Watch Digable Planets Perform at Pitchfork Music Festival 2016

“Pacifics (Sdtrk "N.Y. Is Red Hot")” and “Dog It”

Digable Planets

Photo by Matt Lief Anderson

The reunited Digable Planets performed at this year's Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park. Their set included performances of “Pacifics (Sdtrk "N.Y. Is Red Hot")” and “Dog It.” These videos were brought to you by Goose Island.

For more videos from Pitchfork Music Festival 2016, head here.

Read “Cool Like That: The Reuni... Look Back,” our interview with the band.

>

Watch here:

http://pitchfork.com/news...ival-2016/

I hope they do decide to make a new album like is mentioned in the article. Ladybug does a little part on this song by the new group The Hue

Saw them about a week or so ago. Go see them!

Nice! They still sound great.

Wow, cool!! Glad they are still doing their thing!

I am glad to hear because when I saw "Digable Planets" half a decade ago, Ladybug wasn't with them, and now she's back!

Prince Paul announced a project called Brookzill that will feature Ladybug Mecca.

BROOKZILL! is a collective comprised of of Prince Paul (De La Soul, Stetsasonic, Gravediggaz), Ladybug Mecca (Digable Planets), Rodrigo Brandão (aka Gorila Urbano), and Don Newkirk (Funk City), a band of individuals that discovered a family by stepping out.

The album 'Throwback To The Future' is the sonic link between New York and Brazil, Hip-Hop’s future with its far-reaching past.

Connect:
http://www.brookzill.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BROOKZILLOFF...
https://twitter.com/BROOKZILL
https://soundcloud.com/brookzill
https://www.instagram.com/brookzillof...

I really do hope they record another album. Blowout Comb is one of my all-time favorites regardless of genre. Having been so creative for so long separately, I think they could bless us with another classic.

Take notes.

THIS is how you perform hip hop, not shouting out of breathe with an annoying hype man yelling every other word (Public Enemy notwitstanding).

Hey! I posted this thread only 1 month, 5 days ago, today.... :

http://prince.org/msg/8/428795

domainator2010 said:

Hey! I posted this thread only 1 month, 5 days ago, today.... :

http://prince.org/msg/8/428795

And I replied then, too.

#DPsgonnahityouwiththenickelbag

[Edited 8/8/16 10:12am]

CynicKill said:

Take notes.

THIS is how you perform hip hop, not shouting out of breathe with an annoying hype man yelling every other word (Public Enemy notwitstanding).

Honestly. Their albums and their live shows are a great vibe without the yelling, and NO ONE was sitting down either.

Why we sleepin on Hue. They blastin too. Tin ear get in gear, never fear, the licks of a deer.

Digable Planets' Ishmael Butler Reveals What It Would Take to See New Album

It's not always apparent which music artists will stand the test of time, but Digable Planets has proven to be one of the most fondly remembered and still-listened-to groups of the East Coast hip-hop scene of the early 1990s.

With jazz-influenced samples set behind politically charged and sometimes quirky lyrics, MCs Ishmael (“Butterfly” or “Ish”) Butler, Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira and Craig “Doodlebug” Irving created an original sound that was cut short when the band broke up in 1995, citing “creative differences” and disappointing sales of their 1994 sophomore album, Blowout Comb.

But after performing a reunion show in Seattle in late 2015, the group excited fans around the country by announcing a full summer tour this year. It is the first extended tour since 2005, when the group also released a compilation album called Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles.

Digable Planets will stop in Denver next Tuesday, August 16, to headline the Gothic Theatre. In advance of that show, Westword caught up with Butler to discuss politics, Black Lives Matter, and the potential for new Digable Planets material.

Westword: It's been a decade since Digable Planets last went on the road. As you tour this year, has there been anything that's surprised you?

