This story is featured in CityBeat’s Jan. 10 print edition.
In 1987, Ishmael Butler (“Butterfly”), Craig Irving (“Doodlebug”) and Mary Ann Vieira (“Ladybug Mecca”) formed the jazz rap group Digable Planets in Brooklyn. In 1993, they released their seminal debut album, Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space), now more than 30 years old. Alongside their counterparts like A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers and De La Soul, they infused rap with jazz samples. Their signature song “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” not only became a part of the hip-hop canon, but it also won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Vieira’s “cool like dat” voice contributed a much-needed female perspective in a male-dominated space.
In 1994, they released their sophomore record, Blowout Comb, a political record about Black liberation. Though it didn’t produce any hits, it influenced other artists. With only two albums under their belt, Digable Planets broke up in 1995. All the members of the group have done solo projects, including Butler’s Shabazz Palaces. In 2005, the group reunited for a tour, and since 2015 they’ve been steadily touring. They haven’t released any new full-length material but released the compilation album Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles and a live album.
Butler’s smooth talk-rap lyrics imbue everything from rapping about “where I’m from” to the timely abortion rights “La Femme Fetal.” Butler raps: “If Roe v. Wade was overturned, would not the desire remain intact/Leaving young girls to risk their healths/And doctors to botch, and watch as they kill themselves.” Considering this was written more than 30 years ago, it demonstrates how on the pulse the group was with progressive rights that still echo today.
Despite only releasing those two records in the ’90s, Digable Planets remains a force in hip-hop and beyond. In June, they’ll perform at the Hollywood Bowl with legends like Common, the Roots and Queen Latifah. The trio has staying power because of their ahead-of-its-time lyrics and the fact that great rap doesn’t go out of style.
Digable Planets plays Bogart’s on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. Info: bogarts.com.
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This article appears in Dec 27, 2023 – Jan 9, 2024.