Shabazz Palaces’ Black Up, the group’s Sub Pop debut, was recently hailed as one of the best albums of the decade by outlets like Pitchfork, Gorilla Vs Bear, and Variety. Pitchfork summed it up thusly: “Black Up is drowned in murky instrumentals and bombastic, introspective rhymes. The sounds flirt with jazz but also root themselves in a firm understanding of silence, or the sparse magic of simplicity. The songs teem with unexpected climaxes...From great mystery exploded an album of impossible vision.”
That “impossible vision” has continued to confound and engage Shabazz Palaces fans over the course of four acclaimed albums and two EPs. Each release feels like an evolution, letting the music speak for itself, while slowly revealing more about its creator. With The Don of Diamond Dreams, the group’s fifth album, that spirit remains, this time embracing modernism in hip-hop and rap.
Tracklisting:
- Portal North: Panthera
- Ad Ventures
- Fast Learner (Feat. Purple Tape Nate)
- Wet
- Chocolate Souffle
- Portal South: Micah
- Bad Bitch Walking (Feat. Stas THEE Boss)
- Money Yoga (Feat. Darrius)
- Thanking the Girls
- Reg Walks By the Looking Glass (Feat. Carlos Overall)
RIYL: Panda Bear, Death Grips