The group first took shape in the early ‘90s, in New York City. Former Seattle resident Butterfly (a k a Ishmael Butler) hooked up with Philadelphia native Doodlebug (Craig Irving), who was a member of New York collective Dread Poets Society, and Ladybug (Mary Ann Vieira), a Maryland denizen of Brazilian descent. Like the name chosen for their band, the new handles each member adopted also reflected a universal consciousness.
“Insects stick together and work for mutually beneficial causes,” Ladybug observed in Essence. Doodlebug added, “Humans are supposed to be the most intelligent beings on the planet, and yet we can’t seem to come together in a peaceful manner.”
On their 1993 debut, Reachin' (A New Refutation Of Time And Space), the threesome showed just how rich and vibrant the musical product of three distinctive minds working in harmony could be. Musically, they incorporated elements of funk, samba, and psychedelia into their street-savvy hip-hop; jazz, in particular, played a pivotal role. The group gave shout-outs to icons Charles Mingus and Charlie Parker, and sampled others, including Sonny Rollins and the Last Poets.
“Like hip-hop, they developed a language and style that was unique,” noted Butterfly of their jazz forefathers. “Those cats used their vernacular to communicate a new perspective.” With unabashedly intelligent lyrical references to everything from Karl Marx (on the reggae-tinged “Where I'm From“) and Jimi Hendrix, to feminist bell hooks and poet Nikki Giovanni, the Planets boldly followed suit.
Critics responded to the Planets’ debut platter enthusiastically. “Reachin' (A New Refutation Of Time And Space) is everything hip-hop should be: artistically sound, unabashedly conscious and downright cool,” proclaimed Kevin Powell in a four-star review for Rolling Stone. “And Digable Planets is the kind of rap act every fan should cram to understand.” The record would eventually hit #15 on the Billboard 200, break the Top 5 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and achieve Platinum sales status.
Buoyed up by a bubbling bass line and curlicues of brass (the latter lifted from a sample of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers), and peppered with finger-pops, the sublimely chill single “Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" became the album’s biggest hit. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, winning legions of fans across a variety of radio formats as well as in clubs. The track deservedly earned the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
After touring extensively, accompanied by a live band, the trio returned to the studio, emerging in 1994 with their sophomore outing, Blowout Comb. Even more so than its predecessor, the Planets’ second full-length pushed stylistic boundaries. The group downplayed samples in favor of live performances: “Dog It“ juxtaposed animated sax and vibraphone turns (by Donald “Duck” Harrison and Bill Lounge, respectively) with a slightly harder vocal style, while sultry, summery singing on “Dial 7 (Axioms Of Creamy Spies)" evoked an air of vintage ‘70s soul. Special guests on the Blowout Comb sessions included Brooklyn rapper Jeru The Damaja (”Graffiti“) and pioneering female hip-hop DJ Jazzy Joyce (”9th Wonder (Blackitolism)“), who also toured with the group.
Although Digable Planets dissolved in 1996, all three members have remained active musically. Butterfly went on to form the band Cherrywine, releasing the album Bright Black in 2003. He also composed music for commercial clients including Pepsi and Fila, and ventured into acting, with roles in film (the 2002 Sundance fave I Am Ali) and Off Broadway. Mecca the Ladybug – now Ladybug Mecca – dropped her new solo album, Trip The Light Fantastic, in June, 2005 on her very own record label “Nu Paradigm Entertainment”. She also composed the score for a short film entitled “The Monster” courtesy of “Scenarios USA” - Kids Creating Social Change in 2001. A segment of the film was featured on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. She can also be spotted in Snoop Dogg's Video "Candy," the result of one of her lyrics being sampled for this song. Working as Cee Knowledge, Doodlebug has been leading Philadelphia live hip-hop ensemble Cosmic Funk Orchestra since 2000. In addition Doodlebug is actively the CEO of the successful multimedia company “7 and a Cresent”. But most importantly for Digable Planets fans worldwide, the original trio recently reformed to play a number of well-received live dates (including Lollapalooza 2005), and begin work on their first album in over a decade.
(2) Though they were not the first to synthesize jazz and hip-hop, Digable Planets epitomized the laid-back charm of jazz hipsters better than any group before or since. The trio's 1993 debut album, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), was a mellow ride packed with samples from Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, and Curtis Mayfield, and the single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" became a Top 20 pop hit. After earning a Grammy for Best New Duo or Group and embarking on an ambitious tour that included several live musicians, the Planets returned in late 1994 with their best album yet. Blowout Comb continued the group's jazz-rap fusion, but also saw them branching out to embrace the old school sound of the street as well.
