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
Where I'm From
Digable Planets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Strange) Real strange, real strange
(An overdose) A nickel bag of funk
(We got beat)
Now move on, move on, yeah
(Hey man, are you ready to go?) Yeah
Boogie jive and rap is life where I'm from
Where I'm from, it be like run your coat black
Jupiter, keeps her fat beats by the pack
Where I'm from, nappy hair is life
We be reading Marx where I'm from
The kids be rockin' Clarks where I'm from
You turn around your cap, you talk over a beat
And dig some sounds boomin' out a jeep
Where I'm from, cocoons hide the youth, swoon units hundred proof
You want some beef, they will cut you some
Where I'm from, the beats is infinite where I'm from
Voodoo, ashubani, gangsta lean where I'm from
I'm interplanetary, my insect movements vary
It's kinky if it's hair, G, where I'm from
The firehoses blow, it's purple wind and snow
I do a hit and go, split
It's hip, what's hip? When hip is just the norm
'Cause Planets pledge allegiance to the funk in all it's forms
The kinks, the dance, the prints on all the shirts
My grandmother told mama that it's Africa at work
On vibes, we freak, them universal beats
You find it at the spot you hit at ends of every week
We twist, exist, to spin the maddest hits
Up here funk is our neighbor so we paid her a visit
The lip we sit can house the nine zips
For rock we can't do nothin', for this we come equipped
Off disc, off tape, rap blastin' two from eight
The really truly fat, the fly on the flip
Cocoa gotta know, how Planets, gotta roll
Speak the mega cool, get funky as a goal
It's calm, relax, we're only some new jacks
That acts from the funk but don't play the role
Where you from?
(When'd you people start taking an interest in black folks)
Never
Weekend Dig Plans got T's where I'm from
Where I'm from, it's Collins 13 where I'm from
Where I'm from, brothers took the beats and got fly
(Why?) That's most asked by 85, where I'm from
Fakin' the funk you get did
Projects, tenements, pyramids
Where I'm from, we're livin' off the boom boom crack
It's that hip hop rockers jazz when I max
Peace be the greeting of the insect tribe
Pestilent forces can't catch the vibe
We live to love and we love to rock mics
We speak in ghetto tongue 'cause ghetto's the life
Food for thought so get a buffet plate
The lyrics are so fat you might gain weight
So just watch me step alone, into the sunset
Left foot, right foot, one, two, mic check
Brewin' funk inside my soul kitchen
So pull up a chair here's a bit, have a listen
Of hardhead intervene (damn I know you're fluent)
Yeah, 'cause Doodle ain't havin' it and Butterfly knew it
Where you from?
Venus acts a fool at the square, right? (Yeah)
Doctors engineer in apparel, right? (Yeah)
Hip-hop made a point last year, right? (Yeah)
But Planets is the joint this year, right? (Yeah)
Planets got the dubs and live to grass-hop
Duck out from the fuzz, that sweat the hip-hop
Risin' like we foam, get it from the dome
I'm from where the fat beats stretch for mad blocks
We can get a kit, without, no bread
Feelin' funky beats go straight, to the head
Fall into a club, dig on what we love
It be past six, before we reach bed
Butter freaks on relics we say, those are fat
Doodle makin' silk, LaQuan, where it's at?
We need to stack a set, for rap to take a step
So we treat our clips, just like, bustin' caps
Whip it 'til dawn, kick it 'til dawn
Hip-hop is the fix, or else, we be gone
People thought they canned it, rap is not by bandits
Digable Planets got it, goin' on
Everywhere, every every where (every where)
Everywhere, every every where (yeah)
Everywhere, every every where (yeah)
Everywhere, every every where (yeah)
Everywhere, every every where (yeah)
Everywhere, every every where (every where)
Everywhere, every every where (every where)
In "Where I'm From," Digable Planets describe life in their native Brooklyn, New York. The lyrics are rich with cultural references, highlighting the diverse tapestry of the borough. The first stanza of the song begins with peace, which is repeated four times, and then strange, which they say three times. The strange refers to the things that they witness where they are from. They then mention a "nickel bag of funk," which refers to a small amount of weed, or possibly crack cocaine, a drug that was rampant in Brooklyn during the late 80s and early 90s. The next line mentions getting beat after witnessing the strange. This could refer to police brutality or some other kind of violence that young black men face in Brooklyn.
