Future Classic: Shabazz Palaces “Lese Majesty”

I remember being absolutely blown away when I listened to “Black Up“, Shabazz Palaces‘ first record released back in 2011.

Members Ishmael Butler (formerly Butterfly from the legendary Digable Planets) and Tendai Maraire are visionaries, at a time where we are in desperate need of them in the music landscape.

Dark, atmospheric and complex, “Lese Majesty” their second full length album is no less impressive than their ground breaking debut. While I preferred “Black Up” for its slightly more dense and melodic production, you cannot ignore the unique direction they are taking hip-hop on. From the sound effects and the interesting synth melodies, textures, the thought-provoking lyrics, to the drums, Lese Majesty is a collage of their genius. Diverse and enthralling, this record exemplifies what to me hip-hop should be all about- taking risks and going into the sonically unknown territories of music.

Martin Boev

Based in London, I run 'In Search Of Media', a platform for musicians, filmmakers and artists all over the world to showcase their projects, while giving a platform for new discoveries.