Digable Planets

The Roots Are Bringing Arrested Development And Digable Planets On The Road For A Tour This Summer

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The Roots announced a new summer Hip-Hop Is The Love Of My Life Tour across North America and Europe, where they’ll be joined by Arrested Development and Digable Planets as support on select dates.

Shortly after hosting Philly’s Roots Picnic in June, the three groups will reunite in Los Angeles for a show at the Hollywood Bowl.

For those looking to attend one of the shows, tickets for all dates appear to be on sale now. Additional information about The Roots’ 2024 shows can be found through their official website.

Continue scrolling for a complete list of dates.

The Roots 2024 Hip-Hop Is The Love Of My Life Tour Dates

05/11 — Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery Concert Series
05/12 — San Diego, CA @ Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival
06/01 — Philadelphia, PA @ Roots Picnic
06/02 — Philadelphia, PA @ Roots Picnic
06/23 — Baltimore, MD @ Reggae Rise Up Maryland
06/29 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl ^*
07/20 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
07/21 — Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo
08/01 — London, England @ Crystal Palace Bowl
08/02 — Margate, England @ Dreamland
08/05 — Berlin, Germany @ Uber Eats Music Hall
08/16 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall ^*
08/17 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory ^*
08/23 — TBA ^*
08/24 — Highland Park, IL @ Ravinia Festival ^*
08/25 — Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill ^*
08/29 — Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park ^*
08/31 — Vienna, VA @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap ^*
09/01 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway ^*

^ with Arrested Development
* with Digable Planets

Today in Hip-Hop History: Digable Planets’ Released Their Debut Album ‘Reachin’ (A New Refutation Of Time And Space)’ 31 Years Ago

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tumblr e96c8a2f7f3b3b2a7ec6401ea9d8d13e f45bd61d 1280

Jazz has again begun to find its way into mainstream Hip-Hop. With the success of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, more artists have started to incorporate the classic brass and string jazz sound. On this day in Hip Hop history, one of the first jazz-fusion Hip-Hop albums, Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was released by Brooklyn-based trio Digable Planets in 1993.

Peaking at #81 on the Billboard 200, this successful debut introduced a fresh new element to the boom-bap scene in New York. With members hailing from all corners of the country (Butterfly from Seattle, Ladybug Mecca from Washington D.C., and Doodlebug from Philadelphia), Digable Planets was able to bring a unique flair to the conscious rap game. Although not as overtly political as the group follow up album, this project does touch on some controversial subjects such as abortion rights and artistic drug abuse. The album’s hit single “The Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” has become a Hip Hop classic. By peaking at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 500,000 copies in a year, and winning the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group, this single cemented its place in music history. The song is still used to this day in various advertisements, TV shows, and movies.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Digable Planets’ Released Their Debut Album ‘Reachin’ (A New Refutation Of Time And Space)’ 31 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Digable Planets’ Released Their Debut Album ‘Reachin’ (A New Refutation Of Time And Space)’ 31 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

The Roots Picnic Is Coming To Hollywood In 2024 With Common, Queen Latifah And More

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The Roots Picnic has been a staple of the band’s hometown, Philadelphia since 2008, bringing guests from across the spectrum of their collaborators and friends to Penn’s Landing. For those of us on the West Coast, though, the exciting festival has been a little difficult to attend. That all changes next year, when The Roots bring The Roots Picnic to LA, thanks to the Hollywood Bowl. Roots Picnic: Hip-Hop Is The Love Of My Life will take place on Saturday, June 29, along with special guests Arrested Development, Black Sheep, Common, Digable Planets, The Pharcyde, Queen Latifah, and more. Tickets for the event go on sale Thursday, December 14, at 10 AM PT at hollywoodbowl.com. The full Hollywood Bowl 2024 season will be announced in February 2024.

For the most part, The Roots have been busy as the house band of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (who helped keep their friendship tight), but individual members like Questlove and Black Thought have been busy with endeavors ranging from memoirs (see Uproxx’s interview with Black Thought about The Upcycled Self here) to planning the Grammys’ Hip-Hop 50 tribute (which he says caused him to lose some teeth). Quest is also set to direct Disney’s live-action remake of The Aristocats.

Today in Hip Hop History: Digable Planets Dropped Their Sophomore ‘Blowout Comb’ Album 29 Years Ago

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Screenshot 2023 10 18 at 8.37.08 AM

Today in Hip-Hop history Brooklyn trio Digable Planets released their sophomore LP Blowout Comb. Serving as a more politically charged follow up to their jazzy debut, Reachin’: A New Refutation of Time and Space, this album showed the group’s stance on Black nationalism and inner-city living in the mid ’90s.

On this album, the trio abandoned their radio-friendly style to focus on a more militant agenda. Fundamentally, the group with through a metamorphosis leaving behind their once-coveted insect centered imagery. As a group, they felt misunderstood. Their original intention with relating their cause to insects was to focus on the fact that bugs, although small, have a “nature to stick together and work for mutually beneficial causes”, according to frontman Ishmael Butler. While working on Blowout Comb, the group completely shed their insect facade and emerged anew with a new focus and new identities. The former “Butterfly” changed his moniker to “Ish”, “Ladybug” became “Mecca” and “Dooblebug” was now “C-Know”.