The lyrics go on to describe various cultural aspects of Brooklyn life. Boogie, jive, and rap are a way of life, and the community is tight-knit. They mention names of people who live there, places that exist, and activities that people do. The lyric "The firehoses blow, it's purple wind and snow" could be a reference to the events of April 29, 1991, when race riots broke out in Brooklyn after a black child was killed by a car driven by a Jewish man. The next line suggests that the singer does not want to be part of any violence and instead chooses to make a quick exit to stay out of trouble. The song goes on to explain the importance of the funk in their culture, which refers to the music, the rhythm, and the way of life of the black community at that time.
Line by Line Meaning
Peace, peace, peace, peace y'all!
A greeting of peace to everyone listening.
(Strange) Real strange, real strange
My hometown is unusual and eccentric.
(An overdose) A nickel bag of funk
There's an abundance of soulful music where I'm from.
(We got beat)
We were defeated.
Now move on, move on, yeah
Let's not dwell on the loss, let's keep going.
(Hey man, are you ready to go?) Yeah
Let's continue on this musical journey.
Boogie jive and rap is life where I'm from
Music and dance are integral parts of my hometown's culture.
Where I'm from, Ahmed play with Izzy where I'm from
I'm naming people and referencing locations in my hometown.
Where I'm from, it be like run your coat black
Wearing all black is cool in my hometown.
Jupiter, keeps her fat beats by the pack
Jupiter is a nickname for someone in my hometown who collects and distributes great music.
Where I'm from, nappy hair is life
In my hometown, we embrace natural, textured hair.
We be reading Marx where I'm from
Philosophy and critical thinking are important in my hometown.
The kids be rockin' Clarks where I'm from
Wearing Clarks shoes is a popular trend in my hometown.
You turn around your cap, you talk over a beat
Rap and hip-hop are common forms of expression in my hometown.
And dig some sounds boomin' out a jeep
Loud music coming from a car stereo is a common occurrence in my hometown.
Where I'm from, cocoons hide the youth, swoon units hundred proof
My hometown can be dangerous and people often hide their youthfulness
You want some beef, they will cut you some
My hometown can be violent and people are not afraid to defend themselves.
Where I'm from, the beats is infinite where I'm from
There are so many different types of beats to be heard in my hometown.
Voodoo, ashubani, gangsta lean where I'm from
There are varied styles and lifestyles in my hometown.
I'm interplanetary, my insect movements vary
I'm unique and unpredictable.
It's kinky if it's hair, G, where I'm from
We embrace all types of hair textures in my hometown.
The firehoses blow, it's purple wind and snow
There are strange weather patterns in my hometown.
I do a hit and go, split
I'm always on the move in my hometown.
It's hip, what's hip? When hip is just the norm
In my hometown, what's considered 'hip' is just what's normal.
'Cause Planets pledge allegiance to the funk in all it's forms
We in Digable Planets are devoted to all types of funky music.
The kinks, the dance, the prints on all the shirts
Fashion and style are integral parts of my hometown.
My grandmother told mama that it's Africa at work
My family believes that our African heritage has influenced our hometown's culture.
On vibes, we freak, them universal beats
We in Digable Planets are fans of all types of music.
You find it at the spot you hit at ends of every week
Every weekend, there are certain places in my hometown where you can always find good music.
We twist, exist, to spin the maddest hits
We in Digable Planets are dedicated to making great music.
Up here funk is our neighbor so we paid her a visit
In my hometown, funky music is everywhere.
The lip we sit can house the nine zips
The area where we hang out can hold lots of people.
For rock we can't do nothin', for this we come equipped
We're not very good at rock music, but we're well-equipped for making funky beats.
Off disc, off tape, rap blastin' two from eight
We create our music using various methods, including vinyl records and cassette tapes.
The really truly fat, the fly on the flip
Our music is truly great and always stylish.
Cocoa gotta know, how Planets, gotta roll
We in Digable Planets always have to be aware of what's going on.
Speak the mega cool, get funky as a goal
Our goal is always to create really cool, funky music.
It's calm, relax, we're only some new jacks
We're young and new to this, so we're just taking it easy.
