Shabazz Palaces

Shabazz Palaces
Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces, 2019
Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces, 2019
Background information
OriginSeattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres
Years active2009–present
Labels
Members
Past members
  • Tendai Maraire
Websiteshabazzpalaces.com

Shabazz Palaces is a Seattle-based hip hop group led by Ishmael Butler a.k.a. Palaceer Lazaro (formerly Butterfly of jazz rap group Digable Planets).

Much of Butler's work as Shabazz Palaces was made in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Tendai "Baba" Maraire, son of mbira master Dumisani Maraire. Maraire left the group before the release of their fifth album in 2020.

Shabazz Palaces has released eight studio albums on Sub Pop between 2011 and 2026 after self-releasing two EPs in 2009.

Biography

Origins and material as a duo (2009–2019)

Two anonymously self-released EPs titled Shabazz Palaces and Of Light in 2009 led to Shabazz Palaces becoming the first hip-hop act to be signed to Sub Pop. Their debut full-length album, Black Up, was released on June 28, 2011 to widespread critical acclaim. In 2019, Pitchfork ranked Black Up at number 179 on their list of "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s"; cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib wrote: "From great mystery exploded an album of impossible vision".

Their second album, Lese Majesty, was released on July 29, 2014 days after premiering at the 'Laser Dome' in Seattle's Pacific Science Center.

On July 14, 2017, Shabazz Palaces released its third and fourth full-length records concurrently. Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines were accompanied by a short film directed by Nep Sidhu, and a limited-run comic book illustrated by Joshua Ray Stephens. In 2020, "Shine a Light" was added to the soundtrack of the online mode for the 2013 video game, Grand Theft Auto V.

The following year, Shabazz Palaces joined up with frequent collaborator Erik Blood to release a full-length LP titled 1 Time Mirage under the moniker Knife Knights which released on September 14, 2018. The moniker had been used by Butler for his collaborative production work with Blood on previous Shabazz Palaces records, though now formalised as a touring band signed to Sub Pop.

Material as a solo project (2020–present)

Shabazz Palaces' fifth full-length record, The Don of Diamond Dreams, was released on April 17, 2020. An article written by The Guardian confirmed that Tendai Maraire was no longer part of Shabazz Palaces and was not involved in creation of the album.

On April 12, 2023, an EP titled Illusions Ago was released on Glass Cane Records in collaboration with 'Lavarr The Starr', presumed to be another moniker of Butler's. A sixth studio album by Shabazz Palaces, Robed in Rareness, released later in the same year on October 27, 2023.

On March 29, 2024, Shabazz Palaces' seventh studio album was released, titled Exotic Birds of Prey.

On August 11, 2026, Shabazz Palaces announced their eighth album entitled It's a Style Sport would be released on October 23rd, 2026 and also released a single, "Ahh World (I Won The Alpha Bet)". This was followed by the release of two additional singles, "Jheri Curl Jump" and "Tongue in Chic" on September 9, and October 1 respectively. Pitchfork provided a positive review of the album, commenting: "Butler takes a pointed look at his personal history for inspiration, indexing what he’s learned and where it led him. It’s a record rooted in gratitude, a serious and smirking ode to resilience and curiosity".

Collaborations

Shabazz Palaces' collaborations include guest features with or from Flying Lotus, Thundercat, THEESatisfaction, Stas THEE Boss, Erik Blood, clipping., Battles, The Helio Sequence, Porter Ray, Sunny Levine and Carlos Overall. One notable collaboration is the supergroup WOKE, formed with Flying Lotus and Thundercat, which released one single, "The Lavishments of Light Looking", featuring George Clinton.

Chimurenga Renaissance is a project led by Maraire, in collaboration with guitarist Hussein Kalonji and with contributions from Butler. The project released a mixtape, Pungwe, in 2012, and published it as an album on March 5, 2013. They released their full-length debut album riZe vadZimu riZe on March 25, 2014. Two EPs followed: Kudada Nekuva Munhu Mutema on February 3, 2015, and Girlz With Gunz on February 5, 2016.

Shabazz Palaces form part of the Black Constellation, a Seattle-based collective including visual artists, fashion designers, and musicians.

Style and influences

Butler notes that the work of Shabazz Palaces differs from his previous work stylistically. He cites his primary influences as abstract, pulling from podcasts and mixtapes. Butler attributes the use of African percussion and jazz overtones to his family's musical preferences.

Discography

Studio albums


Extended plays

References

  1. 1 2 "Shabazz Palaces Interview". Thrasher Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Amin, Tayyab (April 16, 2020). "Shabazz Palaces: The Don of Diamond Dreams – alchemy in a world of algorithms". The Guardian. This article was updated on Thursday 16 April to reflect that Tendai Maraire is no longer part of Shabazz Palaces.
  3. ↑ "Shabazz Palaces sign to Sub Pop". Consequence. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Shabazz Palaces - Black Up". UnderTheRadarNZ. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  5. ↑ "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  6. ↑ Drake, David (May 2, 2014). "Shabazz Palaces' New Album "Lese Majesty" Release Date Announced". Complex. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Shabazz Palaces: Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines illustrated record". Groovement. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Usages of song: Shabazz Palaces - Shine A Light (feat. Thaddillac)". racingsoundtracks.com. Retrieved October 14, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Knife Knights - 1 Time Mirage". Sub Pop. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Knife Knights". Sub Pop. Retrieved October 14, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Shabazz Palaces Bring Visionary Hip-Hop to Earth on The Don of Diamond Dreams". Paste Magazine. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Shabazz Palaces: Robed in Rareness Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Shabazz Palaces Exotic Birds Of Prey Is Out Now Worldwide From Sub Pop". Sub Pop. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  14. ↑ Records, Sub Pop. "Shabazz Palaces". Sub Pop Records. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Listen To Shabazz Palaces' "Tongue In Chic (Visualizer)"". Sub Pop. Retrieved October 14, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Shabazz Palaces: It's a Style Sport Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  17. ↑ Andrew Matson (October 1, 2012). "Download this: Chimurenga Renaissance's 'Pungwe' mixtape". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Pungwe, by Chimurenga Renaissance". Chimurenga Renaissance. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Okayafrica Audio: Chimurenga Renaissance- "The B.A.D. Is So Good" Okayplayer". Okayplayer.com. February 11, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Kudada Nekuva Munhu Mutema, by Chimurenga Renaissance". Chimurenga Renaissance. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Listen to Chimurenga Renaissance's Girlz With Gunz EP - The Wire". The Wire Magazine - Adventures In Modern Music. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Fresh of the Spaceship: The Story of Black Constellation". KEXP. Retrieved October 14, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Shabazz Palaces is a heavy Afro-celestial experience". Waxpoetics.com. February 5, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2017.