Wonderful news! Your favorite electro hip-hop duo featuring a former member of Digable Planets sharing a name with the protagonist of Moby Dick is back! It’s not a crowded field by any means, but regardless, Shabazz Palaces are one of the best hip-hop groups in the world. Don’t believe me? Then listen to Black Up. Or if you’ve listened to Black Up, go listen to Black Up again. There’s a reason it was Tiny Mix Tapes’ favorite hip-hop record of 2011, and it’s not just because it sounded more like Emeralds than any other hip-hop record that year! (NOTE: Black Up does not sound like Emeralds, but it definitely sounds more like Emeralds than, say, Watch the Throne.)
According to Sub Pop, Shabazz Palaces are back on tour. Currently, they’re hanging out with their friends and collaborators THEESatisfaction on a tour of Europe. They’ll head back to the states for a hometown show in Seattle at the tail end of 2012, only to head out for a US tour with labelmates The Helio Sequence in mid-January. Somewhere, carved in a tree, is a heart. The heart surrounds the following letters: “SP + HS + SP 4EVA.” Shabazz Palaces. Helio Sequence. Sub Pop. Forever. So beautiful.
Shabazz Palaces dates:
11.09.12 - Nimes, France - Paloma *
11.10.12 - Fribourg, Switzerland - Fri-Son *
11.12.12 - Zurich, Switzerland - Rote Fabrik *
11.13.12 - Berlin, Germany - Festsaal Kreuzberg *
11.15.12 - Liverpool, UK - Kazimier *
11.16.12 - Dublin, Ireland - Twisted Pepper *
12.28.12 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre *
01.18.13 - Birmingham, AL - Bottle Tree ^
01.19.13 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West ^
01.20.13 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall ^
01.22.13 - St. Augustine, FL - Cafe Eleven ^
01.24.13 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater ^
01.25.13 - Orlando, FL - The Social ^
01.26.13 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder ^
01.27.13 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel ^
01.28.13 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge ^
01.29.13 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar ^
01.30.13 - St. Louis, MO - Firebird ^
01.31.13 - Bloomington, IN - Bishop Bar ^
02.01.13 - Chicago, IL - The Shrine ^
* THEESatisfaction
^ The Helio Sequence
• Shabazz Palaces: http://shabazzpalaces.com
• THEESatisfaction: http://www.theesatisfaction.com
• The Helio Sequence: http://www.heliosequence.com
More about: Digable Planets, Shabazz Palaces