Digable Planets

Digable Planets are an alternative hip-hop trio from New York City formed in the early 1990s, consisting of Butterfly, Ladybug Mecca, and Doodlebug. The group emerged as part of the jazz-rap movement, drawing on cool jazz textures, Afrofuturist imagery, and a laid-back, poetic flow that set them apart from the more aggressive styles dominating hip-hop at the time.

Their 1993 debut album, «Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)», introduced their smoky, jazz-sampling sound and earned widespread critical acclaim, propelled by the breakout single «Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)». The follow-up, «Blowout Comb» (1994), pushed their sound toward a rawer, more socially conscious and politically engaged direction while retaining their signature jazz-inflected grooves.

Shortly after «Blowout Comb», the trio disbanded due to creative differences, though they have periodically reunited for live performances in later years. Butterfly, whose name for the group evoked cosmic imagery inspired by George Clinton and Sun Ra, went on to form the Afrofuturist hip-hop duo Shabazz Palaces with percussionist Tendai Maraire, extending the group’s exploratory legacy into new territory.