Shabazz Palaces

Shabazz Palaces is a Seattle hip hop group formed in 2009 and associated with alternative hip hop and experimental hip hop. The project centres on Ishmael Butler, who also performs as Palaceer Lazaro and was formerly a member of the jazz rap group Digable Planets. Much of the group’s work develops in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Tendai “Baba” Maraire, whose father is mbira musician Dumisani Maraire. The group is active from 2009 to the present and is made up of Butler and Maraire.

Early releases and Sub Pop

The group first appears with two anonymous EPs in 2009, titled Shabazz Palaces and Of Light. These releases lead to the group becoming the first hip hop act signed to Sub Pop. Shabazz Palaces later releases five studio albums on the label.

Albums

The debut studio album, Black Up, is released in 2011 and receives widespread critical attention. In 2019, it is included in Pitchfork’s list of the 200 best albums of the 2010s. The second album, Lese Majesty, is followed by a premiere at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center Laser Dome. In 2017 the group releases two albums at the same time, Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines. These releases are accompanied by a short film directed by Nep Sidhu and a limited-edition comic illustrated by Joshua Ray Stephens. The fifth studio album, The Don of Diamond Dreams, appears in 2020.

Collaborations and related projects

Shabazz Palaces works with a wide range of artists, including Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Theesatisfaction, Stas THEE Boss, Erik Blood, clipping., Battles, The Helio Sequence, Porter Ray, Sunny Levine and Carlos Overall. Butler, Flying Lotus and Thundercat also form the supergroup WOKE, which releases the single The Lavishments of Light Looking featuring George Clinton. In 2018, Butler and Erik Blood release 1 Time Mirage under the name Knife Knights; the project begins as a production alias and later becomes a touring band signed to Sub Pop.

Black Constellation and family links

Shabazz Palaces is associated with the Black Constellation, a Seattle-based collective of musicians, visual artists and fashion designers. Butler describes the project as a departure from his earlier work and draws on abstract influences such as podcasts and mixtapes. He also links its use of African percussion and jazz elements to his family’s musical background.

Other work by Tendai Maraire

Maraire leads Chimurenga Renaissance with guitarist Hussein Kalonji, with contributions from Butler. The project releases the mixtape Pungwe in 2012, later issued as an album in 2013, followed by riZe vadZimu riZe in 2014. Two EPs follow: Kudada Nekuva Munhu Mutema in 2015 and Girlz With Gunz in 2016.