Lyrically, this album was something straight out of the Black Power Movement. With references to The Nation of Islam, The Black Panther Party, Allah’s 5% Nation, and the racial and class struggles of the impoverished minorities of the United States, it is no secret what statement Digable Planets was trying to make. They did not want their Afrocentrism to be overshadowed by crossover appeal as it did on their debut. As a result, this LP did not receive much backing from their label, Pendulum/EMI. Despite its lack of internal support, the album was still able to peak at #32 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the Top R&B chart.

Unfortunately, following this album, Digable Planets disbanded. The cause of the split is said to be creative differences and dissatisfaction with the music industry. Luckily for the fans, the trio was able to deliver a masterpiece of conscious rap before fading into the pages of Hip Hop history. Take some time today to appreciate one of rap’s most slept on albums.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Digable Planets Dropped Their Sophomore ‘Blowout Comb’ Album 29 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Digable Planets Dropped Their Sophomore ‘Blowout Comb’ Album 29 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip Hop History: Digable Planets Dropped Their Sophomore ‘Blowout Comb’ Album 29 Years Ago

by
Screenshot 2023 10 18 at 8.37.08 AM

Today in Hip-Hop history Brooklyn trio Digable Planets released their sophomore LP Blowout Comb. Serving as a more politically charged follow up to their jazzy debut, Reachin’: A New Refutation of Time and Space, this album showed the group’s stance on Black nationalism and inner-city living in the mid ’90s.

On this album, the trio abandoned their radio-friendly style to focus on a more militant agenda. Fundamentally, the group with through a metamorphosis leaving behind their once-coveted insect centered imagery. As a group, they felt misunderstood. Their original intention with relating their cause to insects was to focus on the fact that bugs, although small, have a “nature to stick together and work for mutually beneficial causes”, according to frontman Ishmael Butler. While working on Blowout Comb, the group completely shed their insect facade and emerged anew with a new focus and new identities. The former “Butterfly” changed his moniker to “Ish”, “Ladybug” became “Mecca” and “Dooblebug” was now “C-Know”.

Lyrically, this album was something straight out of the Black Power Movement. With references to The Nation of Islam, The Black Panther Party, Allah’s 5% Nation, and the racial and class struggles of the impoverished minorities of the United States, it is no secret what statement Digable Planets was trying to make. They did not want their Afrocentrism to be overshadowed by crossover appeal as it did on their debut. As a result, this LP did not receive much backing from their label, Pendulum/EMI. Despite its lack of internal support, the album was still able to peak at #32 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the Top R&B chart.

Unfortunately, following this album, Digable Planets disbanded. The cause of the split is said to be creative differences and dissatisfaction with the music industry. Luckily for the fans, the trio was able to deliver a masterpiece of conscious rap before fading into the pages of Hip Hop history. Take some time today to appreciate one of rap’s most slept on albums.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Digable Planets Dropped Their Sophomore ‘Blowout Comb’ Album 29 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Digable Planets Dropped Their Sophomore ‘Blowout Comb’ Album 29 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip-Hop History: Digable Planets’ Debut Album ‘Reachin’ (A New Refutation Of Time And Space)’ Turns 30 Years Old!

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tumblr e96c8a2f7f3b3b2a7ec6401ea9d8d13e 44c1879e 1280 1

Jazz has again begun to find its way into mainstream Hip-Hop. With the success of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, more artists have started to incorporate the classic brass and string jazz sound. On this day in Hip Hop history, one of the first jazz-fusion Hip-Hop albums, Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was released by Brooklyn-based trio Digable Planets in 1993.

Peaking at #81 on the Billboard 200, this successful debut introduced a fresh new element to the boom-bap scene in New York. With members hailing from all corners of the country (Butterfly from Seattle, Ladybug Mecca from Washington D.C., and Doodlebug from Philadelphia), Digable Planets was able to bring a unique flair to the conscious rap game. Although not as overtly political as the group follow up album, this project does touch on some controversial subjects such as abortion rights and artistic drug abuse. The album’s hit single “The Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” has become a Hip Hop classic. By peaking at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 500,000 copies in a year, and winning the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group, this single cemented its place in music history. The song is still used to this day in various advertisements, TV shows, and movies.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Digable Planets’ Debut Album ‘Reachin’ (A New Refutation Of Time And Space)’ Turns 30 Years Old! appeared first on The Source.

Kamasi Washington And Leon Bridges Headline The 2023 Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival

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Jazz revivalist Kamasi Washington and genre legend Herbie Hancock are co-curating the 2023 Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, the details of which have been revealed. Washington and Leon Bridges have been confirmed as the headliners, and the bill also includes New Orleans bounce pioneer Big Freedia (with The Soul Rebels), ’90s alt-rap touchstones Digable Planets, and modern jazz standard-bearers St. Paul and The Broken Bones and West Coast Get Down.

The 2023 Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival is set for June 17-18 and will be hosted by Arsenio Hall. Tickets are available at hollywoodbowl.com.

In a statement, Hancock said, “I was thrilled when the LA Phil asked me to co-curate this festival with Kamasi and explore his extraordinary art. Our celebration this year includes so many artists — both emerging and established — at defining moments in their musical journeys. We hope to create community and connection through the music we make and leave audiences feeling uplifted and inspired.”

Washington echoed those sentiments while praising his forebear. “Herbie is one of the greatest musicians to ever live and I am so grateful to be working with him on this special show. Herbie and I have been working with the LA Phil team to create a one-of-a-kind experience that we hope will leave the audience with excitement, joy, life, soul, and most of all great music.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.