That acts from the funk but don't play the role
We are authentic in our love and creation of funky music.
Where you from?
I'm asking where the listener is from.
(When'd you people start taking an interest in black folks)
I'm expressing skepticism about the audience's sudden interest in black music and culture.
Never
I'm saying that people have always been interested in black culture.
Weekend Dig Plans got T's where I'm from
People in my hometown have Digable Planets merchandise.
Where I'm from, it's Collins 13 where I'm from
Collins 13 is a specific place in my hometown.
Where I'm from, brothers took the beats and got fly
In my hometown, people really got into making cool music.
(Why?) That's most asked by 85, where I'm from
People have been wondering about this since 1985 in my hometown.
Fakin' the funk you get did
If you pretend to be something you're not, you're going to get called out.
Projects, tenements, pyramids
These are all types of buildings that can be found in my hometown.
Where I'm from, we're livin' off the boom boom crack
People in my hometown are making a lot of money off of trap music.
It's that hip hop rockers jazz when I max
I love to listen to all types of music.
Peace be the greeting of the insect tribe
Digable Planets wants peace.
Pestilent forces can't catch the vibe
People who cause harm can't understand the message of peace and love in our music.
We live to love and we love to rock mics
We in Digable Planets love to perform and share our message.
We speak in ghetto tongue 'cause ghetto's the life
We in Digable Planets embrace and celebrate our roots in urban life.
Food for thought so get a buffet plate
Our music is full of deep, meaningful ideas.
The lyrics are so fat you might gain weight
Our lyrics are so packed with meaning and energy that you might feel overwhelmed.
So just watch me step alone, into the sunset
I'm going to continue on my own path, into the future.
Left foot, right foot, one, two, mic check
I'm getting ready to perform.
Brewin' funk inside my soul kitchen
I'm working on creating new, funky music.
So pull up a chair here's a bit, have a listen
Sit down and listen to what I have to share.
Of hardhead intervene (damn I know you're fluent)
I'm calling for people to step in and make a change.
Yeah, 'cause Doodle ain't havin' it and Butterfly knew it
We in Digable Planets are ready to take action.
Venus acts a fool at the square, right? (Yeah)
We're talking about a place in our hometown.
Doctors engineer in apparel, right? (Yeah)
People in our hometown are very creative and talented.
Hip-hop made a point last year, right? (Yeah)
The music scene in previous years has been fascinating.
But Planets is the joint this year, right? (Yeah)
This year, Digable Planets is where it's at!
Planets got the dubs and live to grass-hop
We in Digable Planets are great performers and love to experiment with new sounds.
Duck out from the fuzz, that sweat the hip-hop
We avoid getting in trouble with the authorities as we create new music.
Risin' like we foam, get it from the dome
Our creativity comes from within us.
I'm from where the fat beats stretch for mad blocks
My hometown is full of great, funky music.
We can get a kit, without, no bread
We can make music without spending a lot of money.
Feelin' funky beats go straight, to the head
Our music is really powerful and heady.
Fall into a club, dig on what we love
Going to the club is a great place to listen to music in our hometown.
It be past six, before we reach bed
We stay out really late listening to music.
Butter freaks on relics we say, those are fat
We in Digable Planets are always looking for cool, vintage items.
Doodle makin' silk, LaQuan, where it's at?
We reference people in our hometown who make beautiful clothing.
We need to stack a set, for rap to take a step
We need to create some great music to push the rap industry forward.
So we treat our clips, just like, bustin' caps
We put the same intense energy into creating music as someone would put into shooting a gun.
Whip it 'til dawn, kick it 'til dawn
We stay out all night dancing.
Hip-hop is the fix, or else, we be gone
We are very serious about our love for hip-hop.
People thought they canned it, rap is not by bandits
Some people thought that hip-hop would be defeated, but that's not true.
Digable Planets got it, goin' on
We in Digable Planets are killing it right now!
Everywhere, every every where (every where)
Our music can be heard everywhere!