Digable Planets formed in the early '90s, when Butterfly (b. Ishmael Butler, Brooklyn, NY) met Ladybug (b. Mary Ann Vieira, Silver Springs, MD) while attending college in Massachusetts. The two later hooked up with Doodlebug (b. Craig Irving, Philadelphia, PA), in Washington, D.C., and began recording. Their first single, "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," released on the Pendulum subsidiary of Warner, hit the R&B Top Ten while their debut, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), was a critical and commercial success. Digable Planets' resulting tour had a laid-back vibe more in keeping with a jazz show than any hip-hop concert, though the live musicians were criticized for doing little more than re-creating samples from the album. The trio solved that problem with the release of their second album, Blowout Comb, in late 1994. Much stronger than its predecessor, it used fewer samples and even included several solos. With no strong single to carry it, however, Blowout Comb's sales performance was not up to that of Reachin'. After Blowout Comb, Digable Planets basically dissolved due to the dreaded "creative differences". All three continued making music separately, but despite many promises that the recordings would become actual releases, nearly a decade passed before releases appeared from Butterfly's Cherrywine project, Ladybug's new billing Ladybug Mecca, and Doodlebug's Cee Knowledge. Then, just a few weeks shy of the ten-year anniversary of Blowout Comb, the three announced that they had reunited to record their third Digable Planets album. A compilation, Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles, filled the gap while fans waited for its release. ~ John Bush, Rovi
Time & Space
Digable Planets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Planets lookin' high when we travellin' on a vibe
Cribs, dorms grasshoppers in swarms
Thinkin' life is big, is that hip is it norm
Psych-e-delic and fat
Flowers and beads and peaces and naps
Ah yes, planets got the blessed
Beats are played on Friday to get Monday off your chest
Lose yourself and groove in the beaty as it floats
Hair, clothes monochrome it ain't
Many different worlds in the sweet and funky joint
Pounds, hands speakers and jams
Even those that fam get fitted in the plans
Light, years sugar for your ears
Hip-hop is the fave we been diggin' it for years
Funk, rhythm psychedelic money
Studied my lessons got vision 20/20
Check out the glow they need it what we brought
Ladybug don't we boom it from new york
Yes we do, uh
Time, space what is that like
Just how we livin' when in the hip life
Kids, roll with hot buttered soul
From 125 right down to Ludlow
The juice the cup the token fare is up
The ancestors peace with the daughters of the dust
We just freaks aquafunky beats
Vented to the streets from the boxes and the jeeps
Nuclear is we different time different space
Up on planet Earth we brought the mad bass
Brung is the tongue they all can understand
I'm free so let me pass it to my G
Check me out, Butterflies funk induced highs
I gain a better reason to smack me up a five
Bald caps, pleasurable naps
Time and space is fake and that's the real haps
Youth flights, land on Friday nights
Birds be with the cats DJs savin' lives
Soul funk jive and rhythm jams
Sound drips comin' off the lips
Smuggled from the planets that freak the 9 zips
Time space no one's is alike
Be you and just be you or be out
That's right so
Step into the jams
Let the sugars make you sweet
Kept it underhand cause the planets get you free
Ladybug Mecca with the groove in time and space
With the funk and rhythm butter chase
Goddam
The lyrics of Digable Planets' "Time & Space" paint a picture of a world that is groovy, psychedelic, and full of life. The first few lines describe the band's "slip slide" journey through life, traveling on a vibe to different places, whether it's their own cribs or dorms, or swarms of grasshoppers. They question whether their perception of life as "big" is hip or normal, and then move on to describe the ideal world they want to live in. It's psychedelic and fat, filled with flowers, beads, peaces, and naps. The beats are blessed and played on Fridays to help people get through Mondays. The rest of the song talks about the different aspects of this world, from hair and clothes to the different worlds people come from. The song ends with Ladybug Mecca encouraging listeners to step into the jams and let the sugars make them sweet.
