Today, July 29th, Sub Pop is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the release of Shabazz Palaces’ Lese Majesty, his acclaimed second album and the follow-up to his label debut Black Up, with a new repress on red and black vinyl.
Lese Majesty is a seven-suite, eighteen-track sonic mythmap of new black wave and ghetto psychedelics, featuring singles and official videos for “They Come In Gold,”“Ishmael,”“#CAKE” (directed by Hiro Murai), and “Forerunner Foray” (directed by Chad VanGaalen).
Lese Majesty features Shabazz Palaces leader Ishamel Butler alongside Black Constellation collaborators Tendai Maraire, THEESatisfaction’s Catherine Harris-White, Erik Blood and Thadillac. The album was produced by Shabazz Palaces and mixed by Blood at Protect and Exalt Labs in Seattle, Washington.
Upon its release, Lese Majesty earned raves from the likes of New York Times, NPR Music, Entertainment Weekly, FLOOD, All Music, and would go on to see placement on “Best of 2014” lists from the likes of Gorilla Vs Bear (“Album of the Year”), Pitchfork, PASTE, SPIN, The Wire, Passion of the Weiss, Stereogum (“Best Rap Albums”), and more.
What people said about Shabazz Palaces’ Lese Majesty: Lese Majesty is Shabazz Palaces getting interstellar, a set of intricate, enigmatic, yet meaningful suites complete with an (initially) impenetrable multidimensional blueprint/map connecting it all in the liner notes. Beneath the visuals, the album contends with a strain of Afrofuturism that puts its faith in finding unities in contradictions and clarity in riddles (“I’m having my cake and I’m eating cake,” “facts stated to enhance what is pre-born,” “we try to unreproduce six tension intervals”), reconciling structure and formlessness, forethought and spontaneity….meter-defying breaks and tactile, synthesized bass-church/musique concrète production that turns human language into primordial elements of cosmic influence. It’s humbling stuff that urges you to dance but knows full well that, to do so, you’ll need to relearn new and better steps [50 Best Albums Of 2014] - Pitchfork
“Unlike their previous, also brilliant full-length Black Up, Shabazz Palaces’ new “sonic move” Lese Majesty is not necessarily conducive to absorption in small doses. The record is a massive, dense monolith, divided into suites that only start to make sense after countless repeat listens. It’s a bridge from rap’s beginnings in the early ’70s into its future — structurally, thematically, lyrically, sonically, all of it — that sounds so many light years ahead of everything else in the genre that its nods to the past only reveal themselves after one invests real time immersed in what we called “the impossibly deep, singular astral landscape” that the group has created.” [Album of the Year] - Gorilla Vs. Bear
“With their second album, Seattle hiphop duo Shabazz Palaces unshackled Afrofuturism from cliche in order to present a holistic almost familiar worldview that the future is already here, before demanding an honest response to that revelation. Hua Hsu said: Abstraction is only useful insofar as it shakes our reliance and this is what makes Lese Majesty’s primal futurism such a bewildering experience. Palaceer raps with secularity and conviction as all that was once solid melts into air - rules and codes vanish, leaving nothing but ghosts while beats dissolve into pretty colors.” [#7 / Albums of the Year] - The Wire
Shabazz Palaces Lese Majesty
Tracklisting: 1. Dawn in Luxor 2. Forerunner Foray 3. They Come in Gold 4. Solemn Swears 5. Harem Aria 6. Noetic Noiromantics 7. The Ballad of Lt. Maj. Winnings 8. Soundview 9. Ishmael 10. …down 155th in the MCM Snorkel 11. Divine of Form 12. #CAKE 13. Colluding Oligarchs 14. Suspicion of a Shape 15. MindGlitch Keytar TM Theme 16. Motion Sickness 17. New Black Wave 18. Sonic MythMap for the Trip Back
Shabazz Palaces takes a darkly aquatic dive in the official video for “Goat Me (feat. Cobra Coil)” from Exotic Birds of Prey, his new, seven-song mini-album for 2024, out now worldwide from Sub Pop.
Shabazz Palaces is masterminded by vocalist and producer Ismael Butler, whose unstinting drive to reimagine hip-hop – even as he enjoys his fifth decade on Earth – remains undimmed.
Exotic Birds of Prey furthers the modus operandi of its predecessor, Robed in Rareness – a respectful eye on the past, an embrace of an ever-evolving present, and its feet are firmly planted in the future. Where Robed… warped sounds like shoegaze and ambient music into the Shabazz Palaces multiverse, Exotic… cross-pollinates these elements with twisted electro and funk vibes.
This new endeavor features collaborations with the likes of Stas THEE Boss and Irene Barber (“Angela”), Lavarr the Starr (“Take Me To Your Leader”), Japreme Magnetic (“Myths of the Occult”), OC Notes (“Well Known Nobody”), the aforementioned Cobra Coil, and Purple Tape Nate (“Exotic Birds of Prey”).
Exotic Birds of Prey was produced by Shabazz Palaces, mixed by Erik Blood, and engineered by Ishmael Butler and Blood at Studio4 West in Venice, California, with mastering by Warren Defever at Third Man Mastering.
Next week, Shabazz Palaces will appear at My Morning Jacket’s “One Big Holiday” at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, April 4th-7th, 2024. Later that month, Shabazz Palaces’ European and UK dates in support of Robed in Rareness and Exotic Birds of Prey begin April 27th in Paris, France at Le Petit Bain and currently end May 22nd in Braga, PT at Gnration.
Sat. Apr. 27 - Paris, FR - Le Petit Bain Tue. Apr. 30 - Lille, FR - Aeronef Wed. May 01 - Brussels, BE - AB Club Thu. May 02 - Ramsgate, UK - Music Hall Fri. May 03 - Dublin, IE - Sugar Club Sat. May 04 - Leeds, UK - Headrow House Sun. May 05 - Manchester, UK - YES Pink Room Mon. May 06 - Brighton, UK - Patterns Tue. May 07 - London, UK - Village Underground Thu. May 09 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Sat. May 11 - Copenhagen, DK - Huset Sun. May 12 - Hamburg, DE - Turmzimmer Mon. May 13 - Berlin, DE - Frannz Club Tue. May 14 - Prague, CZ - Meet Factory Thu. May 16 - Geneva, CH - L’Usine Sun. May 19 - San Sebastian, ES - Dabadaba Mon. May 20 - Madrid, ES - Cafe Berlin Tue. May 21 - Lisbon, PT - B. Leza Wed. May 22 - Braga, PT - Gnration
Exotic Birds of Prey and Robed in Rareness are now available on CD/LP from Sub Pop. LP orders for each release in North America from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Translucent White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Translucent Ruby vinyl.
In the UK and Europe, LP orders from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) and independent retail stores will receive the Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Cream White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Red vinyl.
