Hangin' Out In 100b

Digable Planets are a band I used to listen to back in the early ’90s – I’m pretty sure aDawgg had their first album on tape* but I liked them enough to get it, as well as their second album, on CD for myself later on. Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was released in 1993 – I remember watching the video for their first single, “Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” on MTV all the time and knowing even then that they were doing something really different. I’ve always gravitated towards the softer, more melodic, side of hip-hop. I suppose you could argue that Digable Planets laid the foundation that later led me to look even further back in time and discover groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul.

Blending elements of hip-hop, jazz, and a vocal style that was more spoken word poetry than rap, Digable Planets represented an intellectual pop that doesn’t show up very often. Much like their contemporaries Arrested Development, they looked back to traditional African-American sounds – a huge contrast to artists like Onyx, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube (all hugely popular back in 1993). Reachin’ made it to #15 in the Billboard 200 albums chart (#5 in the R&B / Hip-Hop Charts). “Rebirth Of Slick” also got up to #15 in the Billboard Hot 100 (#1 in the Hot Rap Tracks), and won them a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, but their mainstream success was pretty much limited to that single.

   Digable Planets – Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
   Digable Planets – Where I’m From

It turns out that there was only a tiny window for their sound and it had already passed by the time the second album, Blowout Comb, was released in 1994. They never had another release in the charts (you’ll notice that Arrested Development’s popularity fizzled out around then as well). They didn’t really change much up for Blowout Comb – it’s basically just a continuation of what they were doing on Reachin’ – though it does sound like they were a little influenced by the beats of more popular hip-hop. But Blowout Comb just doesn’t quite have the charm and innocence that the earlier album had. It’s definitely not a bad album, but it doesn’t keep my interest the way that Reachin’ still does.

   Digable Planets – Borough Check

It’s true that Digable Planets’ sound is a little dated now – it takes you right back to the early ’90s when we watched Where I Live on Friday nights – but is still just as unique and enjoyable now as it was then. Good thing, because Digable Planets reformed, released the compilation Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles, and toured in 2005. Rumor has it that they are or will be working on a new album. I seriously doubt there’s room for them in the charts nowadays, if they still sound anything like they used to – I think they’re a little too intellectual for current Top 40, but you never know. I guess we’ll see …

* Remember when we bought albums on cassette? aDawgg had an insane hip-hop collection on tape back then and I would sneak into it and listen to the songs I liked when he was out. For some weird reason I thought he would be mad, so I’d check where each tape was before I played it and then rewind it back to that spot before I put it back. Good times.