{"title":"Artist: Digable Planets","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"digable-planets-blowout-comb-2lp-vinyl-record","title":"Blowout Comb","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eKEY FEATURES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimited Edition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2xLP pressed colored vinyl – Available in Dazed and Amazed Duo Color Wax (Blue \u0026amp; Gold) \u0026amp; Clear with Purple Center Wax (Swirl)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFully printed inner sleeves\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLiner notes by Larry Mizell Jr.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eRELEASE DESCRIPTION\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eModern Classics Recordings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is set to reissue\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlowout Comb\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, the 1994 second album by the cult, Brooklyn-based hip-hop trio \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigable Planets\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album is named for the combs used to maintain an Afro hairstyle, and that’s significant. The group’s Ishmael “\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eButterfly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e” Butler said it summed up what they wanted to do with it: \"It means the utilization of the natural, a natural style,” he has said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike with 1993’s debut\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eReachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, ‘utilizing the natural’ meant creating hip hop that blended jazz with the formidable rap skills of the aforementioned \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eButterfly, Craig ‘Doodlebug’ Irving, and Mary Ann ‘Ladybug Mecca’ Vieira.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e Unlike that debut, it meant broadening to include guests such as \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGang Starr’s Guru, Jeru the Damaja, and Jazzy Joyce\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the gold-selling commercial success of their debut, they here set out to prove their artistic prowess. This is intelligent, alternative hip-hop that sounded like party music. Its lyrics are dense with wit, social commentary, and politics – and its original inner sleeve was modeled on the newspaper of the \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlack Panther\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts instrumentation includes sax, vibraphone, and flute. Its samples – gathered from global crate-digging trips while touring the first album around the world – included \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrant Green\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEddie Harris\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShuggie Otis\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, and jazz-funk pioneer \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoy Ayers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e (whose “We Live in Brooklyn, Baby” became “Borough Check” here). And yet at the same time, its beats are infectious and its spirit undeniable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an album firmly rooted in Brooklyn. “Growing up hearing and cherishing this album, it created a textured soundscape of a mythical world of rhymes, jazz, breakbeats, culture, art, and urban ambiance,” says DJ and fan \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMick Boogie\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e in the liner notes. “When I moved to Brooklyn years later, I found that the world I imagined while listening to this classic LP actually really existed…”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigable Planets\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e have reunited on occasion since – and though their influence endures in every top-shelf rap act with a jazzy sensibility – the trio parted ways after\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlowout Comb\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, citing that old favorite \"creative differences”. Sometimes, the most volatile combinations create the best art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTRACKLIST\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA1 The May 4th Movement Starring Doodlebug 4:56\u003cbr\u003eA2 Black Ego 7:02\u003cbr\u003eA3 Dog It 4:21\u003cbr\u003eB1 Jettin' 4:39\u003cbr\u003eB2 Borough Check 6:56\u003cbr\u003eB3 Highing Fly 1:23\u003cbr\u003eB4 Dial 7 (Axioms of Creamy Spies) 5:47\u003cbr\u003eC1 The Art Of Easing 5:05\u003cbr\u003eC2 K.B.'s Alley (Mood Dudes Groove) 2:06\u003cbr\u003eC3 Graffiti 4:03\u003cbr\u003eC4 Blowing Down 3:51\u003cbr\u003eD1 9th Wonder (Blackitolism) 4:27\u003cbr\u003eD2 For Corners 7:02\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eLISTEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cem\u003eAvailable on Desktop \u0026amp; Mobile\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" height=\"380\" width=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/5gvlpKnnINq8Z1YICdtiBt?utm_source=generator\" style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e","brand":"Digable Planets","offers":[{"title":"2LP \/ Gold \/ Blue","offer_id":42013117546687,"sku":"MCR905-GDBL","price":64.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2LP \/ Clear Purple Swirl","offer_id":42013321232575,"sku":"MCR905-CLPR-SWL","price":64.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0620\/6947\/3471\/products\/large_550_MCR906_DigablePlanets_BlowoutComb325.jpg?v=1703893639"},{"product_id":"digable-planets-reachin-a-new-refutation-of-time-and-space-25th-anniversary-edition-2lp-vinyl-record","title":"Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) - 25th Anniversary Edition","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eKEY FEATURES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst vinyl reissue\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExpanded as a double LP for improved sound\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeep liner notes by Larry Mizell Jr. interviewing Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLyrics included for the first time\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2xLP housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with booklet and inner sleeves\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt a time when hip-hop was determined to snap your neck, a young, hip trio from Brooklyn (by way of Seattle, Philly, and Brazil) conspired on an uncommonly smooth new sound and freaky way of speak, a titanically chill expression of Black bohemia loaded with jazz idiom and a subversive Marxist bent—and pushed it worldwide via an undeniable crossover hit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigable Planets\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e’ 1993 debut, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, unexpected to all involved, produced a massive radio hit in “\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e”, which won the \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1994 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e. Unduly lumped into an “alternative rap” subgenre they chafed at, the Dig Plans were dismissed by some as one-hit wonders, coming out of nowhere; but the Digable Planets concept, and what became Reachin’, had been in the works for close to five years, as group leader \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eIshmael “Butterfly” Butler\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e wrote music and soaked up game in multiple cities, navigating the industry of hip-hop’s golden age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the end, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eButler, Mary Anne “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira, and Craig “Doodlebug” Irving\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e came together to create a seamlessly articulated vision of urbane Hip-Hop cool with an uncommonly literary bent that subtly pushed the hip-hop genre’s frames of reference and added breadth to rap music’s burgeoning political philosophy. Drawing on inspiration from Butler’s jazzbo father, the Black Panthers, Jose Luis-Borges, the Last Poets, and Jimi Hendrix, Reachin’ posited a theory of “universal beats”, narrated by three unearthly MC’s that had “split to Earth to resurrect the funk”, assuming curious, arthropodic aliases—a nod to the natural collective action of the insect world. In just four years the crew would record two beloved and ambitious LPs before disbanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOut of print on wax domestically since 1993, Reachin’ captures one of the last gasps of rap music’s jazzy, upbeat adolescence in the early 90s—those warm, blissed-out grooves every bit as slick as when they were laid way back when. Put this on, roll up with your crew, and bug out again with the insect tribe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" height=\"380\" width=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/5snUbps5KleLIP0cVI72lP?utm_source=generator\" style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e","brand":"Digable Planets","offers":[{"title":"2LP \/ Violet \/ Purple Split","offer_id":42101106639039,"sku":"MCR924-1-VTPR-SPT","price":164.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0620\/6947\/3471\/products\/tmp_2F1512513561238-8avux3squ4t-f560953555f9636be556e04fd4437e4a_2FMCR924_Cover.jpg?v=1669344597"}],"url":"https:\/\/helixsounds.com\/collections\/artist-digable-planets.oembed","provider":"Helix Sounds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}