Imagine the sound of rap and jazz colliding. Then add literary references to Camus and Maya Angelou and a spiritual philosophy based on insect communities. What have you got? Digable Planets, a rap trio who will perform at Leede Arena on October 2, bringing the cutting-edge of pop-culture craftwork to Hanover.
Digable Planets' unique sound is a combination of brainy rhyming and mellow tempos that contrast sharply with the more widely known, aggressive sound and politics of groups such as Public Enemy. Indeed, the term "alternative rap" will probably alienate hard-core rap fans and draw in listeners unfamiliar with rap. Samples from a variety of sources, including K.C. and the Sunshine Band to Sonny Rollins, prove that Digable Planets has chosen its roots with style and a sense of humor.
The band's debut album "Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)" and its hit single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," which hit number 15 on the pop charts last spring, placed them in the vanguard of contemporary rap.
Generating enough ink in everything from Essence to People magazine to the Washington Post, Digable Planets quickly became the music industry's flavor of the month. With their retro-seventies style, jazzy overtones, and slightly spacey aura conjured by their far-out nicknames, band members are the foremost inventors of alternative music-fashion culture.
Insect nicknames are one of the band's many colorful features. Ismael Butler goes by the tag Butterfly; Craig Irving is Doodlebug; Ann Vieira is Ladybug. "Insects stick together and work for mutually beneficial causes," Ladybug stated in a press release. This metaphor of strength through unity is the Digable Planets' vision for progress in the AfricanAmerican community in the United States.
Although Digable Planets' relaxed sound and cosmic vibe may blunt their urgency, the band's conviction is apparent. Digable Planets even riffs on abortion rights in "Femme Fetal" and samples Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
Part of the band's social influence is unstated. Their mixed-gender makeup is a refreshing departure from the sometime macho ethic of rap. Vieira is outspoken about the image of women in the music industry. "I guess there are a lot of women who tend to lean toward this video ho image as a way of getting on TV... But I choose to take a different route. My parents didn't raise me like that," she stated in a press release.
Digable Planets and their five-piece band Planet Patrol will perform their hybrid brand of rap and jazz in Leede Arena on October 2. Tickets for the show are on sale at J.B. Jammin in Hanover and at Strawberries in West Lebanon, and more information about the concert can be obtained by calling 646-1357.