Ishmael Butler: A little bit. The fact that we’re out and got back together and are touring, for one. And what’s happening socially and politically in this time — we’re in that wave, and we’re participating in it in the way that we do.... It’s cool and valuable to be out here bringing people together. I can’t say how — what the chemistry is and what people do after they leave — but it’s nice to have a message and a band with everyone sharing this ceremony of experience. For the most part, I’d say it's a positive thing going on, and I feel that.

There have been rumors of new Digable Planets material coming out of this tour. Is there anything you’re able to share about that?

I mean, it’s true, but it’s both a long way off and close.

Can you elaborate on that?

We haven’t been together for a long time, and a lot of things have happened in between. We’re now in the midst of mixing elements. With chemistry being a mixing of elements, things can go either way. One thing may bring about something smooth, but you add a little bit of something else and it’s an explosion.

So as we tour and get around each other and get a feel, it becomes clearer whether or not the chemistry and the elements are going to mix well. But we want to do it, and we’ve talked about doing it, so we’re at that stage now.

So what are the specific concerns about chemistry? Are you worried about new material sounding too different from your classic albums?

It’s not really any concern like that. It’s that when we made the records, we were around each other all the time and had a relationship of familial rapport. And if we don’t come close to that again, then I don’t see how we’d be able to make the type of music that we did.... It’s gotta have love, you know?

Would there be any concern trying to balance that work with your involvement with Shabazz Palaces?

No, I don't think so.

Going back to what you were saying about what's happening politically and socially in this time, a lot of your lyrics discuss things like neighborhood violence, phony politicians and the power of the wealthy. And it strikes me that these lyrics could have been written yesterday, because we’re still dealing with these things now. I'm wondering if that makes you disillusioned at all, because it doesn’t seem like there’s been much progress since you sat down and wrote those lines decades ago.

No, I mean, because the same thing can be said about the forty years prior to writing those lyrics. I think what’s evident is that that hierarchy and the social condition are always going to be that way — there’s always going to be exploitative, oppressive entities…. There’s always going to be people on top doing the shit that they do... That’s the history of man, not just the recent American history.

But there’s always going to music and hope and joy and observation, too.

Do you think having your Digable Planets personas — “Butterfly,” “Lady Mecca” and “Doodlebug” – helped you explore those political topics more easily, because you had this fantasy element while addressing reality at the same time?

That’s a good point. I hadn’t thought about that, but I can see that, yeah.

Considering that we’re still dealing with all of these political issues today, when you're outside of your music, are you or anyone else in the group involved in any movements concerning things like police brutality or race relations?

No, not in any other way than touring and traveling and speaking on it and bringing to audiences the ceremony of a concert and what’s transmitted and shared there. Hopefully that lends some energy to movements in some way.

I appreciate those who speak overtly or directly to those things, like...Black Lives Matter. But I don’t think that that stuff influences change from either the perpetrators or the victims.... My way of looking at things is that, for whoever is being oppressed, their course of action is to not resign themselves to the belief that their oppressor is supreme. In a sense, [this means] to not pay attention to their [oppressor’s] attempts. To understand it, yeah. To realize it, to reconcile it, yeah.... But to then try to appeal to it in any way is an acceptance of [the oppressor] that I don’t think is necessary.

Not to be down on anyone that is doing things that way, but I think that when you express yourself by disregarding the notion of supremacy, it’s more comprehensive.

So you’re saying that you prefer not to validate the power structure?

Right. Because when you’re saying, “Hey, this group is doing this and they’re doing that and nothing’s happening,” of course it isn’t! It never has, and it’s not going to.

Like, if you're the victim of corrupt policing and you don’t get killed, nobody’s going to know about that, or care, or post your name and picture up on social media. Let’s say you just get arrested wrongly, or you get beaten, or get a bone broken and teeth knocked out — that’s not on the news, but that’s happening who knows how often.

So it’s just difficult for me to pick the injustice and then ride out for it when it’s all so much deeper than that.

I don’t want to give the impression that people who do that aren’t valuable, because they definitely are, and we need them. But I just have a little bit of a different take on that.

