CD Reviews

Shabazz Palaces | Black Up

Sub Pop (2011)

By CARRIE BATTAN | June 9, 2011

3.5 Stars

The musical reincarnation of Ishmael Butler, the elusive Seattle rapper who makes up one-third of the semi-popular '90s jazz-rap act Digable Planets under the name Butterfly, is a lot to unpack. Black Up, building fluidly off the sound introduced on two 2009 mini-albums, incorporates dense, disjointed instrumental collages, abstract lyricism, and an occasional soulful hook. Once processed, though, the often harsh, anti-formulaic tracks hit a previously unexplored hip-hop sweet spot, merging unhinged electronic experimentation and tough-talking, hard-headed raps. The album's jagged edges are caulked by an unnamed female guest vocalist who floats in and out of a handful of tracks, boosting them with warmth and accessibility — on "Recollections of the Wraith," for instance, the looping of her jazzy, gentle "ooooh-wooo" gorgeously fills the space between a deep, bassy thump and Butler's declaration that, "The fix evolves/The mix revolves/Dilemma of this bitch-ass cliché/Rap's getting soft." It's difficult to decide whether Butler's thing is psychedelic thuggishness or thuggish psychedelia, and he probably doesn't intend for us to figure it out. Either way, he's done the near-impossible in creating a sound that's wholly fresh and grows richer with every listen.

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ARTICLES BY CARRIE BATTAN

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