By Abigail Davidson
Digable Planets is a hip-hop trio who pioneered new sounds in jazz rap and alt hip-hop in the early 90’s. They released two studio albums Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) and Blowout Comb in ’93 and ’94 (respectively). After two hiatuses, they are now touring the US.
Abby:
Given the commercialization of the genre since your last release, do you think it’s still possible for hip-hop artists to find new and unique sound like you guys did?
Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler:
Yeah, I think you just have to look harder. Like, maybe it won’t be a mainstream thing, because the mainstream is saturated with a certain kind of sound aesthetic purpose. But people are still really making good stuff, like you can check on Bandcamp and, and all that kind of stuff, all kinds of independent distribution in different places. So, it’s there, but it’s like, not coveted commercially, as much as back in the day, but you know, things change over time. You can’t really do too much about it, just trying to do your thing.
Abby:
The first song of yours I heard was “Nickel Bags”, which came out eight years before I was born. Have y’all as a group tried to connect with the younger audience, or has that maybe come naturally?
Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler:
We haven’t gone, like, out of our way to do some specific but there have been young people come into the shows your age and even younger, sometimes some, some people come with their parents, or their niece nephew stuff like that, little brothers and sisters. So, we didn’t try to make it happen. But we feel I feel goodthat it’s happening because of new blood and new energy. And it’s like flattering to for the young people to be into it.
Abby:
Are there any artists you feel are really pioneering a new sound right now like you guys did in the 90’s?
Craig “Doodlebug” Irving:
Coast Contra.
Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler:
I liked this album by this girl named Khia. That was good. I thought that was dope concepts to it.
Abby:
So, how did you guys come to the decision to reunite after that hiatus of sorts?
Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler:
I can only speak for myself. I like to perform I like to travel. I just like that life. You know, and it’s exciting andfun and challenging. And then you know, like, it’s a job to you know, so it allows you to take care of your responsibilities financially and get to do the stuff you want to do. So, it’s like a no brainer.
Abby:
Was it any different for you guys?
Craig “Doodlebug” Irving:
So, it was natural that we came together. I think it wasn’t like a decision that we really had to make. It was almost like we knew it was inevitable. Because, like he said, we love to do it. The offers were coming in. Wewas like wow, we were still interested, and it was like something we just had to do.
Mariana “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira:
Same for me.