What people are saying about Shabazz Palaces: “There’s a deeply inclusive feel to Butler’s latest project, with a series of guest vocalists who bring lyrical light to the mission. The warp-speed hi-hats and forbidding synths of ‘Exotic BOP’ prompt Purple Tape Nate to offer commentary about smartphones organizing human thoughts; Butler’s alias Lavarr The Starr glides through the unabashedly ‘80s electro workout ‘Take Me To Your Leader’; and Stas THEE Boss joins Irene Barber on the interstellar P-funk bass of ‘Angela.’” [Exotic Birds of Prey] - Bandcamp
“This group is inquisitive as ever….Founder Ishmael Butler, formerly of the jazz rap group Digable Planets, has always been trying to commune with the future…and some of these songs are in dialogue with his past, which can be just as thrilling.” [Exotic Birds of Prey] - NPR Music
“Shabazz Palaces remains in a universe of his own with Exotic Birds of Prey, his second mini album in five months, following October’s Robed In Rareness…Sometimes it feels more like experimental electronic music with some rapping than rap music with electronic production. Whatever you call it, it’s a total trip.”- Brooklyn Vegan
“Exotic Birds of Prey sounds like it’s broadcasting live from an unknown galaxy, giving us an idea of what music will sound like on other planets in the future while nodding knowingly to some of Earth’s most exciting sounds of the past.” - All Music
“Exotic Birds of Prey is an ambitious release even for an artist who has built a discography of mind-altering rhymes and face-melting instrumentals, in just seven songs Shabazz Palaces is able to fit entire character arcs and head-spinning sonic twists.” - GLIDE
“His eighth LP with Sub Pop, Exotic Birds of Prey conjures another heady brew of synth-soaked experimental rap that suffuses Sun Ra’s celestial reach with P-Funk’s acid-fried grit. Drenched in Afrofuturist psych, Butler’s spaced-out production explores the uncharted terrain of experimental hip-hop with a kaleidoscopic set of seven songs that viscously stick and gel to each other, enveloped in gelatinous bass, trippy beats, and omnipotent command.” - Still Listening
“Shabazz Palaces — Ishmael Butler from Digable Planets — sets up a sci-fi scenario in “Take Me to Your Leader”…He and a guest rapper, Lavarr the Starr, have to convince a powerful, mysterious queen that “our race deserves to survive.” Amid blipping electronics and slow-pulsing bass, with voices warped by echoes and effects, they set out a strategy of gifts, philosophizing, seduction and “a steady-bumping beat she can freak with.” [“Take Me To Your Leader”] - “The Playlist” - New York Times
“…a psychedelic six-minute synth-funk meditation. This kind of spaced-out electro inevitably recalls Kraftwerk, Egyptian Lover, and the primordial Detroit-radio soup that eventually led to the birth of techno.” [“Take Me To Your Leader”] - STEREOGUM
“…digital jazz drumming, a slinky bass line, a denaturing vocal loop, soft-spoken bars from Stas THEE Boss that evoke Butler’s fellow Digable Planet Ladybug Mecca before moving into less charted territory later in the track, and eerie, sing-song interludes from Dust Moth’s Irene Barber.” [“Angela”] - The FADER
“…a cinematic joint with the most refreshingly straightforward rapping on the entire album.” [“Myths of the Occult”] - SLANT
“…heady, psychedelic” [“Angela”] - Brooklyn Vegan
“Stas THEE Boss and Irene Barber lend their voices to this funked-out space-age track, which feels a little bit like g-funk on the moon. It’s a cosmic groove that has vibes for days, a concise jam that could keep going for twice as long and I’d be just fine with that.” [“Angela”] - TREBLE
“Trippy and funked out” [“Angela”] - Gorilla vs Bear
Shabazz Palaces Exotic Birds Of Prey
Tracklisting 1. Exotic BOP (feat. Purple Tape Nate) 2. Angela (feat. Stas THEE Boss & Irene Barber) 3. Myths Of The Occult (feat. Japreme Magnetic) 4. Goat Me (feat. Cobra Coil) 5. Well Known Nobody (feat. OCnotes) 6. Synth Dirt 7. Take Me To Your Leader (feat. Lavarr the Starr)
Shabazz Palaces Robed in Rareness
Tracklisting: 1. Binoculars (feat. Royce The Choice) 2. Woke Up In A Dream (feat. Lil Tracy) 3. P Kicking G (feat. Porter Ray) 4. Cinnamon Bun (feat. Lavarr the Starr) 5. Scarface Mace (feat. O Finess) 6. Gel Bait (feat. Geechi Suede) 7. Hustle Crossers
Today, Monday, March 4th, Shabazz Palaces is sharing “Take Me To Your Leader” a Kraftwerk-esque jam featuring Ishmael Butler’s alter ego Lavarr the Starr, and is the closing track from Exotic Birds of Prey, his forthcoming seven-song mini-album.
Exotic… will be available on CD/LP/DSPs March 29th worldwide from Sub Pop, and is the follow-up to Robed in Rareness, his well-received album from October 2023. Robed is available now on DSPs but will also be available on CD/LP formats on March 29th, 2024.