Line by Line Meaning
Slip slide, dip then take a dive
Dancing, moving, then falling into an immersive experience
Planets lookin' high when we travellin' on a vibe
Being inspired and feeling elevated when immersed in a creative environment
Cribs, dorms grasshoppers in swarms
Young people living in different environments, full of energy and potential
Thinkin' life is big, is that hip is it norm
Contemplating the meaning and significance of life while questioning societal norms
Psych-e-delic and fat
A surreal and trippy experience that's rich in substance
Flowers and beads and peaces and naps
Finding peace and relaxation through nature, fashion and rest
Ah yes, planets got the blessed
Feeling fortunate and grateful from their access to music and creativity
Beats are played on Friday to get Monday off your chest
Enjoying music to help forget about the stress of work/school
Kick live dig into the quotes
Engaging with the lyrics and finding meaning in them
Lose yourself and groove in the beaty as it floats
Fully immersing oneself in the music and finding flow within it
Hair, clothes monochrome it ain't
Embracing individuality and rejecting conformity in fashion
Many different worlds in the sweet and funky joint
Different backgrounds coming together in a harmonious and vibrant environment
Pounds, hands speakers and jams
Enjoying music with others while vibing to the rhythm
Even those that fam get fitted in the plans
Even those who aren't close can still enjoy the music and fit in
Light, years sugar for your ears
Music that uplifts and inspires, regardless of how far away it comes from
Hip-hop is the fave we been diggin' it for years
Hip-hop is their favorite genre that they've enjoyed for a long time
Funk, rhythm psychedelic money
An immersive and transcendental experience that's worth a lot
Studied my lessons got vision 20/20
Learning from past experiences and gaining clarity in life
Check out the glow they need it what we brought
Sharing their unique style and creativity with others who appreciate it
Ladybug don't we boom it from new york
Proudly representing their city through music
Yes we do, uh
Agreeing with the previous statement
Time, space what is that like
Questioning the abstract concepts of time and space
Just how we livin' when in the hip life
Contemplating how their lifestyle is influenced by their love of music
Kids, roll with hot buttered soul
Young people with a passion for music and soulful expression
From 125 right down to Ludlow
Referencing different areas and neighborhoods where music is enjoyed
The juice the cup the token fare is up
Enjoying the experience of buying music or going to concerts
The ancestors peace with the daughters of the dust
Showing respect and appreciation for those who came before and influenced their music
We just freaks aquafunky beats
Embracing their unique style and rhythm that deviates from the mainstream
Vented to the streets from the boxes and the jeeps
Sharing their music and sound systems with others in the streets
Nuclear is we different time different space
Their music and rhythm transcends time and space
Up on planet Earth we brought the mad bass
Bringing their unique sound and rhythm to planet Earth
Brung is the tongue they all can understand
Speaking a universal language that everyone can enjoy
I'm free so let me pass it to my G
Feeling liberated through music and passing on that feeling to others
Check me out, Butterflies funk induced highs
Feeling inspired and uplifted through their unique sound and vibe
I gain a better reason to smack me up a five
Feeling grateful and happy for their music and high-fiving people to celebrate it
Bald caps, pleasurable naps
Embracing individuality in fashion and finding relaxation through rest and music
Time and space is fake and that's the real haps
Questioning the validity of abstract concepts while embracing the present moment
Youth flights, land on Friday nights
Young people taking off on Friday nights to enjoy music and socialize
Birds be with the cats DJs savin' lives
Different people coming together to enjoy music and support each other
Soul funk jive and rhythm jams
Enjoying different genres and rhythms of music that evoke feeling and emotion
Sound drips comin' off the lips
Music that's so good it's almost tangible
Smuggled from the planets that freak the 9 zips
Their unique sound and vibe that comes from another world
Time space no one's is alike
Each person experiences time and space differently
Be you and just be you or be out
Embracing individuality and authenticity or not fitting in
Step into the jams
Fully immersing oneself in the music and vibe
Let the sugars make you sweet
Allowing the good vibes and rhythm to influence and uplift one's mood
Kept it underhand cause the planets get you free
Keeping their music and vibe underground to avoid commercialization and staying true to their style
Ladybug Mecca with the groove in time and space
The artist enjoying music and vibing in her own unique way
With the funk and rhythm butter chase
Enjoying the rhythm and flow of music as widely and wholesomely as possible
Goddam
Exclaiming a sense of awe and wonder towards music and the universe
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ISHMAEL BUTLER, ISHMAEL R. BUTLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind