About Shabazz Palaces
Shabazz Palaces is an American hip hop group from Seattle led by Ishmael Butler a.k.a. Palaceer Lazaro . Much of the Butler's work as Shabazz Palaces has been made in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Tendai "Baba" Maraire, son of mbira master Dumisani Maraire. Active since 2009, Shabazz Palaces has released five studio albums on Sub Pop after self-releasing two EPs.
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 in 2011 to widespread critical acclaim. Black Up was listed #1 in Seattle Times music columnist Andrew Matson's "Local Top #10" of 2011.
Their sophomore album, Lese Majesty, was released on July 29, 2014 after being premiered at Seattle's Pacific Science Center Laser Dome.
In 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 2018, Shabazz Palaces joined up with frequent collaborator Erik Blood to release a full-length LP titled 1 Time Mirage under the moniker Knife Knights, originally a moniker 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.
Shabazz Palaces' fifth full-length record, The Don of Diamond Dreams, was released in 2020.
In 2023 the EP Illusions Ago was released on Glass Cane Records in collaboration with 'Lavarr The Starr', presumed to be another moniker of Butler's.
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