Shabazz Palaces has announced European and UK dates in support of Robed in Rareness and Exotic Birds of Prey, which begin April 27th in Paris, France at Le Petit Bain and currently end May 22nd in Braga, PT at Gnration. Preceding these dates, Shabazz Palaces will also appear at My Morning Jacket’s “One Big Holiday” at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, April 4th-7th, 2024.
Sat. Apr. 27 - Paris, FR - Le Petit Bain Tue. Apr. 30 - Lille, FR - Aeronef Wed. May 01 - Brussels, BE - AB Club Thu. May 02 - Ramsgate, UK - Music Hall in Fri. May 03 - Dublin, IE - Sugar Club Sat. May 04 - Leeds, UK - Headrow House Sun. May 05 - Manchester, UK - YES Pink Room Mon. May 06 - Brighton, UK - Patterns Tue. May 07 - London, UK - Village Underground Thu. May 09 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Sat. May 11 - Copenhagen, DK - Huset Sun. May 12 - Hamburg, DE - Turmzimmer Mon. May 13 - Berlin, DE - Frannz Club Tue. May 14 - Prague, CZ - Meet Factory Thu. May 16 - Geneva, CH - L’Usine Sun. May 19 - San Sebastian, ES - Dabadaba Mon. May 20 - Madrid, ES - Cafe Berlin Tue. May 21 - Lisbon, PT - B. Leza Wed. May 22 - Braga, PT - Gnration
Shabazz Palaces is masterminded by vocalist and producer Ismael Butler, whose unstinting drive to reimagine hip-hop – even as he enjoys his fifth decade on Earth – remains undimmed.
Exotic Birds of Prey furthers the modus operandi of its predecessor, Robed in Rareness – a respectful eye on the past, an embrace of an ever-evolving present, and its feet are firmly planted in the future. Where Robed… warped sounds like shoegaze and ambient music into the Shabazz Palaces multiverse, Exotic… cross-pollinates these elements with twisted electro and funk vibes.
This new endeavor features collaborations with the likes of Stas THEE Boss, Irene Barber, the aforementioned Lavarr the Starr, Japreme Magnetic, OC Notes, Cobra Coil, and Purple Tape Nate.
Exotic Birds of Prey was produced by Shabazz Palaces, mixed by Erik Blood, and engineered by Ishmael Butler and Blood at Studio4 West in Venice, California, with mastering by Warren Defever at Third Man Mastering.
Exotic Birds of Prey and Robed in Rareness are now available to preorder from Sub Pop. LP preorders for each release in North America from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Translucent White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Translucent Ruby vinyl.
In the UK and Europe, LP orders from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) and independent retail stores will receive the Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Cream White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Red vinyl.
NPR Music called Robedin Rareness “Enchanting and subversive…” while Pitchfork offered this, “The futurism of Shabazz Palaces has always been interwoven with the past and present, their songs scintillating tapestries of old-school shit talk, proggy psychedelia, and melodic flossing. Robed in Rareness is draped in this multiplicity as Butler and a team of close collaborators swagger across eras of rap.”
Tracklisting 1. Exotic BOP (feat. Purple Tape Nate) 2. Angela (feat. Stas THEE Boss & Irene Barber) 3. Myths Of The Occult (feat. Japreme Magnetic) 4. Goat Me (feat. Cobra Coil) 5. Well Known Nobody (feat. OCnotes) 6. Synth Dirt 7. Take Me To Your Leader (feat. Lavarr the Starr)
Today, Monday, February 5th, Shabazz Palaces is sharing “Myths Of The Occult,” a hypnotic new track featuring DC-rapper Japreme Magnetic and is from Exotic Birds of Prey, his new seven-song mini-album, out March 29th worldwide from Sub Pop.
Exotic Birds of Prey is the follow-up to Robed in Rareness, his well-received album from October 2023. Robed was released on all DSPs and will also be available on CD/LP formats on March 29th, 2024.