Everywhere, every every where (yeah)
Our music has a huge presence all over the world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ishmael R. Butler, Harry Wayne Casey, Richard Raymond Finch, Craig L. Irving, Mary Viera
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danglodean717
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Lyrics
Boogie jive and rap is life where I'm from
Where I'm from, I might play with Izzy where I'm from
Where I'm from, it be like, "run your coat black"
Jupiter, keeps her fat beats by the pack
Where I'm from, nappy hair is life
We be reading Marx where I'm from
The kids be rockin Clarks where I'm from
You turn around your cap, you talk over a beat
and dig some sounds boomin out a jeep
Where I'm from, cocoons hide the youth, swoon units 100 proof
You want some beef, they will cut you some
Where I'm form, the beats is infinite where I'm from
Voodoo, ashubani, gangsta lean where I'm from
I'm interplanetary, my insect movements vary
It's kinky if it's hair, G, where I'm from
The firehoses blow, it's purple wind and snow
I do a hit and go, SPLIT
It's hip, what's hip? When hip is just the norm
Cause Planets pledge allegiance to the funk in all it's forms
The kinks, the dance, the prints in all the shirts
My grandmother told my mother it's Africa at work
On vibes, we freak, them universal beats
You find it at the spot you hit at ends of every week
We twist, exist, to spin the maddest hits
Up here funk is our neighbor so we paid her a visit
The lip we sip can't house the nine zips
For rock we can't do nothin, for this we come equipped
Off disc, off tape, rap blastin til from 8
The really truly fat the fly on the flip
Cocoa gotta know, how Planets, gotta roll
Speak the mega cool, get funky as a goal
It's calm, relax, we're only some new jacks
that acts from the funk but don't play the role
Where you from?
....
Weekend "Dig Plans" got T's where I'm from
Where I'm from, it's Collins 13 where I'm from
Where I'm from, brothers took the beat and got fly
(Why?) That's most asked by 85, where I'm from
Fakin the funk you get did
Projects, tenements, pyramids
Where I'm from, we're livin off the boom boom crack
It's that hip hop rockers jazz when I max
Peace be the greeting of the insect tribe
Pestilent forces can't catch the vibe
We live to love and we love to rock mics
We speak in ghetto tongue cause ghetto's the life
Food for thought so get a buffet plate
The lyrics are so fat you might gain weight
So just watch me step alone, into the sunset
Left foot right foot 1-2 mic check
Brewin funk inside my soul kitchen
So pull up a chair here's a bit have a listen
of hardhead intervene, damn I know you're fluent
Yeah, cause Doodle ain't havin it and Butterfly knew it
Where you from?
....
Venus acts a fool at the square right? (Yeah)
Doctors engineer in apparel right? (Yeah)
Hip-Hop made a point last year right? (Yeah)
But Planets is the joint this year right? (Yeah)
Planets got the dubs and live to grass-hop
Duck out from the fuzz, that sweat the hip-hop
Risin like we foam, get it from the dome
I'm from where the fat beats stretch for mad blocks
We can get a kit, without, no thread
Feelin funky beats go straight, to the head
Fall into a club, dig on what we love
It be past six, before we reach bed
Butter freaks on relics we say, those are fat
Doodle makin silk, LaQuan, where it's at?
We need to stack a sack, for rap to take us dap
So we treat our clips, just like, bustin caps
Rip it til dawn, kick it til dawn
Hip-Hop is the fix, or else, we be gone
People thought they canned it, rap is not by bandits
Digable Planets got it, goin on
@WuTangMan
Digable Planets, Souls of Mischief, Pharcyde, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, absolute greatness!! After all these years, Where I’m From still goes hard!
@sleeplessnight8796
what about BLACK SHEEP.
@jessicagallegos6228
I’ve listened to so little rap over the course of my life
But those three bands got my approval in high school 💯 and still do
@DLabri3
epic
@ericb9035
Lords of the underground … 😬
@abiebeyda1279
Early 90s jazz rap be so underrated
@radfordbutts7380
"Food for thought, so get a buffet plate. The lyrics are so phat you might gain weight". In 2023, still one of the greatest lines ever.
@DaytimeNightmare
I've always liked that verse.... 🍇
@shaunstrang6658
youre not wrong ....tremendous
@DBrown-gu4ry
"Where I'm from, Nappy Hair is Life"
So liberating to hear this as a teenager. Naps were always the enemy. Digable Planets made them sound like a crown.