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Digable Planets
- Avg user rating:
Out of 34 votes - Similar Artists: A Tribe Called Quest, Gangstarr, Dream Warriors, Brand Nubian
Out of 34 votes
- Location: Massachusetts, United States
- Genre: Hip-Hop » Alternative Rap
Editor's review
In the early '90s a faction of hip-hop artists eschewed the dominant use of funk and soul samples, instead focusing on jazz. With its laid-back, Afrocentric vibe and masterful incorporation of classic jazz samples from the likes of Art Blakey and Sonny Rollins, Digable Planets was at the forefront of this movement. After a long hiatus, the group triumphantly returned in 2005 with its sound as relevant as ever.
Biography
Digable Planets formed in the early '90s, when Butterfly (b. Ishmael Butler, Brooklyn, NY) met Ladybug (B. Mary Ann Vieira, Silver Springs, MD) while attending college in Massachusetts. The two later hooked up with Doodlebug (b. Craig Irving, Philadelphia, PA), in Washington DC, and began recording. Their first single, "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," hit the R&B Top Ten while their debut, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), was a critical and commercial success. After embarking on an ambitious tour, which included several live musicians, the Planets returned in late 1994 with their best album. Blowout Comb continued the group's jazz-rap fusion, but also saw them branching out to embrace the old school sound of the street as well. After Blowout Comb, Digable Planets gradually dissolved due to the dreaded "creative differences." Ten years later, the group has reunited, recently completing a tour and assembling a collection of hits, remixes and rarities for Blue Note. Beyond The Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles contains some of contemporary music's first gems and exclusive tracks that have spanned the decade and remain head-boppin' jams for the hip-hop generation.
