Shabazz Palaces’ two new mini-albums, ‘Robed in Rareness’ and ‘Exotic Birds of Prey’, are released on CD and LP. Shabazz Palaces is masterminded by Ishmael Butler (Digable Planets), whose relentless drive to reimagine hip-hop – even as he enjoys his fifth decade on Earth – remains undiminished. When ‘Robed in Rareness’ hit digital platforms in 2023, NPR Music called it “enchanting and subversive,” while Pitchfork observed that “the futurism of Shabazz Palaces has always been interwoven with the past and present, their songs scintillating tapestries of old-school shit talk, proggy psychedelia, and melodic flossing. ‘Robed in Rareness’ is draped in this multiplicity as Butler and a team of close collaborators swagger across eras of rap.” ‘Exotic Birds of Prey’ furthers the modus operandi of ‘Robed in Rareness’: a respectful eye on the past, an embrace of an ever-evolving present, with its feet firmly planted in the future. Where ‘Robed in Rareness’ warped sounds like shoegaze and ambient music into the Shabazz Palaces multiverse, ‘Exotic Birds of Prey’ cross-pollinates these elements with twisted electro and funk vibes.

Loser Edition LP pressed on red vinyl.