Shabazz Palaces is also announcing European and UK dates in support of Robed in Rareness and Exotic Birds of Prey, which begin April 27th in Paris, France at Le Petit Bain and currently end May 22nd in Braga, PT at Gnration. Preceding these dates, Shabazz Palaces will also appear at My Morning Jacket’s “One Big Holiday” at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, April 4th-7th, 2024.
Sat. Apr. 27 - Paris, FR - Le Petit Bain Tue. Apr. 30 - Lille, FR - Aeronef Wed. May 01 - Brussels, BE - AB Club Thu. May 02 - Ramsgate, UK - Music Hall in Fri. May 03 - Dublin, IE - Sugar Club Sat. May 04 - Leeds, UK - Headrow House Sun. May 05 - Manchester, UK - YES Pink Room Mon. May 06 - Brighton, UK - Patterns Tue. May 07 - London, UK - Village Underground Thu. May 09 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Sat. May 11 - Copenhagen, DK - Huset Sun. May 12 - Hamburg, DE - Turmzimmer Mon. May 13 - Berlin, DE - Frannz Club Tue. May 14 - Prague, CZ - Meet Factory Thu. May 16 - Geneva, CH - L’Usine Sun. May 19 - San Sebastian, ES - Dabadaba Mon. May 20 - Madrid, ES - Cafe Berlin Tue. May 21 - Lisbon, PT - B. Leza Wed. May 22 - Braga, PT - Gnration
Shabazz Palaces is masterminded by vocalist and producer Ishmael Butler, whose unstinting drive to reimagine hip-hop – even as he enjoys his fifth decade on Earth – remains undimmed.
Exotic Birds of Prey furthers the modus operandi of its predecessor, Robed in Rareness – a respectful eye on the past, an embrace of an ever-evolving present, and its feet are firmly planted in the future. Where Robed… warped sounds like shoegaze and ambient music into the Shabazz Palaces multiverse, Exotic… cross-pollinates these elements with twisted electro and funk vibes.
This new endeavor features collaborations with the likes of Stas THEE Boss, Irene Barber, the aforementioned Japreme Magnetic, OC Notes, Cobra Coil, Purple Tape Nate, and Lavarr the Starr.
Exotic Birds of Prey was produced by Shabazz Palaces, mixed by Erik Blood, and engineered by Ishmael Butler and Blood at Studio4 West in Venice, California, with mastering by Warren Defever at Third Man Mastering.
Exotic Birds of Prey and Robed in Rareness are now available to preorder from Sub Pop. LP preorders for each release in North America from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Translucent White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Translucent Ruby vinyl.
In the UK and Europe, LP orders from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) and independent retail stores will receive the Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Cream White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Red vinyl.
NPR Music called Robedin Rareness “Enchanting and subversive…” while Pitchfork offered this, “The futurism of Shabazz Palaces has always been interwoven with the past and present, their songs scintillating tapestries of old-school shit talk, proggy psychedelia, and melodic flossing. Robed in Rareness is draped in this multiplicity as Butler and a team of close collaborators swagger across eras of rap.”
Shabazz Palaces “Myths Of The Occult (Feat. Japreme Magnetic)” Single Artwork
Shabazz Palaces Exotic Birds Of Prey
Tracklisting 1. Exotic BOP (feat. Purple Tape Nate) 2. Angela (feat. Stas THEE Boss & Irene Barber) 3. Myths Of The Occult (feat. Japreme Magnetic) 4. Goat Me (feat. Cobra Coil) 5. Well Known Nobody (feat. OCnotes) 6. Synth Dirt 7. Take Me To Your Leader (feat. Lavarr the Starr)
March 29th, 2024, marks the release of Shabazz Palaces’ Exotic Birds of Prey, his new seven-song mini album, which will be available on CD/LP/All DSPs worldwide from Sub Pop.
Exotic Birds of Prey is the follow-up to Robed in Rareness, his well-received album from October 2023. Robed was released on all DSPs and will now be available on CD/LP formats on March 29th, 2024.
