Jazz Rap Legends Bring the Cool
With temperatures rising, I entered Union Park on Day 2 of Pitchfork just as the day's lineup was starting to heat up. Luckily, soon after I arrived, a Brooklyn-based rap group took the stage and laid down a performance that cooled fans down from the blistering heat.
Digable Planets, comprised of rapper/producer Butterfly and rappers Ladybug and Doodlebug, found success in the early 1990s with a jazz-influenced sound. Proving they have stuck to their roots, they and their tight backing band permeated jazz and funk throughout their 45-minute set. While Doodlebug hit hard with his flows, Ladybug effortlessly rhymed over the jazzy instrumentation. Butterfly, who some may know as one-half of experimental hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces, also used a drum machine on stage in addition to rapping. Although initially skeptical, I think the drum machine worked well, particularly on “Graffiti” and “Pacifics (NY is Red Hot)”. He even busted out some Drill beats on the latter, paying homage to the popular Chicago rap subgenre.
What I really appreciated about Digable Planets' set was the versatility they displayed. The trio mixed fun jams such as “What Cool Breezes Do” and their big hit “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” with serious and politically-charged tracks like the aforementioned “Graffiti” and “Black Ego”. Not many groups can pull that off live, and the fact they only released two studio albums makes the feat more impressive. At the end of “Graffiti”, Doodlebug seized an opportunity to make a timely call to action, shouting “where there's injustice, make noise”. Digable Planets are not taking their reunion shows lightly. Rather, they are taking every opportunity to make an impact, whether artistic or political, on each audience they grace with their presence.
With their distinctive essence of cool in tow, Digable Planets gave a slick performance that both dedicated fans and newcomers could enjoy. Walking away from the red stage, I knew I had witnessed something special, something real, and most importantly, something cool.
Author: Jack Claiborne
