Once part of Digable Planets, Ishmael Butler continues to be a hip-hop innovator with Shabazz Palaces. He stays connected to new music through his son Jazz, who records as Lil Tracy. Patrick O'Brien Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Shabazz Palaces Shabazz Palaces artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music
Shabazz Palaces
Fiona Apple. Her long-awaited — and monumental — new album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, tops our shortlist of the best releases out on April 17. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Shabazz Palaces' third album, Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star, is out July 14. Victoria Kovios/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Shabazz Palaces' new album, Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines, is out July 14. Victoria Kovios /Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Shabazz Palaces: "30 Clip Extension" Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Marty Stuart's "Time Don't Wait" is a favorite at The Current in St. Paul, Minn. Alysse Gafkjen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Shabazz Palaces' new record, Lese Majesty, comes out July 29. Patrick O'Brien-Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Unlocking The Eclectic: A Conversation With Shabazz Palaces' Ishmael Butler
Shabazz Palaces performs live on KEXP. Dave Lichterman/KEXP hide caption
Clockwise from upper left: Weezer, Sufjan Stevens, Lia Ices, Lucinda Williams, Shabazz Palaces Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Shabazz Palaces' new album, Lese Majesty, comes out July 29. Patrick O'Brien-Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Lese Majesty
Audio for First Listens is no longer available after the album has been released.
The British producer SBTRKT wears one of his many the African-inspired masks. Dan Wilton/courtesy of the artist hide caption
Shabazz Palaces performing at KEXP. David Lichterman/KEXP hide caption
Shabazz Palaces David Belisle and Leif Podhajsky hide caption
Ishmael Butler, alumnus of Digable Planets and leader of Shabazz Palaces. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Shabazz Palaces and THEESatisfaction (from left to right, Ishmael Butler, Catherine Harris-White and Stasia Irons) outside Caffe Vita in Capitol Hill. Kyle Johnson for NPR hide caption