Shabazz Palaces

Shabazz Palaces is the cerebral and enigmatic art-rap venture plotted by Palaceer Lazaro, aka Digable Planets rapper/producer Ishmael Butler. Co-founded by percussionist Tendai Maraire and featuring close production associate Erik Blood, they incorporate avant-garde jazz, funk, and dub to heady effect with Butler's science fiction concepts matching profundity and sly humor with show-and-prove microphone command. Shabazz Palaces made their full-length Sub Pop debut with Black Up (2011). The sonically richer follow-up, Lese Majesty (2014), cracked the Top Ten of the Billboard R&B/hip-hop chart. Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines (2017) -- simultaneously issued concept albums born from different sessions -- centered codependency with technology. Further releases included appearances from Butler's son, Lil Tracy, on The Don of Diamond Dreams (2020) and the Robed in Rareness EP (2023), and guests like Purple Tape Nate on Exotic Birds of Prey (2024).