NPR Music called Robed “Enchanting and subversive…” while Pitchfork offered this, “The futurism of Shabazz Palaces has always been interwoven with the past and present, their songs scintillating tapestries of old-school shit talk, proggy psychedelia, and melodic flossing. Robed in Rareness is draped in this multiplicity as Butler and a team of close collaborators swagger across eras of rap.”
Shabazz Palaces is masterminded by vocalist and producer Ismael Butler, whose unstinting drive to reimagine hip-hop – even as he enjoys his fifth decade on Earth – remains undimmed.
Exotic Birds of Prey furthers the modus operandi of its predecessor, Robed in Rareness – a respectful eye on the past, an embrace of an ever-evolving present, and its feet are firmly planted in the future. Where Robed… warped sounds like shoegaze and ambient music into the Shabazz Palaces multiverse, Exotic… cross-pollinates these elements with twisted electro and funk vibes.
This new endeavor features collaborations with the likes of Stas THEE Boss, Irene Barber, Japreme Magnetic, OC Notes, Cobra Coil, Purple Tape Nate, and Lavarr the Starr.
Exotic Birds of Prey was produced by Shabazz Palaces, mixed by Erik Blood, and engineered by Ishmael Butler and Blood at Studio4 West in Venice, California, with mastering by Warren Defever at Third Man Mastering.
Exotic Birds of Prey and Robed in Rareness are now available to preorder from Sub Pop. LP preorders for each release in North America from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Translucent White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Translucent Ruby vinyl.
In the UK and Europe, LP orders from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) and independent retail stores will receive the Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Cream White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Red vinyl.
Stellify Subscriber Alerts:
About Shabazz Palaces Exotic Birds of Prey:
PING.
She looked up. A rectangular notification had popped into view, obscuring the view of the road.
>You have an update pending.
“No thank you,” she said, and brusquely waved it out of her field of view.
PING.
Her head jerked up again in annoyance.
>Stellify Subscriber alert: new album from Shabazz Palaces: Exotic Birds of Prey.
“Oh.” Her eyebrows arched, her fingers lightly drummed her tablet. “Play,” she said, voice softening.
The integrated Bang & Olufsen speakers cut on. Lyrics and info danced on the windscreen, casting the cabin in a crimson glow.
>Shabazz Palaces’ latest is a foreboding foray into final-days funk. Cold-forged synths cut like steel underneath paranoiac playerisms and science-faction set pieces. What will you do when the robots don’t recognize your face?
“Pour more bass on my mids.”
“Mmm.” The bio-reactive seat gently reclined as the whole vehicle body, composed of recycled marine plastics and seaweed, throbbed with deep, monstrous tones. Her eyes closed.
“ETA,” she mumbled. 77 minutes, the car said softly.
PING.
>BrainBroom Subscriber: your weekly ketamine session is ready to transmit. Initiate?
She opened her eyes. Hers was the only vehicle in sight. Rain sheeted across the windscreen. In the corner, the heads-up relayed a leisurely 160 km/h and fully charged hydrogen cells. The road ahead was lit in a deep violet; the ancient LED’s on this stretch of highway had delaminated over time.
“..Sure.”
She laid back. As the corners of her sensory perception started to curl up, she heard different voices, new and old to the Shabazz cinematic universe. Stas the Boss, Irene Barber, OCnotes, Jahpreme Magnetic. Purple Tape Nate, Lavarr the Starr.
“Many among them…traded in myths.”
As she submerged into innerspace, the soundtrack repeated, undermining her sense of time. The softly rocking motion of the vehicle, bee-lining it’s way home, did the same to her sense of space. Swirling in her mind’s eye, she saw ancient bones dancing underneath the solar-powered roadway; empty eye sockets turned and locked on her own.
“Going back to the essence is not a bad thing.”
PING.
Directly ahead, zooming towards her, was an old Tesla, stopped, blue flames feathering out from the windows. The scream caught in her throat, a choked sob her only sound.