Anything else you want to add, or are looking forward to before coming out to Denver?

I always like coming to Denver to perform. I live in Washington state, so I like the similarities between Colorado and Washington. We always have a good time, so I’m looking forward to it.

Ladybug Mecca talks Digable Planets’ rebirth and Prince

Mike Pizzo - Wed, Aug 17, 2016 - Las Vegas Weekly

On Friday, August 19, Brooklyn Bowl will (fittingly) play host to the original borough’s own Digable Planets, who have reunited to tour together for the first time since 2005. Despite releasing just two (classic albums)—1993’s Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) and 1994’s Blowout Comb—the group left an indelible mark on the golden era of hip-hop, with its unique brand of jazz- and funk-layered hip-hop.

Digable’s performance will be backed by a full live band, in lieu of the standard DJ setup of many hip-hop acts. Member Ladybug Mecca spoke to the Weekly about the tour and the band’s legacy.

How have the shows been so far? We’re going to these little places where I don’t expect anyone to show up, and the crowd is just dancing and having a good time. It makes the energy in the room so electric. I’m just walking away from every show blown away.

You have a band that plays with you on tour? Yeah, they’re great guys. When we were out in the early 2000s, the Turner brothers [Thaddeus and Gerald] were with us back then. Then we have [drummer] Conrad [Real], we call him “Superman”—and if you ever see us perform, you’ll understand why (laughs). He’s a younger kid, and he’s just incredible. Darrius [Willrich] is on keys; he’s amazing. And then we have Tendai [Maraire] from Ish’s [aka Butterfly’s] group, Shabazz Palaces. It’s working out really well.

What does it take to fall back into the groove to perform as Digable Planets after being broken up for so long? It’s not complex or complicated at all. It’s just very natural and smooth. It’s not even something we think about. We did it for quite a long time, and we were around each other like that for a lot of the ’90s. As we’ve gotten older, we’ve matured. It’s different; it’s better. No one is being disrespectful; no one ever has. It’s always been a family vibe, no matter what band we have. Nothing’s changed.

What did it take to start this conversation to get everyone back together for this tour? It was about just the right timing. The timing was right for all of us in our separate, individual lives.

It doesn’t seem like Digable Planets left a lot of unreleased music out there. There’s “Three Slim’s Dynamite” on the Beyond the Spectrum greatest-hits record, and “Little Renee” from the Coneheads soundtrack. Was more left on the cutting-room floot? From Reachin’ there’s this one song called “Brown Baby’s Funk” that we actually wanted to be the first single. That never saw the light of day. It’s great. I don’t know if anyone has it.

There’s nothing else floating around. We started a few things, pre-production wise, but nothing that we saw to the end and just didn’t use. Back then, studio time was extremely expensive, so when we went in, we went in to work and get it done. We just focused on concentrating on the album material. Another thing that may have contributed to creating less music—especially during Blowout Comb—is that I was traveling a lot at that time. My mother was about pass away, so if I wasn’t recording vocals, I was on an Amtrak train to spend as much time with her as I could.

Do you look at this reunion tour as just a tour, or is there the possibility that you might record another record together? Well, right now, I’m just focusing on the moment, and taking it day by day, not really looking that far to the future. If we get there, I’m open to it, for sure. Right now, we’re more focused on getting to know each other again and just connecting and seeing what happens from there. Do we talk about it? Yeah we do. But for the most part, we’re stepping lightly and being present.

Let’s talk about E-40 sampling “Rebirth of Slick” for “Yay Area.” “We be to rap what key be to lock.” I was just as surprised as you … and honored, because E-40 is so incredible. I love him as a person. When we did Snoop’s “Candy” video, he was like “We gotta have Ladybug in the video.” But yeah, that was cool. I was happy to hear that.

