@freecasino.blk
02 4 shadows_noah mission as told by plcr dougie frum up the block from granny_s subsonic custom crown
03 32 leaves dipped in blackness making clouds forming altered carbon
04 blastit at the homie rayzer_s charm lake plateau bbq july at outpalace pk
05 capital 5, recorded after hrs at the gun ballad resource cntr on s sweeper st.
06 my mac yawns i go on to make this darksparkles move call it_ as the americans say, middle section made by plcr runner reg on his 30' chromitar
07 a mess, the booth soaks in palacian musk, palaceer in vintage lrg, yes pure ns,uppowndet watermelon lips beat

disc 2
01 gunbeat falls
02 100sph
03 hottabatch
04 chuch
05 spechol-analog
06 sparkles
07 n.splendored_find out
08 n.splendored_find out2


Belhaven Meridian
An allegorical short film/music video for Shabazz Palaces shot in Watts, Los Angeles, directed by Kahlil Joseph, Photographed by Matt Lloyd.