Is it just me and the rest of the internet, or has 2011 been a year of game changers? We’ve seen a lot of great, forward thinking tunes come down the pipe, and it’s only (almost) July. Ishmael Butler—formerly Butterfly of Digable Planets, now Palaceer Lazaro of Shabazz Palaces—has put another wrinkle in the already more complex year. Their debut album Black Up, out now on Sub Pop, will be a serious contender for hip hop album of the year.

To be honest, I haven’t listened to much Digable Planets. Despite being a name that has always been thrown around when talking with other rap-heads, The Planets have always eluded me. Their two albums are seen as the pinnacle of the jazz rap movement of the early 90s, their east coast counterparts being A Tribe Called Quest. You probably remember this one:

Digable Planets – Cool Like Dat

While I plan on hopping on the Digable Planets train as soon as possible after digging Black Up so hard, I think Palaceer would prefer listeners to enter his world without any preconceived notions. Everything about this project is heavily cloaked in mystery and questions. For example, see the Shabazz website. Did you learn anything? Yeah, me neither.

The important thing is that this a project that shoots for the stars, and often hits its mark. On the surface, Black Up is as dense and foreign as its world influences. Early listens showcase the first and overall star of the record: the production.

Like everyone else involved with the project, producer Tendai Maraire is credited to his pseudonym Knife Knights.plcrs, whatever that means. The dark, minimal yet complex beats morph roles between being a scene-setter and a character itself. In one fell swoop, soundscapes incorporate dub, African, Indian and electronica influence under the guise of hip hop. These world sounds are never overbearing, as they can be when employed by less disciplined or more-zealous performers. Instead  they offer a cool texture to pad the already forward thinking sound. A perfect example of such is the kalimba solo on “An echo from the hosts that profess infinitum.” Wait for it.

Shabazz Palaces – An echo from the hosts that profess infinitum

The fully realized sonic concept comes to a point on the track eight, “The king’s new clothes were made by his own hands.” Soft samples and analog percussion lay out as a regal cloak for the Palaceer to don as he raps about “just another beat,” which it most certainly is not.

Shabazz Palaces – The king’s new clothes were made by his own hands

The second star of the album is, of course, the Palaceer himself. His cool delivery is clearly the work of a veteran performer, but he doesn’t take any time to remind us of that. The overarching thesis of Black Up is that introspection begets strength. Contrary to the bulk of reflective pop music, Palaceer looks back on his life and those he came in contact with to gain confidence and control. Compared to the depressing-as-hell confessionals of new rap (we’re looking at you, Cudi), the Palaceer gives us a cerebral breakdown of why he’s the shit. “It’s a feeling.”

Shabazz Palaces – Are you… Can you… Were you? (Felt)

Once he catches his footing, Palaceer dives headstrong into other topics, including women and relationships, artistic competition and the state of hip hop. Topically, this album isn’t really stepping on new ground, but the intellectual weight of the discussion shapes it into a new beast. He doesn’t show us a new world; he just trains us to look at our current one through a smooth new lens.

Shabazz Palaces aren’t as hard to pin down as it seems. Palaceer Lazaro makes hip hop, albeit excellent hip hop. Despite the dubby beats and alien synths; this album is far closer to the golden age of hip hop than the space age. I hate to sound like a YouTube commenter, but talented, non-pussy whipped rappers with purpose are a shrinking minority. I’m not saying that there aren’t mic soldiers out there doing their thing, but this diarrhea of the ego is dehydrating the creative body of hip hop. The important takeaway from Black Up, no matter how groan worthy this sentiment has become, is that you can be the change you wish to see. Ishmael Butler got bored with hip hop, so he built his own kingdom. Because, after all “the kings’ new clothes were made by his own hands.”

Peter Lillis wishes he could be the change he wishes to see in the world.