She opened gummy eyelids and raised her face. She was at the high, fortified gate of her rural high-rise community. She cleared her throat, and eased the windshield down. She faced the sensor.
>Face Not Recognized. Try Again.
“What?” Sweat rolled down her ribs.
>Face Not Recognized. Try Again.
She looked around, poked her head out and looked back at the forest, dark and featureless.
“Hello?”
Unseen wings flapped in the trees, dark bodies taking flight against the moon.
Shabazz Palaces
Exotic Birds Of Prey
Tracklisting
1. Exotic BOP (feat. Purple Tape Nate)
2. Angela (feat. Stas THEE Boss & Irene Barber)
3. Myths Of The Occult (feat. Japreme Magnetic)
4. Goat Me (feat. Cobra Coil)
5. Well Known Nobody (feat. OCnotes)
6. Synth Dirt
7. Take Me To Your Leader (feat. Lavarr the Starr)
Today, October 27th, marks the release of Shabazz Palaces’ Robed in Rareness, the first full collection of new material since The Don of Diamond Dreams, their critically acclaimed LP released in 2020.
Shabazz Palaces is masterminded by vocalist and producer Ishmael Butler, whose unstinting drive to reimagine hip-hop - even as he enters his fifth decade on Earth - remains undimmed. With Robed in Rareness, there’s a respectful eye on the past, an embrace of an ever-evolving present, and its feet are firmly planted in the future. It features collaborations with the likes of Seattle’s Royce The Choice and Porter Ray, Colorado Springs’ O Finess, Butler’s twin Lavarr the Starr, Bronx’s Geechi Suede (of Camp Lo), and Butler’s son, the incomparable Lil Tracy.
Get lost in the new Robed in Rareness visualizers for “Cinnamon Bun (feat. Lavarr the Star), “P Kicking G (feat. Porter Ray), “Gel Bait (feat. Geechi Suede), and “Hustle Crossers” – four interdimensional journeys featuring Shabazz Palaces’ chosen comrades, and directed by returning animator Jacob Kasar (“Woke Up In a Dream” and “Binoculars” visualizers). Link here.
Robed in Rareness was produced by Shabazz Palaces, mixed by Erik Blood, and engineered by Ishmael Butler and Blood at Studio4 West in Venice, California, with mastering by Warren Defever at Third Man Mastering.
Shabazz Palaces’ touring in support of Robed in Rareness continues with a performance at LA3C Festival in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 12th. He will also support Jenny Lewis on her Joy’All tour beginning Saturday, December 2nd at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre and ending Friday, December 8th in Hollywood, CA at the Hollywood Palladium.
In 2024, the group will also appear at My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday event in Quintana Roo, MX, on April 4th—additional live dates to be announced soon.
2023
Sun. Nov. 12 - Los Angeles, CA - LA3C @ Theater at Ace Hotel
Dec. 02 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre *
Dec. 03 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre *
Dec. 05 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield Theatre *
Dec. 08 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Palladium *
* w/ Jenny Lewis
2024
Thu. Apr. 04 - Quintana Roo, MX - Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya
Fri. Aug. 05 - Quintana Roo, MX - Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya
Sat. Aug. 06 - Quintana Roo, MX - Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya
Sun. Aug. 07 - Quintana Roo, MX - Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya
What people are saying about Shabazz Palaces’ Robed in Rareness:
“Butler offers seven tracks whose energy swings between chaotic and cool.” - THE WIRE
“With a host of new collaborators, Shabazz Palaces’ sound is pushed and pulled in multiple directions at once, without once neglecting the interplanetary funk mutant hip hop sound they have always excelled in.” THE QUIETUS
“Ishmael Butler finds company to share his one-of-a-kind vision with on his brief sixth LP, making his quest for new Afrofuturistic frontiers something more communal.” FLOOD
“Shabazz Palaces has been focused on raising the corporeal anchor and setting sights on a new world, soundtracked by synth-helmed stargazing sonics. Presented as a mini-album, the seven-song Robed In Rareness furthers Butler’s mission.” Album of the Day - BANDCAMP
