Shabazz Palaces Announces New Album It’s A Style Sport: Hear “Ahh World (I Won The Alphabet)”

When Digable Planets member Ishmael Butler announced his Seattle art-rap project Shabazz Palaces about 15 years ago, he presented it as a loose and mysterious collective. Now, Shabazz Palaces is essentially Butler's solo project, though he's still getting plenty of help in making his records. And now there's a new record on the way. This fall, Shabazz Palaces will follow the 2024 mini-album Exotic Birds Of Prey and the eight-minute standalone single "Time Knows Me" with a new LP called It's A Style Sport.It's A Style Sport has a great title and some great cover art, and Ishmael Butler co-produced the album with longtime collaborator Erik Blood, who also played multiple instruments. The album, largely recorded in an eight-day stretch in Seattle, includes contributions from singer Marquette Miller, vocalist and guitarist Thaddeus "Thaddillac" Turner, bassists Evan Flory-Barnes and Gerald "Tugboat" Turner, drummer Kassa Overall, and saxophonist Carlos Overall. Opening track "Ahh World (I Won The Alpha Bet)" is a burbling spoken-word electro track with a cinematic sense of scope and an animates sci-fi video from director Jacob Kasar. Below, check out that video and the LP's tracklist.T...