Shabazz Palaces are percussionist Tendai Maraire and Ishmael Butler, former… Read Full Bio ↴Shabazz Palaces are percussionist Tendai Maraire and Ishmael Butler, formerly of Digable Planets and Cherrywine. Working now under the moniker Palaceer Lazaro, Ishmael provides the group’s vision and vocals, while Tendai employs ancient instruments from his homeland Zimbabwe.
After releasing several recordings themselves on small time labels, in 2010 they contracted to release an ep with Sub Pop and have collaborated in recordings and on stage with artists such as MC Silk, and THEESatisfaction. They deliver sincere and radical lyrics with sounds and beats that include sounds from around the world. Containing echos of funk, minor-key jazz, London dubstep and mbira sounds they structure their songs outside the 16-bars/chorus/repeat form of much hip hop.Their music won them the first ever Music Genius award from The Stranger in 2010.

The group which also features mixing engineer Erik Blood, often dress in elaborate costumes and masks for their live performances.
For Butler, who never stopped making music since he released his classic album by Digable Planets , ''Blowout Comb'', Shabazz palaces is his latest place to play with ideas. Those ideas have always been simultaneously global in their expansiveness and basement ceiling low in their commitment to hip-hop’s bottom line.
Their video for Belhaven Meridian is a one-shot bw music video, shot in Watts, LA, homage to the 1977 classic film Killer of Sheep, a film set around the Watts Riots. It features a cameo by Ernest Wadell from The Wire.
Dope.

Noetic Noiromantics
Shabazz Palaces Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There goes the rain and
Comes in a new light
The strange is strongest
I've had the pleasure

I get my head up
And follow blindly
I love you so much

Yeah, I'm just like you

I never thought that I would find else somebody
Who never thought that there was fine someone as me
I thought that maybe I felt all there is to be
Yet there's a notion growing throughout me newly and it's that we

Should touch and agree

We should touch and agree
Touch and agree

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Shabazz Palaces' song Noetic Noiromantics are dense with meaning and open to interpretation. The opening lines of the song describe a change in the weather, with the rain and darkness giving way to a new light. This could be seen as a metaphor for a personal transformation or epiphany. The next line, "The strange is strongest I've had the pleasure," suggests that this change may be surreal or unexpected but also pleasant and exciting.

The second verse speaks to a sense of connection between the singer and another person. They have found someone who understands them in a way they never thought possible. This could be interpreted as a romantic relationship, a deep friendship, or a spiritual connection. The language of "touch and agree" in the chorus reinforces this idea of connection and unity.

The chorus also serves as a mantra or affirmation, encouraging the listener to engage with the idea of unity and shared experience. The repetition of the phrase "touch and agree" reinforces the idea of physical and emotional connection between individuals.

Overall, the lyrics of Noetic Noiromantics offer a rich exploration of themes of transformation, connection, and unity.

Line by Line Meaning

There goes the rain and
The rain has stopped and now a new beginning is happening

Comes in a new light
A change is happening and things are becoming clearer

The strange is strongest
The unknown or unfamiliar is the most intense

I've had the pleasure
I have enjoyed experiencing this new and strange situation

I get my head up
I raise my head and look forward

And follow blindly
Without question, I proceed

I love you so much
I have a great attachment to you on a deep level

Yeah, I'm just like you
We are very similar to each other

I never thought that I would find else somebody
I did not expect to find someone like myself

Who never thought that there was fine someone as me
Someone else who believed they were unique and could not find anyone else like them