I have to ask you about something that has been bothering me for a long time. VH1 did this special called One Hit Wonders a while back and named Digable Planets as one. I remember being so pissed; even the people on the show were defending you guys. Did you see that? Yeah, I’ve seen it. I kind of laughed. … I don’t know, everyone has their opinion. I know that we’re not just one-hit wonders, that we actually are creative people to the core. Just because we didn’t have a top hit on whatever chart, it doesn’t define us. We never made music to be on the radio or MTV, we were blown away that “Rebirth of Slick” did what it did. If people gravitated to it, then wow, what a blessing.

Do you ever expect to “Rebirth of Slick” to be that big? It’s still popping up in places, like the film Dope last year. I could have never predicted that. I remember when we first recorded it, I knew it was special. I could feel it in my body. But I didn’t translate that into “This is going to be a hit and last forever.” I just knew how it made me feel.

Tell me your Prince story. This had to been about 1994. I was rolling with Rosie Perez and a couple of other people. We went to this Prince show and after the show, there was a private party. I was kind of playing the wall, because I am not a club person. Then we made eye-contact; he was literally all the way across the room. He stuck his finger out and summoned me to him. (laughs). I’d never been star-struck before or anything, but I don’t know what happened, I just floated over there like, “Oh my God, what just happened?” Then in his deep voice, he’s like “Hey. How are you doing? How are the guys?” It was an out of body experience. It was amazing.

Digable Planets’ Cee Knowledge on the Trio’s Reunion

Friday, July 29, 2016 - By Paula Mejia - Village Voice

Craig Irving, Mary Ann Vieira, and Ishmael Butler

In the early nineties, a sharp young trio of Brooklyn dwellers — dubbed Digable Planets — brought jazz-laced hip-hop and interplanetary rhymes to us earthlings. While they emerged in the same golden age that bred De La Soul and Arrested Development, Digable Planets outshone many of their contemporaries through their prescient songs about reproductive rights and racially fueled violence. They also weren’t afraid to get weird: Their "Insect Theory" and a story line about the trio as "Creamy Spies" are integral to their albums.

The Planets parted ways after the release of their sprawling 1994 album, Blowout Comb, and briefly reunited in 2005. Now, the classic lineup of Mary Ann "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira, Craig "Doodlebug" Irving, and Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, are embarking on their first tour together in eleven years, performing tracks from Blowout Comb and their debut, Reachin’. In the interim, they’ve each been pursuing their own formidable musical endeavors, with Butler helming one half of Shabazz Palaces; Vieira leading BROOKZILL! along with Prince Paul, Don Newkirk, and Rodrigo Brandão: and Irving returning to space with his own group, the Cosmic Funk Orchestra.

Ahead of the trio’s performance at Prospect Park’s Celebrate Brooklyn! on Saturday, we caught up with Craig "Doodlebug" Irving (who now goes by Cee Knowledge) to talk about the reunion, Digable Planets’ immortality, and the comic book series he’s now working on.

Did you ever think the Planets would realign right now, in 2016?
I always held on to hope. Every once in a while we’d bring up the idea but we never followed through, because other things were pertinent in our lives at the time. I guess 2016 just was the right time, the right place, the right space in time. Everything converged. I’m happy that people still hear what we’ve got to say and are excited about it. It makes us excited, you know what I’m saying?

Are you excited to return to your old stomping grounds, in Fort Greene?
It’s going to be good. It’s going to complete the trinity. We were in D.C., where I lived for a while. Tomorrow night we’re going to be in Philadelphia, which is where I was born and raised. Then Saturday is Brooklyn, where I was raised musically, and helped shape who I am today. It’s great going back to all those places that had a major impact in shaping in who I am as an MC and a person.

Do you have specific spots you’re looking forward to revisiting in Brooklyn, or is it mostly the show you’re doing this time?
I got friends I’m going to check out in Fort Greene, Williamsburg, Flatbush. I’m walking around the old neighborhood, seeing what it looks like. Every city I’ve gone to has just changed so crazy. Gentrification is mad real. It’s a whole new city! We walked through Adams Morgan [in D.C.] yesterday, Chinatown area, Northwest, Southeast. I was like, wow! I’m seeing people walk next to areas that used to be the drug market, these crazy fly futuristic Jetsons-looking buildings and shit. I can’t even imagine what Brooklyn looks like right now.

Is that a bittersweet thing, walking around your old neighborhood in Fort Greene?
A little bit. It’s good to see progress, but you don’t want to see progress at the expense of other people. That’s a hard balance to make, you know what I mean? I’m not a businessman, so I’m not looking at it from a real estate investor perspective. I’m just looking at it from the perspective of another human being. They’re not thinking about other people. They’re thinking about money.

On a lighter note, I often think of the ethos in Digable Planets’ "Creamy Spy Theme," in that you say the "cream always rises." Do you feel that way, given that the barrier to entry has been broken to making music? Is it harder for the cream to rise because there’s just so much out there?
In a way it’s a gift and a curse, this breaking down the barriers. Now it’s allowing people that never had the opportunity to get heard worldwide. But now the curse is that we’re so inundated, it’s so hard to keep up with everybody.

I think you as an artist have to figure out how to market yourself, how to promote yourself, figure out your niche market, get to those people. And some people are better artists than marketers, so they don’t get heard. They get lost in the sauce. And some people are better marketers than artists, and they get all out there.

Your Creamy Spy name is Agent Duke Togo Renegade. Where is that from?
[Laughs] It’s Creamy Spy Agent Duke Togo. Duke Togo was a character from a classic Japanese animation cartoon called Golgo 13. That was his code name, and Duke Togo was his real name. He was almost like a super James Bond–type dude. I related to him on an animated, fun, hyped-up kind of level. We try to find different things that illustrate your wild style or wild flow. That character just resonated with me. You gotta see the cartoon; the cartoon is a beast.

So I guess people don’t call you Doodlebug anymore much these days?
Yeah. People who know me from the group say that. Most people call me Cee, or Cee-Know. Or if they really really know me, they call me Craig.

I heard you’re writing a comic, The Epic of Heaven and Earth. Can you tell me about it?
It’s a comic book based on the story line of Afronauts versus the Wretchin. The Afronauts are the protagonists of this place called the seventh dimension. Wretchin are this evil entity based off of corporations. They just want to collect things. [There’s also] a big twelve-member council of monks, who protect something called the twelve jewels. And the Wretchin think those are actual jewels, things that are worth money. But it’s just information — knowledge worthy of understanding. So they’re on a quest to try and catch and conquer the seventh dimension and try and gather the twelve jewels.

A lot of the characters are based on musicians and friends of mine in the music world I know. I’ve been working on it for years. I’ve always loved comic books, graphic novels, animation. But hopefully next year we can let the world see what we got. I’m not trying to rush it, because I want it to be right.

Are Digable Planets members characters in the comic?
Oh, no doubt! I mean, the Creamy Spy Agency is a real thing in this comic book. And we’re the main Creamy Spy Agents. We’re like the veterans. I based a lot of our history in the music industry in the comic book; it’s related.

So what is your superpower?
I’m kind of like a Yoda type. I have martial arts skills, ESP like Professor X, on that. I’m like the older veteran character. The storyline goes back and forth. It starts in the here and now, but it tells stories of the old days of the Creamy Spy Agents and the seventh dimension and how the war started between the Afronauts and the Wretchin, and myself, Butterfly, and Ladybug are veterans who were old-school, on the front lines of the heyday of the revolution, when the Wretchin were trying to conquer.

And in the here and now, we’re trying to recruit and train new Afronauts and Creamy Spy agents. So that’s basically my role in it, and trying to develop new, younger characters and honing new talent. New MCs. But you also want them to be privy to your experiences.

Do you have any recurring dreams?
Why you getting deep? You getting like Dr. Phil on me here. I have a dream where I’m flying around and saving the world. I don’t know why I always have that. I don’t know if it’s because of my fascination with comic books and superheroes, but I definitely have those dreams a lot.